‘Beware of professional fraudsters’:

FIB to help depositors

by Nilma DOLE

SSP Maxi Proctor, Head of the Fraud Investigations Bureau (FIB) said that there are many professional money launderers who take innocent people for a ride by making them invest their hard-earned money in various money-making schemes.

He was addressing a press briefing following the arrest of Sri Lanka’s most wanted conman Sakvithi Ranasinghe, on Friday.

The Fraud Investigations Bureau can help anyone who wants to invest money in unknown financial institutions or with potential fraudsters, said the SSP. He said, “The Fraud Investigations Bureau has a dedicated and professional team to attend to complaints and even help in convicting conmen who masquerade under different identities.” According to the FIB, at least one fraud complaint is lodged daily and around 200 cases are reported every month.

The SSP called upon the public to inform the FIB if they know that someone is being cheated.

“We invite these people to report any suspicious characters immediately so that we can save at least 25 percent of these victims in such scams,” he said.

The public can call 2501733 for advice or even the police emergency hotline on 119 to report a fraud. “As the victims are honest about their investments and know exactly who cheated them, we can trap the fraudster”, said SSP Proctor. The first woman to head an FIB Unit, Inspector Dhammika Gamage told the Sunday Observer that several women have been cheated by conmen who give them money.

“These conmen start an affair with women who are over 35 years seeking marriage while having affairs with other women. After winning their confidence, they get them to invest money to go abroad or purchase expensive goods as the majority of these women are rich and well-educated.”

The FIB hopes that apart from the media all corporations - private and public organisations should hold meetings and seminars to educate people on money making schemes. “Our education system should also include a subject like money-laundering and it should be taught in every educational institution to warn gullible people against investing in quick get-rich schemes because it doesn’t pay in the end,” SSP Proctor said.