August 24, Colombo (LNW): The Inland Revenue Department (IRD) has issued a public warning about an increase in fraudulent activities involving individuals posing as tax officials. These scams have been reported in several regions, including Colombo, Panadura, Negombo, Wennappuwa, and Minuwangoda.
In a statement, the IRD emphasized that genuine Inland Revenue Officers will never collect cash or cheques in person. Instead, they will only advise taxpayers to make payments directly into designated bank accounts at the Bank of Ceylon or People’s Bank, under the name of the Commissioner General of Inland Revenue.
The department urged the public to be vigilant and not to comply with any requests for cash or cheques from individuals claiming to be tax officials. Instead, any such incidents should be reported immediately to the nearest police station. The IRD highlighted that public cooperation is essential in apprehending these fraudsters and preventing further scams.
