FBI Team Arrives in Sri Lanka to Assist Treasury Cyber Theft Investigation

A team from the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has arrived in Sri Lanka to assist local authorities in investigating a major cyber fraud involving the theft of $2.5 million from Sri Lankan Treasury funds, along with an additional $625,000 linked to payments intended for U.S. postal authorities, a senior official said.

The investigation has expanded internationally after authorities traced the stolen funds through financial systems in the United States, involving multiple bank accounts in two separate U.S. states.

According to officials, discussions are already underway at the U.S. Embassy in Colombo, where officers from Sri Lanka’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) have held several rounds of meetings with FBI representatives.

A federal investigative team is currently working alongside the CID to track the digital trail of the stolen funds and uncover the full scope of the cyber operation.

Investigators earlier identified a company allegedly used to conceal the hackers involved in the fraud. The company, known as “Biz Solutions,” was reportedly registered in the U.S. state of Delaware and operated as an online business registration service.

The cyberattack targeted Sri Lanka’s Department of External Resources (ERD) through unauthorized access to official email communication systems. Authorities believe hackers intercepted and redirected funds connected to a $22.9 million bilateral debt repayment to Australia.

Police investigations revealed that four out of six payment vouchers prepared for Australian authorities had been diverted by the hackers during the transaction process.

Although the company was reportedly registered in Delaware due to its relatively flexible business regulations, investigators say one of the final transaction vouchers was linked to another U.S. state with much stricter banking oversight.

U.S. authorities have pledged full cooperation with Sri Lankan investigators and are prepared to take legal action against any suspects residing in the United States.

Despite the joint efforts, investigators say they have not yet fully confirmed the exact movement of the funds or identified the final destination accounts where the stolen money was transferred.

The FBI has also agreed to provide advanced technical support and investigative tools to assist the CID in the ongoing probe.