Hackers hacked the correspondence of the Ministry of Finance of Sri Lanka and stole $ 2.5 million.

Sri Lankan law enforcement agencies are investigating the theft of $2.5 million by hackers who hacked into the systems of the country's Ministry of Finance. This was reported by Bloomberg on April 23, citing a statement by the head of the department, Harshan Suryaperum.

"Hackers interfered with communication and managed to redirect funds. Law enforcement agencies are investigating whether they are local or whether hacker attacks are being carried out from outside Sri Lanka," the official said at a press conference in Colombo.

The incident occurred in January 2026 during the payment of an external debt to an Australian creditor. The attackers gained unauthorized access to the system and intercepted e-mail correspondence between the Treasury and the Australian export finance agency, replacing bank details in payment instructions. The criminals were spotted when they tried to commit another theft using information about a payment to India.

The theft occurred at a time when the country was recovering from a default, damage caused by a cyclone in November 2025, and an energy crisis amid the ongoing conflict between the United States and Iran, the article notes.

Content without brakes: criminal AI service appeared on the darknet

Attackers actively use it in fraudulent schemes and the creation of viruses.

The Dutch technology website Tweakers reported on April 20 that an unknown user had put up for sale on the darknet a database allegedly containing information about 400,000 Belgian customers of the Dutch online store. Bol.com . Cybersecurity experts noted that such cases often turn out to be attempts to sell outdated or compiled data.