IMF monitors $2.5 million cyber theft at Finance Ministry

Lankaweb • April 26, 2026

The International Monetary Fund closely monitors the situation in Sri Lanka following a cybersecurity breach at the Finance Ministry.

Officials confirm that cybercriminals gained unauthorized access to the External Resources Department (ERD) computer systems, resulting in the theft of US$ 2.5 million.

These funds were intended for debt repayment to Australia.

An IMF spokesperson informed Hiru that the organization is aware of the Finance Ministry’s statement regarding the unauthorized access and considers this a significant development.

Deputy Minister of Digital Economy Eranga Weeraratne stated that an international firm volunteered to assist in tracing the destination of the stolen funds.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Committee on Public Finance, Dr. Harsha de Silva, officially summoned the Secretary to the Ministry of Finance to appear before the committee.

Lead Information Security Engineer of the Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Readiness Team, Charuka Damunupola, noted that forensic analysis of the affected system continues and technical precautions were recommended.

International media highlighted the incident, which reports suggest is the first cyber breach of its kind in the nation’s history.

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The full story

This article is one source in a clustered incident — the cluster page carries the summary, timeline and every other outlet covering it.

Sri Lanka Treasury Cyber Heist: $2.5 Million Misappropriated In January 2026, Sri Lanka's Treasury lost $2.5 million due to a cyber incident involving the misdirection of funds intended for foreign debt repayment. Initial investigations suggest that the incident may not have been a traditional cyber hack but rather a Business Email Compromise (BEC) scheme, where fraudulent communications led to the diversion of funds. The Ministry of Finance confirmed that the breach involved its External Resources Department, and complaints have been lodged with law enforcement agencies. Investigations are ongoing, with no evidence of a system-level breach found so far, according to Deputy Minister Eranga Weeraratne. The incident has raised significant concerns about the cybersecurity posture of government institutions and the adequacy of their digital infrastructure. Additionally, documents related to a French loan repayment have gone missing, potentially linked to the same group of hackers. The Australian Federal Police are assisting in the investigation, and measures are being taken to enhance cybersecurity protocols across government systems. 22 sources 52

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IMF monitors $2.5 million cyber theft at Finance Ministry

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