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Treasury cyber heist widens; French loan papers missing - The Sunday Times, Sri Lanka

Sundaytimes.Lk • April 26, 2026

Suspicion falls on same group of hackers; Deputy Minister admits official email was compromised

Documents relating to the repayment of a loan from France have gone missing from the Finance Ministry computer systems and could be linked to the same group of hackers who breached its systems, leading to USD 2.5 million going missing from treasury funds, the Sunday Times learns.

Initial investigations have revealed that the papers pertain to the French loan repayment due in the future, and its disappearance has been detected.

Investigators believe that hackers have gained access to the documents and may have removed them with the intention of committing another fraud.

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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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Treasury cyber heist widens; French loan papers missing - The Sunday Times, Sri Lanka

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MITRE ATT&CK (1)