Misleading information is often disseminated on social media platforms in the form of scams to tarnish the reputation of prominent institutions. Such a scam went viral in Sri Lanka in the form of an official message from the country’s international airport. Let’s look at the claim in detail.
Social Media Post:
A Facebook advertisement indicating that lost luggage from Bandaranaike International Airport would soon be up for sale made rounds with the below text.
“This is not an auction! We sell lost luggage for $1! We are urgently emptying the airport warehouse and selling luggage lost more than 6 months ago. To buy, go to the website and place an order! 👇🏻The quantity is limited.”
Facebook | Archived Link, Archived Link
We have taken steps to check the accuracy of this post.
Fact Check :
Initially, we verified if Bandaranaike International Airport had shared any information or ads regarding the sale of passengers’ lost luggage on their official social media accounts and pages. However, we did not come across any such reference.
Airport & Aviation Services Requests Customers to Be Weary of the Scam
We contacted Shehan Sumanasekara, Director – Chief Operations (All Airports) and board member at Airport & Aviation Services Sri Lanka, to inquire about the procedure regarding passengers’ lost luggage.
Mr. Sumanasekara clarified that the social media post was a scam propagated by a Facebook page impersonating the Bandaranaike International Airport. Additionally, he emphasized that there is no fee for handling passengers’ lost luggage and assured that it is securely held at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) premises.
The official Facebook page of BIA explicitly stated that this is a fraudulent scheme.
We also noticed that the fraudulent Facebook page redirects to a website that has no relation to BIA and takes the form of a typical scam page that entices customers to provide their details to claim a gift, as seen below.
We request social media users be highly cautious in dealing with such scammers along with links to malicious websites, which can put your sensitive information at risk.
This Scam Was Created Using Old & Unrelated Images
We further checked the image used in the viral scam using a reverse image search. It was revealed on July 27, 2022, that Passengers on Air France flight AF0984 from Paris to Israel were outraged after landing at Ben Gurion to find out their hand luggage was left at the departure point. Therefore, it is clear that the image in the viral post is of the lost baggage scattered in a hall in Israel and has no connection to Sri Lanka.
vesty | Archived Link Click here to read another article about this.
Further search, we found the altered image on FB with a one-dollar price tag, which is currently viral as a scene related to Sri Lankan Airlines. Facebook| Archived Link
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Conclusion :
Our investigation clarifies that the claims regarding lost luggage sales at Bandaranaike International Airport are false. Airport & Aviation Services Sri Lanka confirms the viral posts are a scam and requests readers to refrain from providing sensitive information to such fraudulent websites.
Title:Beware of the Viral Scammers, SL Airport is NOT holding a Lost Luggage Sale!
Written By: Pavithra SandamaliResult: False
