Recently, a post circulated on social media claiming that over Rs. 80 million had been credited to the wrong bank account in a payment transfer involving SriLankan Airlines\u2019 Chennai branch. Below is our fact-check of that claim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Social Media Posts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Below is an instance of a post on social media stating that over eighty million rupees had been credited to the wrong bank account in a financial transaction carried out by the Chennai branch of SriLankan Airlines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Facebook<\/strong><\/a> |<\/strong>Archived Link<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Other posts on this subject were shared on social media as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Facebook<\/strong><\/a> <\/strong>Facebook<\/strong><\/a> <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Given the widespread public discussion this generated on social media, we investigated the claim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fact-Check:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n At a media briefing on 15 May 2026, MP Dayasiri Jayasekara called for an investigation into an alleged financial transaction error at SriLankan Airlines. He stated that a payment due from SriLankan Airlines\u2019 Chennai branch to a representative office in Dubai had instead been credited to another account at Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank. He pointed out that the amount credited to the wrong account was 974,500 Dirhams, equivalent to over Rs. 80 million and noted that difficulties had arisen in recovering the funds. He stated that these payments were made in relation to the Chennai branch and Dubai operations of SriLankan Airlines and this statement is available here.<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Cybercrime via the Dubai Supplier\u2019s Hacked Email Account<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n SriLankan Airlines issued a media statement on 16th<\/sup> May 2026, stating that a service provider in Dubai, UAE, had informed SriLankan Airlines that it had not received the amount of AED 974,000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was later revealed that the email account of the service provider had been hacked by a third party. They had changed the bank account details and provided additional documentary evidence through official channels. They had thereby misled SriLankan Airlines into believing that they were dealing directly with the real service provider.<\/p>\n\n\n\n SriLankan Airlines took immediate action to prevent further payments to that account and reported the matter to the UAE authorities and the Sri Lankan Criminal Investigation Department. The airline confirmed that investigations were underway in both Sri Lanka and the UAE, and that the payment had been made based on official email instructions and documents bearing authorised signatures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n SriLankan Airlines has denied responsibility for the loss of funds, as the cyber-attack happened on the external service provider’s system.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Two Separate Incidents Wrongly Reported as One<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n SriLankan Airlines also mentioned regarding the misuse of funds at its Chennai office in India, in the same notice. The statement noted that several Indian nationals employed in the finance department in Chennai had been accused of misusing INR 22 million over a period of time by falsely altering invoices, payment details, and signatures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n SriLankan Airlines immediately referred the matter to Indian law enforcement authorities. The statement added that investigations were ongoing and that steps would be taken to recover the financial loss..<\/p>\n\n\n\n The announcement is below and the mainstream media had also reported on it. They can be seen here<\/a> and here as well.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n SriLankan Airlines\u2019 Response<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n We contacted SriLankan Airlines for further confirmation. Mr. Deepal Perera, Corporate Communications Manager of SriLankan Airlines, stated that the misdirected payment occurred because cyber fraudsters had gained unauthorised access to the Dubai service provider\u2019s email account, altered the bank details, and impersonated the legitimate supplier through official communications to mislead SriLankan Airlines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He stated that this situation had arisen from vulnerabilities in the service provider\u2019s email system and was therefore beyond SriLankan Airlines\u2019 control. He also clarified that this payment was not made by SriLankan Airlines\u2019 Chennai branch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mr. Deepal Perera clarified that the Chennai branch misappropriation is an entirely separate incident from the Dubai cybercrime, and that both had been incorrectly conflated in media and social media reporting. SriLankan Airlines\u2019 official statement addresses the two incidents separately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We have formally contacted the Dubai service provider in writing and will update this article based on their response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Join us to learn more about our fact-check investigations.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Facebook<\/strong><\/a> | <\/strong>Twitter<\/strong><\/a> | <\/strong>Instagram<\/strong><\/a> | <\/strong>Google News<\/strong><\/a> | <\/strong>TikTok<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Conclusion:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Our investigation confirms that the AED 974,000 transferred to an Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank account was the result of a third party illegally accessing the Dubai supplier\u2019s email, altering the bank details, and impersonating the supplier through official communications, a fact confirmed by SriLankan Airlines. <\/p>\n\n\n\n SriLankan Airlines stated that it was not responsible for the loss of funds, as the vulnerability lay in the external service provider\u2019s email system and was beyond the airline\u2019s control. The payment was also not made through the airline\u2019s Chennai branch. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The alleged internal misuse of funds at the Chennai branch is a separate matter, and an internal investigation is ongoing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/image-99-1024x507.png\")
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