Death hoaxes targeting well-known public figures are among the most emotionally manipulative forms of misinformation online, and they are particularly harmful when directed at religious figures. A series of posts circulated on social media falsely claiming that Venerable Kotuwe Podi Hamuduruwo (Aththaragama Pagnalankara Thero), had passed away. Some of those posts went further, embedding phishing links deceive social media users. Below is our fact-check.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Social Media Posts :<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Posts circulated on social media falsely claiming that Venerable Kotuwe Podi Hamuduruwo had passed away. <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Facebook<\/a> | Facebook<\/a> | Facebook<\/a> | Facebook<\/a> | Facebook<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Fact-Check :<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n If a widely followed public figure such as Venerable Kotuwe Podi Hamuduruwo had passed away, it would have been confirmed through mainstream media and official credible sources. Our investigation found no such confirmation anywhere. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Venerable Kotuwe Podi Hamuduruwo<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n We also checked Venerable Kotuwe Podi Hamuduruwo’s own Facebook page. The account was active with recent posts confirming he is alive. Thero\u2019s Facebook page is available here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We also contacted Venerable Kotuwe Podi Hamuduruwo directly, who confirmed that the posts claiming he has passed away are entirely false, and that he is in good health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some Fraudsters Used Phishing Links to Convery the False Message<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Several of the social media posts prompted readers to click a link to “watch the full video.” However, this link leads nowhere, there is no video, and no legitimate content. It is a phishing link.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A phishing attack<\/strong> is a form of online fraud designed to steal personal information such as passwords, credit card numbers, and bank account details. Attackers typically disguise themselves as a trusted source through emails, text messages, or websites to deceive users into handing over sensitive data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Do not click on unverified links embedded in social media posts about deaths or emergencies- they are frequently used to harvest personal and financial information.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Join us to learn more about our fact-check investigations.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Facebook<\/a> | <\/strong>Twitter<\/a> | <\/strong>Instagram<\/a> | <\/strong>Google News<\/a> | <\/strong>TikTok<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Conclusion :<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Our investigation confirms that the social media posts claiming Venerable Kotuwe Podi Hamuduruwo has passed away are false. The Venerable Thero himself confirmed he is in good health. Some of the circulating posts also contain phishing links disguised as video content – do not click on them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/unnamed-5.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/unnamed-6.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n