A 21-year-old man has been arrested in the Mawathgama area of Homagama over allegations of defrauding individuals by collecting money to publish online advertisements for vehicles that were never posted.The suspect, a resident of Mawathgama, was arrested by officers of the Central Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB).

Investigators allege that the suspect used a Facebook account to contact individuals by telephone and offered to advertise vehicles for sale online for specified periods.According to the investigation, the suspect charged Rs. 5,000 for a one-week advertisement, Rs. 10,000 for two weeks and Rs. 15,000 for a month’s promotion.However, police allege that after receiving payments from customers, the suspect failed to publish the promised advertisements and misappropriated the money.The suspect is being investigated over alleged offences involving criminal misappropriation, criminal breach of trust and cheating by impersonation.

The Central Crime Investigation Bureau is conducting further investigations into the incident.