To prevent falling victim to the Badu Number scam, citizens are advised to be cautious when receiving unsolicited WhatsApp messages with suspicious links or phone numbers. The public is also encouraged to report such incidents to the authorities and to share awareness about the scam with their friends and family.

A few polite messages passed. He said he had found her number written on the inside cover of an old library book—A. S. Byatt, jacket browned and soft. He’d been sorting donated books at a public library in Kandy when the paper slipped from its spine. Between pages, someone had tucked a scrap of paper: "Nila — 07xxxxxxx." He was new to the town, he said, and the rest was apology, interest, the thin brush of a stranger’s voice.

While this article does not endorse illegal activity, if you choose to engage with these networks for legitimate second-hand goods, here is how to spot a red flag:

"Sometimes things travel to the right person," Badu said, closing the book with care.