Recently, my wife and her office friends were planning a fun trip to Kataragama. They found what looked like an unbelievable deal:
6 rooms, a private pool, a cook, and kitchen… for just LKR 13,000 for 12 people.
Sounds like a dream, right?
But within minutes, that dream started to feel like a nightmare waiting to happen.
Let me walk you through the experience—and the powerful lesson it revealed for every small business in Sri Lanka.
At first, the group found the place through a Facebook post.
No reviews, no likes, no comments. But the host insisted it was real and even claimed it’s been running for two years.
When they asked to book through Booking.com, he said it’s not listed there anymore and asked for a bank deposit within an hour to secure the booking.
When I personally checked into it:
The Facebook page had no real activity or proof of operation.
There was no Google listing or location on Maps.
When I asked for the location, he sent a temple address.
He was fast-talking, dismissive, and avoided proper answers.
And the price? Just too good to be believable.
That’s when it became clear: This could be a scam, or at best, a high-risk, unprofessional setup.
This situation had almost every sign of an online scam:
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Urgent pressure to pay quickly.
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Unverified Facebook page with no social proof.
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No Google Business presence or reviews.
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Wrong or misleading location pin.
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Inconsistent stories about the business history.
It’s easy to say, “That’s not me—I’m a real business.”
But here’s the truth:
If you’re not visible and trusted online, customers will treat you the same way they treat scammers.
Even if you’re completely honest, customers need trust signals:
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Verified location
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Real customer reviews
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Social media proof
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Consistent, professional communication
If you run a guest house, shop, salon, tuition class, or even a delivery service, this is your wake-up call.
To win customers and avoid suspicion, you need to:
✅ Be searchable on Google
✅ Have a proper Facebook/Instagram presence
✅ Display genuine reviews and ratings
✅ Use verified payment methods
✅ Share real photos and videos of your business
✅ Be polite, clear, and responsive in all communication
At Ruubis, we help small and medium businesses build the trust they need to grow online. Here’s what we offer:
📍 Google My Business Setup
📲 Facebook Page Optimization
🌟 Review Collection Strategy
📸 Content creation (photos, videos, testimonials)
🧾 Verified payment & digital presence advice
🌐 Mini websites or landing pages for your service
Whether you’re just starting or want to upgrade your online image, we’ll guide you step by step.