PTA urges citizens to protect CNIC details, OTPs and passwords as official figures highlight the growing scale of financial cyber fraud in Pakistan.
Pakistan’s telecom regulator has renewed its warning against digital fraud, urging citizens not to share CNIC numbers, one-time passwords (OTPs), account passwords or other sensitive information with unknown callers or through suspicious links.
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) said fraudsters are increasingly impersonating representatives of PTA, banks and courier companies to obtain confidential information from unsuspecting citizens. The authority advised people not to respond to unverified calls, messages or links, regardless of the identity claimed by the sender or caller.
PTA’s latest advisory follows similar warnings issued previously, including a detailed advisory in January that identified government departments, banks, the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) and mobile wallet services such as Easypaisa and JazzCash among the entities scammers may impersonate.
According to the earlier warning, fraudsters have used pressure tactics by telling potential victims that their SIM, bank account or mobile wallet is about to be blocked. They then attempt to obtain OTPs, ATM PINs or biometric information by claiming the details are needed to resolve the fabricated problem.
PTA has advised citizens to avoid clicking on unfamiliar or suspicious links received through SMS or messaging applications and to never provide confidential information to unrelated individuals.
Citizens can report complaints through the PTA Complaint Management System at complaint.pta.gov.pk, the PTA Digital Assistant on WhatsApp at 03150055055, or the PTA Complaint Management System app. The authority also provides a toll-free complaint number, 0800-55055.
The warning comes as official figures indicate the scale of cybercrime facing Pakistan. Data presented to the National Assembly showed that NCCIA received 150,542 cybercrime complaints in 2025, including 81,996 complaints related specifically to financial fraud. A further 2,974 complaints involved WhatsApp account hacking.
The financial losses reported in such cases were also significant. Financial crime cases reported in 2025 involved approximately PKR 2.716 billion, of which around PKR 452 million had been recovered when the figures were compiled.
NCCIA data for 2023 to 2026 showed more than 523,000 cybercrime complaints, while only 199 convictions were secured during the period. The agency has previously cited outdated investigative tools, staffing shortages and jurisdictional challenges in cases involving cross-border fraud operations.
The figures highlight why OTPs and other authentication details remain a major target for scammers. Rather than attempting to breach financial systems directly, fraudsters can use impersonation and social engineering to persuade victims to voluntarily disclose information that allows unauthorized access.
PTA has therefore urged citizens to treat unsolicited requests for OTPs, PINs, CNIC details or passwords as potential fraud and to report suspicious communications through official channels.
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