The scams people report most, and how to avoid each one
1. Calls and messages from fake bank staff asking for your PIN, OTP or card details
NCCIA sources told The Express Tribune that, with WhatsApp hacking, calls from fraudsters posing as representatives of banks or other institutions made up most of the 227,757 fraud complaints of 2024 to 2026. Complaints to the Banking Mohtasib (the banking ombudsman) about fraud rose from 3,489 in 2023 to 4,171 in 2024 and 4,615 in 2025; the commonest methods were phishing, fake social media adverts, spoofed bank helpline (UAN) numbers and identity theft. In September 2026 the NCCIA in Lahore arrested suspects accused of posing as bank managers to get people's financial details and of persuading people to open bank accounts that were then used to move fraud money. A National Assembly committee heard in the same month how SIM cards issued in other people's names, misused fingerprints and rented "mule" accounts let this money move; the PTA said about 18.2 million SIMs had been blocked in two and a half years.[1][5][4][7][6][8][2]
Reported in: Nationwide, by phone, SMS and WhatsApp; callers often show a number that looks like a bank helpline
How it works
A caller says your account or card will be blocked, a suspicious payment must be stopped, your details need "verification" or you have won a reward. The number may look like your bank's helpline. To "fix" the problem you are asked to read out the code sent to your phone, or your card number and PIN. With those details the fraudster empties the account through mobile banking or a wallet and moves the money on through accounts opened in other people's names.
Red flags
- Anyone asking for an OTP, PIN, CVV or password, for any reason
- A threat that your account or card will be blocked today
- A request to approve a payment or a new device in your banking app
- Someone asking you to open a bank account or wallet for them, or to receive money for them
How to protect yourself
- Hang up and call your bank on the number printed on your card or shown in its official app
- Never share a code sent to your phone, even with someone who says they are from your bank, the police or the NCCIA
- Do not trust caller ID; a helpline number can be faked
- Never let anyone use your CNIC, SIM or bank account; accounts opened for others end up carrying fraud money
If it happened to you
- Call your bank's official helpline at once to block cards, mobile banking and wallets
- Report to the NCCIA on 1799 straight away with the transaction details
- Complain to the bank in writing; if it does not resolve the case, go to the Banking Mohtasib
- Keep the caller's number, the SMS messages and your bank statement
Where to report: Your bank's official helpline first, then the NCCIA helpline 1799. If the bank does not settle your complaint, the Banking Mohtasib Pakistan accepts complaints online.
2. Hacked WhatsApp and social media accounts that ask your contacts for money
WhatsApp hacking is the other main source of the fraud complaints the NCCIA receives, according to the agency documents reported in September 2026. The method is the same worldwide: in November 2025 Gulf News reported a campaign, uncovered by the security firm CTM360, that used thousands of fake WhatsApp Web pages and the linked-device feature to take over accounts, then messaged the victims' contacts asking for money. Once one account is taken, every contact who trusts that name is a target, so the losses spread.[1][9][10][2]
Reported in: Nationwide, on WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram
How it works
You receive a message, often from a friend's or relative's number or from someone posing as a company, asking you to forward a six-digit code "sent by mistake", or to log in through a link that looks like WhatsApp. That code or login gives the fraudster your account. They then write to your contacts in your name: an emergency, a hospital bill, a payment stuck abroad, and a request to send money at once to a mobile wallet.
Red flags
- Anyone asking for your WhatsApp registration or verification code
- A link to "WhatsApp Web" or a "security check" that you did not open yourself
- A friend asking for urgent money by text but avoiding a voice call
- Payment requested to a wallet or account in someone else's name
How to protect yourself
- Never share a WhatsApp code with anyone; no friend, company or official needs it
- Turn on two-step verification in WhatsApp; it now accepts a longer password as well as a PIN
- Check Linked devices in WhatsApp settings and remove any you do not recognise
- Before sending money, call the person on a number you already know
If it happened to you
- Re-register WhatsApp on your number, set two-step verification and log out other devices
- Warn your contacts at once from another account or by phone
- Report the hacking and any money sent to the NCCIA on 1799
- If money was sent, the sender should call their bank or wallet provider immediately
Where to report: NCCIA helpline 1799. Anyone who sent money should also call their bank or wallet provider.
3. Fake investment, trading and "online task" schemes run from WhatsApp and Telegram groups
Pakistani agencies have raided several large set-ups that run fake investment schemes. In July 2025 the NCCIA arrested 149 people in Faisalabad; according to the police report, the group paid small returns on first investments, then persuaded people to hand over larger sums, recruiting them through WhatsApp groups with small tasks such as subscribing to YouTube and TikTok channels before moving them to Telegram for tasks that needed bigger deposits. In December 2025 investigators in Karachi described fake investment platforms that used bots to create activity in Telegram groups and showed victims dashboards of invented profits; the Sindh home minister linked the city's call centres to about $60 million of fraud. In September 2026 the NCCIA said a network raided in Islamabad used fraudulent trading offers, fake profiles, loan and dating schemes. In June 2025 an FIA operation began after the State Bank of Pakistan flagged suspicious transactions across the accounts of 36 companies. Many of these groups target people abroad, including in the Gulf, as well as in Pakistan.[12][11][14][13][15]
Reported in: WhatsApp and Telegram groups, social media ads and fake trading websites; raids in Faisalabad, Karachi and Islamabad
How it works
An advert or a stranger invites you to a group where "members" post big profits, or offers paid tasks like liking videos. The first small payouts are real, to build trust. Then you are asked to invest more on a website or app that shows your balance growing. When you try to withdraw, you must first pay a fee, a tax or a bigger deposit, and in the end the site and the group disappear.
Red flags
- Fixed or guaranteed daily or monthly profits
- Being paid for simple tasks, then asked to deposit money to continue
- A group full of strangers posting screenshots of profits
- A fee or tax demanded before you can withdraw
- Deposits to personal accounts or wallets instead of a licensed company
How to protect yourself
- Check that any company, broker or lender is licensed by the SECP before you pay
- Leave any group that promises fixed returns or paid tasks that need deposits
- Never pay a "withdrawal fee" to get your own money out
- Treat an investment found through a stranger on social media as a scam until proven otherwise
If it happened to you
- Stop paying at once; more deposits never unlock the balance
- Report to the NCCIA on 1799 with screenshots of the group, the site and every payment
- Tell your bank or wallet provider which transfers went to the fraudsters
Where to report: NCCIA helpline 1799 and your bank. Check whether a company is licensed on the SECP's official list before you invest.
4. Fake overseas jobs, visa agents and smuggling routes, including Gulf jobs
For anyone planning to work in the Gulf this is the scam to read first. The FIA told journalists in May 2026 that it had registered 2,421 cases and arrested 3,130 suspected agents since December 2024, and that many of the 39,786 passengers stopped at airports in 2025 were travelling on fake job offers, forged documents or fraudulent sponsorship. In October 2026 the FIA in Karachi rescued 21 men who had been promised jobs in Turkey and Iraq for Rs500,000 each and were being moved toward Europe by irregular routes. In August 2026 the FIA arrested agents and two staff at the Protector of Emigrants office in Rawalpindi, accused of taking money for work permits. The Pakistan embassy in the UAE warned in May 2025 that people had fallen for fake job offers abroad, and the consulate in Dubai has helped home young men who had paid agents for security-guard jobs in Dubai that did not exist.[19][20][21][22][24][23][25][26][27][28][30][39]
Reported in: Nationwide, through Facebook, WhatsApp, TikTok and agents in Pakistan and abroad
How it works
An agent or a social media post offers a well-paid job abroad, sometimes with an offer letter. You pay for the visa, ticket and "processing", often far above the legal fee. You may be sent on a visit or tourist visa and told it will be "converted" later, or handed forged papers. On arrival there is no job, a different job or no employer at the airport; in the worst cases people are moved on dangerous smuggling routes.
Red flags
- An agent who is not a licensed Overseas Employment Promoter (OEP) or who will not show the licence
- Large cash payments without a receipt, or more than the legal service charge
- Being told to travel on a visit or tourist visa to work
- No contract and no Protector of Emigrants registration before you fly
- A job route through third countries such as Iran, Iraq or Turkey
How to protect yourself
- Use only a licensed OEP or the Overseas Employment Corporation, and ask to see the licence before you pay anything
- Under the Emigration Rules the OEP service charge of Rs15,000 is paid into a bank against a certificate and released only after you join the job
- Register your contract with the Protector of Emigrants before you travel
- Travel for work only on a work visa, and check a Gulf job offer with that country's labour ministry; in the UAE, MOHRE offers carry a serial number and barcode you can verify
If it happened to you
- Report the agent to the FIA (1991, complaint.fia.gov.pk) and complain to the BE&OE
- If you are already abroad, contact the Community Welfare Attaché at the Pakistan embassy or consulate
- Keep the advert, offer letter, receipts, passport copies and chats
Where to report: FIA helpline 1991 or 051-111-345-786, complaints@fia.gov.pk or complaint.fia.gov.pk; the Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment and the Migrant Resource Centre. Abroad: the Community Welfare Attaché at the Pakistan mission, and the labour ministry and police of the host country.
5. Illegal loan apps and fake "interest-free loan" ads
NCCIA officials told a Senate committee in 2025 that some mobile loan apps charged interest of up to 1,800% and used borrowers' photo galleries and contact lists to harass and blackmail them. The SECP has since capped interest, barred apps from accessing personal data and acted against 141 unauthorised apps, and it asks borrowers to check lenders against its list of licensed companies. The problem has moved rather than gone: fraudsters now place social media ads for "interest-free loans" that collect an upfront fee and vanish. In October 2026 the NCCIA arrested 39 people at a Lahore call centre where borrowers who missed repayments were threatened with AI-made obscene images built from their own photos. Earlier, in 2023, the government blocked 43 loan apps after a man in Rawalpindi died by suicide following threats from recovery agents.[15][16][17][18]
Reported in: Nationwide, through app stores, APK links, Facebook and TikTok ads
How it works
An app or ad promises a quick loan with no checks. Either you pay a "processing" or "insurance" fee and never receive a loan, or you receive less than promised and are charged very high daily interest. When you struggle to repay, recovery agents call you and everyone in your contacts, and may threaten to share edited pictures.
Red flags
- A fee demanded before the loan is paid out
- An app that wants access to your contacts and photo gallery
- A loan offered without any documents or checks
- A lender that is not on the SECP list of licensed companies
How to protect yourself
- Borrow only from banks or lenders on the SECP's list, and install apps only from the official store
- Refuse permissions to contacts and photos
- Never pay a fee to receive a loan
If it happened to you
- Do not pay extra to stop threats; keep every message and call record
- Report harassment and blackmail to the NCCIA on 1799
- Report the app to the SECP and the PTA, and tell your contacts not to respond
Where to report: NCCIA helpline 1799 for threats and blackmail; the SECP for unlicensed lenders; the PTA for blocking apps.
6. Fake BISP and government aid messages
The Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), which pays cash support to millions of low-income women, repeatedly warns that its messages come only from the number 8171 and that a message from any other number is fraud. Its chairperson has said there is no fee for registration or the survey, that anyone asking for money in BISP's name is misleading people, and that women should go to a payment centre only after a confirmation message from 8171. Fake messages use the programme's name to collect fees or personal details, often from people who are least able to lose money.[31][32][33]
Reported in: Nationwide, by SMS and phone calls, often to women in low-income households
How it works
An SMS or call says your BISP payment or registration is approved and asks you to call a number, share your CNIC and wallet details, or pay a small "fee" to release the money.
Red flags
- A BISP message from any number other than 8171
- Any fee for registration, the survey or payment
- A request for your CNIC, PIN or wallet code
How to protect yourself
- Trust only messages from 8171
- Register and update details only at a BISP office or registration centre
- Never pay anyone to be included in a programme
If it happened to you
- Call the BISP helpline 0800-26477 or visit the nearest BISP tehsil office
- If money was taken from a wallet or account, call the provider and report to the NCCIA on 1799
Where to report: BISP helpline 0800-26477 or the nearest BISP office; NCCIA 1799 if money was lost.
7. Honey traps, sextortion and online blackmail
The NCCIA keeps arresting groups that use fake profiles to blackmail people. In August 2026 it arrested three men in Multan accused of contacting victims with fake social media identities, moving the chat to WhatsApp, recording video calls or obtaining private pictures, and then demanding money; investigators believed millions of rupees had been collected. In October 2026 the agency held 26 people in Lahore over honey-trap and cyber fraud. In September 2026 the Interior Minister told the NCCIA to give special priority to complaints of online harassment, blackmail and the exploitation of women and children.[34][35][3]
Reported in: Nationwide, through social media, dating apps and WhatsApp video calls
How it works
A friendly stranger with an attractive profile moves quickly to WhatsApp and a video call that turns intimate, or asks for private photos. The call is recorded, and then comes a demand for money with a threat to send the material to your family, friends or employer.
Red flags
- A new contact who quickly asks for a video call or private pictures
- Video calls from unknown numbers
- A demand for money with a deadline and a threat to share images
How to protect yourself
- Do not share intimate photos or videos with anyone online
- Do not accept video calls from unknown numbers
- Keep your friends list and photos private
If it happened to you
- Do not pay; payment usually brings more demands
- Keep screenshots of the profile, the chat and the threats, then block the account
- Report to the NCCIA on 1799; complaints involving women and children are prioritised
Where to report: NCCIA helpline 1799.
8. People posing as officials or consulate staff, and fake government websites
Some fraudsters pretend to be powerful. In August 2026 the NCCIA in Lahore arrested a man accused of contacting people through several WhatsApp numbers while claiming links to state institutions, offering government jobs and favours for money, using a car with a fake official number plate and a person dressed as a police officer. Overseas Pakistanis are targeted too: the Pakistan Consulate General in Dubai has warned of callers posing as consulate officers to ask for "charity" money, and in September 2026 it warned against websites that misuse the name of NADRA, telling citizens not to enter passport, fingerprint or payment details on them.[36][37][38]
Reported in: Nationwide and among Pakistanis abroad, by WhatsApp, phone and fake websites
How it works
Someone claiming to be a senior officer, a judge's staff, a police officer or a diplomat offers to get you a job, a document or a favour, or asks for a donation, and wants money first. Fake websites copy the look of NADRA or another government service and charge you for a service, or collect your data.
Red flags
- An "official" who contacts you on WhatsApp and offers a job or favour for money
- A consulate or embassy "officer" asking for charity or a payment
- A government service website that is not on a .gov.pk address you have checked
- Pressure to keep the deal secret
How to protect yourself
- Government jobs and documents are never sold through private intermediaries
- Use NADRA and other services only through their official websites, apps and offices
- Call the embassy or consulate on its published number to check any request
If it happened to you
- If you shared passport or identity details, report to the NCCIA on 1799
- If you paid, report the case to the NCCIA or the FIA and keep the chats and receipts
Where to report: NCCIA helpline 1799; abroad, also the Pakistan embassy or consulate and the local police.
City by city
Karachi
Most of the published Karachi cases are call centres that defraud people abroad. In December 2025 an operation in DHA Phase I and Phase VI dismantled a network running fake investment platforms, with fake Telegram activity and dashboards; the Sindh home minister later linked Karachi call centres to about $60 million of international fraud. In September 2026 the NCCIA arrested six people near NIPA Chowrangi, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, accused of posing as officials of foreign banks to obtain card details. In October 2026 the FIA's anti-human trafficking circle rescued 21 men, five of them from Sohrab Goth, who had been promised jobs abroad and were being moved toward Europe by irregular routes.[11][14][52][20]
- If you work for a call centre, ask whether it is licensed; staff have been detained in these raids
- A job abroad offered through an agent in your area: check the OEP licence before paying
Where to report: NCCIA helpline 1799 for online fraud; FIA 1991 for fake agents and smuggling.
Lahore
The NCCIA's Central Zone is based in Lahore, and the Interior Minister visited it in September 2026 to order faster action on financial fraud complaints. Recent Lahore cases cover most types on this page: in August 2026 a man accused of posing as a senior official to sell jobs and favours; in September 2026 eleven suspects accused of posing as bank representatives and running an illegal call centre in Gulberg; in October 2026 thirty-nine people at a call centre where loan-app borrowers were blackmailed with AI-made images, and twenty-six people held over honey traps and cyber fraud.[3][36][4][16][35]
Where to report: NCCIA helpline 1799; the NCCIA Lahore office for complaints in person.
Islamabad and Rawalpindi
In September 2026 the NCCIA raided three alleged call centres in sectors E-11 and G-10 of Islamabad and took 212 people into custody; the agency said the network used Google-related fraud, loan and dating schemes, fake social media profiles and fraudulent trading offers. FIA teams from the Islamabad and Rawalpindi circles carried out raids in Operation Grey in 2025 against a network of call-centre scams, fraudulent loan apps and bogus investment platforms. In Rawalpindi, the FIA arrested agents and two staff of the Protector of Emigrants office in August 2026 over money taken for work permits, and the 2023 suicide of a man threatened by loan-app recovery agents led to 43 apps being blocked.[11][13][21][17][27]
- Pay emigration charges only through the bank against a receipt, never in cash to anyone at or around a Protector's office
Where to report: NCCIA helpline 1799; FIA 1991 or complaint.fia.gov.pk for agents and corruption.
Faisalabad and Multan
In July 2025 the NCCIA arrested 149 people at a call centre in Faisalabad that it said ran Ponzi and investment fraud, starting people on small paid tasks in WhatsApp groups and moving them to Telegram for larger deposits. In August 2026 the NCCIA arrested three men in Multan over a honey-trap and blackmail network that used fake social media profiles and WhatsApp video calls.[12][34]
Where to report: NCCIA helpline 1799.
Peshawar and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
We found few recent published case reports from Peshawar in the sources we could open, so this section is short. The NCCIA documents reported in September 2026 show that people in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including a member of the provincial assembly, are among those who lost money to cyber fraud. On overseas jobs, a Peshawar-based recruitment agent lost its licence in 2019 over the illegal hiring of security guards for Dubai, in a case where about 25 young men had each been asked for Rs400,000 for jobs that did not exist. The advice is the same as elsewhere: check the OEP licence and never travel to work on a visit visa.[1][23]
Where to report: NCCIA helpline 1799; FIA 1991 for fake agents; the Protector of Emigrants office in Peshawar for recruitment complaints.
Where to report a scam in Pakistan
Channels named on official Pakistani government pages or in official statements reported by the press. If you are in danger, call the police.
| Situation | Channel | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Online fraud, hacking, blackmail or harassment | NCCIA helpline 1799; the FIA website links to the NCCIA cyber crime complaint form at complaint.nccia.gov.pk | Press Information Department; FIA |
| Money taken from your bank account, card or wallet | Your bank's official helpline at once, then a written complaint to the bank | Banking Mohtasib Pakistan |
| The bank does not resolve your complaint | Banking Mohtasib Pakistan, online complaint form (free) | Banking Mohtasib Pakistan |
| A fake or unlicensed investment company or loan app | Check the SECP's list of licensed companies; report the company or app to the SECP | SECP, as reported by Gulf News |
| A suspicious app, number or link to block | The PTA, through its official complaint channels | Ministry of IT, as reported by Gulf News |
| A fake recruitment agent, visa fraud or human smuggling | FIA helpline 1991 or 051-111-345-786, complaints@fia.gov.pk, complaint.fia.gov.pk | FIA |
| A problem with an OEP or your emigration registration | Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment and the Protector of Emigrants; the Migrant Resource Centre guides you through the complaint | Migrant Resource Centre; Emigration Rules |
| You are an overseas Pakistani with a complaint in Pakistan | FIA Overseas Pakistani complaint cell (+92-51-111-345-786); OPF complaint cell, PMDU or the Overseas Pakistanis Commission; the ministry's complaint cell (051-9201097) | FIA; Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis |
| A fake BISP message or a deduction from your payment | BISP helpline 0800-26477 or the nearest BISP office | BISP |
| A problem while working abroad | The Community Welfare Attaché at the Pakistan embassy or consulate; and the police and labour ministry of the country where you work | Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis; Consulate General Dubai |
The Interior Minister told the NCCIA in September 2026 to speed up its response to financial fraud complaints so that victims' money can be secured, so report quickly, with transaction IDs, dates, amounts and screenshots.
Six habits that stop most of these scams
The warnings from the NCCIA, the FIA, the Banking Mohtasib, BISP and Pakistan's missions abroad come down to a few rules.
- Never share an OTP, PIN, CVV, password or WhatsApp code with anyone
- Hang up and call your bank on the number on your card
- Turn on two-step verification on WhatsApp and check linked devices
- Never pay to get a job, a loan, a government benefit or a favour
- Use only licensed recruitment agents and travel to work only on a work visa
- Never let anyone use your CNIC, SIM or bank account
If you have lost money: the first hour
Fraud money moves fast through accounts and wallets opened in other people's names, which a National Assembly committee singled out in September 2026 as a reason money is hard to recover. Speed matters.
- Call your bank or wallet provider's official helpline and block cards, mobile banking and the wallet
- Call the NCCIA on 1799 with transaction IDs, amounts and times
- Keep screenshots, phone numbers, links, chats and receipts
- Make a written complaint to your bank and keep the reference number; if it is not resolved, go to the Banking Mohtasib
- Ignore anyone who offers to recover your money for a fee
If the scam happened while you were working in the Gulf
Many of our readers live in the Gulf. If you were cheated there, whether by an employer, an agent or an online fraud, you can complain to the police and labour authorities of the country where you work, not only in Pakistan; our scam guides for the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain, linked below, list their channels in full. The Community Welfare Attaché at the Pakistan embassy or consulate can help; the Dubai consulate, for example, forwards grievances to the authorities in Pakistan and offers free initial legal advice two days a week. If the person who cheated you is in Pakistan, or the money went to a Pakistani account, the Pakistani channels above also apply.
- UAE: MOHRE on 80084 or 600 590000 to check a job offer; Dubai Police app, eCrime platform or 901; Abu Dhabi Police Aman 800 2626
- Saudi Arabia: the labour ministry's friendly settlement service, 19911
- Qatar: the Ministry of Labour's Unified Platform for Complaints and Whistleblowers
- Oman: the Ministry of Labour complaints e-service, 80077000
- Bahrain: Ministry of Labour complaints, 17873637 or 17873919; the LMRA hotline 995
- Kuwait: see our Kuwait scam guide for the police and manpower authority channels
- In Pakistan: FIA 1991 for the agent who sent you, NCCIA 1799 for online fraud, and your Pakistani bank
Before you go abroad: three checks
The FIA stopped nearly 40,000 passengers at Pakistani airports in 2025, many of them travelling on fake job offers or forged papers. Three checks protect you and your money.
- The agent is a licensed OEP, and the Rs15,000 service charge goes into a bank against a certificate, not into the agent's hand
- Your contract is registered with the Protector of Emigrants before you fly
- The job offer is checked with the host country's labour ministry, and you hold a work visa, not a visit visa