Hajra Naz
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has blocked a total of 604 URLs in response to online financial fraud cases, as revealed in a written reply to the National Assembly by the Minister in charge of the Cabinet Division.
Complaints from Key Financial Institutions
The raid came when the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) submitted complaints. Both official letters and the PTA’s Electronic Portal (E-Portal) were used to submit these reports.
PTA’s Electronic Portal for Fraud Reporting
PTA’s E-Portal is a secure platform developed to receive fraud reports from government bodies, including law enforcement agencies, regulatory authorities, ministries, and the armed forces.
Scams Using False Social Media Profiles
The study also verified the rise in phony social media profiles, which are frequently used to deceive people into making deposits into phony accounts. These con artists trick victims by using plausible techniques, which makes it harder to enforce the law.
Persistent Difficulties in Enforcement
The quick establishment and removal of phony accounts is a significant problem that makes it challenging to pursue long-term action against offenders. Identification attempts are made more difficult by technologies like VPNs and anonymous browsing.
Public Awareness Initiatives to Preserve the Public
PTA has started public awareness initiatives to teach people how to recognize and steer clear of online financial theft to prevent these frauds. Improving digital literacy is intended to lessen victimization.
Working Together with Social Media Sites
To address the issue of repeat offenders, PTA is actively interacting with significant social media firms. Despite requests to permanently prohibit such users or accounts, legal and technical obstacles make enforcement difficult.
Restrictions on Following Offenders
The challenge of physically detecting scammers and limiting their online presence was recognized by the PTA. Effective investigation and punishment are hampered by elements such as the usage of VPNs, phony digital identities, and problems with cross-border jurisdiction.
