Impersonation scams | Political Economy

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Couldn’t believe it. My WhatsApp account was hacked. For 24 hours, I struggled to regain access with the help of a tech-savvy friend,” recalled Muhammad Hussain (name changed), a professor from a leading university in Karachi. Meanwhile, my contacts started receiving frantic messages from me, claiming that I was in trouble and needed money urgently. “

Within hours, Hussain’s phone was flooded with calls and messages, not only from colleagues in Pakistan but also from friends abroad. “A friend of mine in the United States, trusting the message, transferred two thousand dollars of the thousand dollars to the fraudster’s number,” he said. “That’s millions of bucks, gone.”

Despite repeated public warnings, Hussain’s story shows that even educated, tech-savvy individuals can fall prey to digital impersonation scams that exploit trust and the urgent need to steal money in minutes.

Hacking one’s Hits App account is a common type of hacking. Scammers use phishing or social engineering to trick victims into giving them their six-digit verification codes. Once they’re in, they can read chats, view contact lists and pretend to be victims to ask friends and family for ’emergency’ money. The trick mostly works because the messages come from a trusted number.

Some scammers make up stories about kidnappings, medical emergencies or accidents abroad. These scams often happen late at night or with vulnerable relatives like elderly parents, when people are afraid to think straight.

People often receive panicked messages or calls saying that a family member is in trouble or that the caller is the police or a bank officer who needs immediate attention. Action is required. Strategies are easy to understand, but they have a huge impact on people’s emotions and finances.

A banker relates such an incident to his close relatives. “My relative from Diplo, Tharparkar, recently fell into a smartphone scam,” he said. Someone pretending to be a close relative from Karachi called him for help. “His wife fell ill suddenly while he was on his way to the village. The caller needed Rs 20,000 immediately for her medical care,” he said.

The Diplo resident sent the money to the given number without thinking twice. He called a family member in Karachi hours later because he was worried about the woman’s health. The answer surprised him. The relative said that his wife was fine and he was not going anywhere.

“The relative in Karachi was also shocked when he heard about the earlier call and money transfer,” the banker said. “He wanted to know why no one thought to look into the situation before sending the money.”

The event shows how scammers play on their emotions to cheat people living in rural areas and trust their families.

Impersonation scams, where criminals pretend to be friends, family, bank staff or officials, have become a constant threat in Pakistan. Fraudsters use people’s emotions, trust and holes in digital security to gain remote access to money, data or devices.

On September 10, the National Cybercrime Investigation Agency told the Senate Standing Committee on information that out of 1,214 cybercrime cases reported this year, 611 were about online financial fraud, 320 about harassment, 174 about promoting hate speech, 55 about defamation and 19 about illegal SIMs.

Impersonation scams, where criminals pretend to be friends, family, bank staff or officials, have become a constant threat. Fraudsters exploit people’s emotions, trust and holes in digital security.

In one case, NCCIA investigators found SIC people in Duniapur, Multan, running a network of fake Facebook and WhatsApp accounts. They pretended to be trusted contacts to solicit money, which they then laundered through mobile wallets such as JazCash and Azipesa. Fake chat logs and transaction records were found on the confiscated phones.

The Federal Investigation Agency’s National Response Center for Cybercrimes (NR3C) is in charge of the fight against cyberfraud, along with the newly formed NCCIA. The Cyber ​​Alert Service sends SMS tips to help users avoid scams, and the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority allows people to report fake calls and SMS. The Digital Rights Foundation, a local NGO, also runs a helpline for those who are victims of impersonation and harassment.

The DRF says that between January and September 2025, its digital security helpline received 45 calls about impersonation and 357 calls about hacking, financial fraud and impersonation on WhatsApp.

DRF executive director Naigat Wald told TNS that fraud using WhatsApp has been on the rise for several years. He said that 656 cases were reported in 2024. This trend continues till 2025.

“Online financial scams target everyone,” Dad said.

Other financial scams may use loan apps, which are slowly making a resurgence. fake kidnapping scams; impersonation of law enforcement agencies; Or scam online businesses including matchmaking services, he added.

Another widespread scam involved impersonators posing as officials of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority or banks. These calls often use sophisticated “soft SIM” technology that allows scammers to display any number they choose on the recipient’s phone, including legitimate bank UAN numbers or helplines.

The State Bank of Pakistan has repeatedly warned the public about online banking fraud, urging consumers to be vigilant during digital transactions. Individual banks have enhanced their systems to prevent cyber attacks and protect customer data. Financial payments through commercial banking applications have been secured by introducing two-factor authentication, which includes receiving a code via SMS or email and thumb biometrics.

“We implemented multiple layers of environmental checks and firewalls,” said a cyber security expert at the National Bank of Pakistan. “Our priority is ensuring that customers can use mobile apps and ATM cards without fear of fraud,” he added.

He said now biometric authentication is mandatory for app users. After registration, a two-hour “cooling-off” period is enforced before full access is granted, a safeguard against unauthorized access.

As Pakistan’s digital banking landscape evolves, regulators and financial institutions must stay one step ahead of cybercriminals who constantly improve their tactics, experts have warned.

“Most victims of financial fraud do not report it because they lack awareness and above all trust in law enforcement agencies,” said Gibran Sarfraz, a financial analyst at a brokerage house in Karachi. Naigat Dad also said that the cumbersome complaint process, including the need for physical presence, discourages many potential complainants.

Another effective institution is the Banking Mohtasib (Ombudsman) Pakistan, which receives financial fraud complaints directly from customers through post, email and walk-in at our secretariat and regional offices in Karachi, Lahore, Multan, Peshawar, Rawalpindi, Quetta, Faizalabad and Muzaffarabad.

According to the latest report of Banking Mohatasib, during the year 2024, it had a record number of total hearings of 1530 hearings, compared to 760 hearings in 2023.

The author is a senior journalist currently working as a development communication professional in Karachi.