ISLAMABAD — Thousands of WhatsApp accounts blocked across Pakistan have been removed from service after the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), the country’s telecom regulator, teamed up with Meta to combat digital fraud.
Meta deactivated 176,000 WhatsApp accounts registered on recycled SIM numbers following direct requests from the PTA. The crackdown comes after growing complaints regarding cyber criminals using old or cancelled mobile numbers to impersonate previous owners and execute financial scams.
Why recycled SIM numbers pose security risks
When mobile subscribers surrender or deactivate their SIM cards, cellular operators eventually reassign those mobile numbers to new buyers. However, existing WhatsApp accounts registered on those numbers often remain logged in and functional unless manually removed.
This security vulnerability allowed scammers or unsuspecting new SIM buyers to access profile details and message histories connected to the original account owner. Telecom operators in Pakistan currently hold roughly 16 million recycled mobile numbers, creating a widespread security concern for mobile users nationwide.
Long-term mechanism established with Meta
To plug the loophole permanently, the PTA has handed over a database of approximately 10 million recycled numbers to Meta for systematic checking. Meta will cross-verify active instant messaging profiles against these datasets to remove unauthorized accounts.
Under a new ongoing agreement between the regulator and the platform, the PTA will forward 5,000 recycled mobile numbers to Meta every month. Meta will then shut down the corresponding accounts in phases. Officials noted that Meta resolved 82 percent of all complaints submitted by the PTA over the preceding year.
Aasan alfaaz mein
PTA aur Meta ne mil kar 1,76,000 WhatsApp accounts ko band kar diya hai. Yeh un mobile numbers par chal rahe thay jo puranay sarfeen ke thay par ab naye logon ko jari ho chuke hain. Agar aap ne naya SIM khareeda hai toh purana account nahi chalay ga. Is ka maqsad cyber fraud aur online dhokey bazi ko rokna hai.
