Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Chairman Major General Hafeez Ur Rehman said on Thursday that online fraud is very active in the country, with thousands of fake videos circulating and citizens facing fraudulent calls and one-time password (OTP) messages.
He was speaking at the closing ceremony of Cybersecurity Awareness Week. He said cyberattacks were happening around the clock and warned that the telecom sector itself is exposed to digital threats.
Fake videos, scam calls and OTP messages
According to the PTA chairman, people often get suspicious calls and texts. He asked the public not to forward unverified information, saying that can spread misinformation and put others at risk of fraud.
OTP messages are short codes meant to confirm a banking or account login. Sharing them with strangers, or responding to unexpected prompts for those codes, is a common way scammers lock people out of accounts or empty wallets. The chairman tied that pattern to the wider picture of online fraud and fake video content moving quickly across networks.
Agencies working on cases and systems
He said the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Pakistan’s federal crime investigation body, was working on such cases. He also pointed to efforts by the PTA, the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) and the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) to harden their own systems against cyberattacks.
Stronger public awareness and tighter policies, he argued, are essential to protect Pakistan’s digital infrastructure as more services move online. Cybersecurity risks, he added, now affect individuals, businesses and government institutions alike.
What citizens are being asked to do
The chairman’s message was practical as much as technical: treat unexpected calls and messages with caution, do not pass on content that has not been checked, and recognise that the same networks that deliver banking and government services are also targets for attackers.
He did not announce new laws or specific case numbers beyond describing the scale of fake videos and the steady stream of scam contact. The focus remained on vigilance, institutional coordination, and keeping systems and habits up to date as digital use grows.
Aasan alfaaz mein
PTA ke chairman ne kaha ke Pakistan mein online fraud bohot zyada chal raha hai. Fake videos, dhoke wali calls aur OTP messages logon tak pahunch rahe hain. Cyberattacks din raat ho rahe hain, aur telecom sector bhi khatre mein hai. Apne OTP kisi se share na karein aur jo baat confirm na ho usay aage na bhejein.
