PHOTO: AFP
CHINIOT:
A man tricked into handing over his life savings in Chiniot on Wednesday.
Victim Muhammad Abdullah told Express News that an unidentified individual called on his cellphone and claimed that he was speaking from the head office of a local bank. He added that the caller inquired about his bank account details, ATM card number, PIN code, CNIC and other information.
Shahbaz added that he trusted the caller as he mentioned the details of the bank and provided information relevant to him.
“After some time, when I checked my account it was empty. All the money had been withdrawn via an ATM,” he lamented.
The victim said he immediately lodged a complaint with the bank manager and police officials over the matter, but the officials concerned did not take any action.
Abdullah said that he worked hard to save money for his daughter’s wedding. He appealed to authorities to arrest the culprits and recover the looted amount.
Recently, a number of bank customers from across the country fell prey to fraudulent activity and complained of unauthorised withdrawals from their accounts. This resulted in several ATM cards being blocked after reports surfaced of wide scale incidents.
Cybercriminals challenged the technology driven banking system in Pakistan at a time when the country was looking to increase financial inclusion and bringing more people into the formal sector.
Some time ago, the FIA cybercrime circle had held several Chinese nationals and Pakistani citizens who were found involved in similar cases from Punjab and Sindh.
Pakistan has faced a surge in cybercrime over the past couple of years. To cope with the challenges, the government recently framed cybercrime laws. As such cases became more common, the challenge for the government has increased, said an analyst.
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