Cybercrime: Man loses savings after sharing bank details

Pakistan is facing a surge in cybercrimes over the past couple of years

RAHIM YAR KHAN: A man who shared his bank account details over the phone has been deprived of Rs50,000, Express News reported.

Umar Naeem, a resident of Khanpur, told journalists that an unidentified person called him on his cellphone and claimed he was speaking from the head office of a local bank. He added the caller inquired about his bank account details, ATM card number, CNIC and other information.

Umar maintained that he trusted the caller as he mentioned details of the bank and provided the relevant information to him.

The victim pointed out that after some time he went to the bank branch to withdraw cash. However, when he reached there, he was told that his account is empty and that all the money was transferred to another account.

The victim said he immediately lodged a complaint with the bank manager and police officials over the matter.

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 the blockage of several ATM cards 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.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 10^th, 2018.