Man loses savings after sharing bank details in scam

Recently, several ATM cards were blocked after such incidents in different cities of Punjab

RAHIM YAR KHAN: A man was deprived of his life’s savings after criminals allegedly paid for their shopping through his bank account in Rahim Yar Khan.

Anwarul Haq, a resident of Basti Nihal Garh, told Express News that an unidentified person called him on his cellphone and claimed he was an intelligence officer.

He maintained the caller inquired about his bank account details, CNIC and other information for verification purposes. Haq mentioned that he trusted the caller and provided the relevant information to him.

“After a while, I had a suspicion and contacted the bank to inquire about my account balance,” he said. “The bank staff told me that more than Rs0.2 million had been paid from my account for shopping,” the victim lamented.

He said he immediately lodged a complaint with the bank manager, State Bank and police. 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 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 is looking to increase financial inclusion and bring more people into the formal sector.

Some time ago, the FIA cybercrime circle had held several Chinese nationals and Pakistani citizens from Punjab and Sindh who were found involved in similar cases.

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, January 12^th, 2019.