FIA arrests 16 for alleged data theft

People scammed through fake offers of online banking, ATM cards

LAHORE:

The Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) Cyber Crime Wing claimed to have arrested 16 people involved in stealing of national identity card data of elderly and illiterate women and men from online and mobile phone money transactions, union councils and NADRA, and recovered thousands of SIM cards from them.

Officials said people were deprived of millions of rupees by offering online banking, ATM cards, Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) and other schemes and prizes.

They said Akhtar, who was wanted by FIA Cyber Crime Wing, had complained that SIMs had been issued on the identity cards of many members of his family, which had been used in scams. More than a dozen people had complained to the FIA of withdrawal of millions of rupees from their bank accounts.

The SIMs had been used in BISP, ATM and online transaction frauds, including purchase of jewellery and cars.

The FIA claimed to have arrested 16 people in different cities, including Lahore. Among those arrested were some who had previously worked for various companies.

Reportedly, the FIA registered a case against and sought record related to the case from various mobile phone companies.

During interrogation of the accused, it was revealed that the SIMs had been issued after stealing the data of elderly and illiterate women and men’s identity cards submitted to union councils for online money transfer and BISP payment through the biometric verification systems (BVS) of various mobile phone companies.

According to the additional director of the FIA Cyber Crime Wing, several teams have been formed to take action on the basis of the details obtained from the arrested suspects in various cities. “This is a huge network and involves a lot of people,” he said. “Phone calls are made using the stolen ID card data about suspicious transactions made from accounts,” he added.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, October 5^th, 2020.