Pakistanis lose Rs8.32b to cyber fraud

Cyber fraudsters have deprived more than 227,000 Pakistanis of Rs8.32 billion over the past three years, with senators, MNAs and MPAs also among the victims.

The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) has received a large number of complaints as cyber fraud continues to target citizens across the country.

According to the documents seen by The Express Tribune, a total of 227,757 people reported being victims of cyber fraud during the three years.

Of these, 83,080 people lodged complaints in 2024, followed by 76,646 in 2025 and 68,031 in the subsequent year, stating that they had been defrauded. Collectively, victims in these 227,000-plus cases lost Rs8.32 billion to cyber fraudsters, according to the documents.

The victims also include eight parliamentarians, both serving and former lawmakers. The documents show that former MNA Sahibzada Hamid Raza lodged a case after Rs490,000 was fraudulently taken from him.

Senator Falak Naz Chitrali lost Rs485,000, Senator Bilal Ahmed Mandokhail Rs403,500 and Senator Niaz Ahmed Rs30,000. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa MPA Shehla Bano lost Rs370,800, while a former MPA was defrauded of Rs970,000.

The six parliamentarians named in the documents collectively lost Rs2.749 million to cyber fraud. Of this amount, the NCCIA managed to recover money for only three parliamentarians - Senators Falak Naz Chitrali, Bilal Ahmed Mandokhail and Niaz Ahmed.

Thus, out of the Rs2.749 million defrauded from the six parliamentarians, more than Rs918,000 could be recovered through the NCCIA, according to the documents.

Cyber fraud involving PML-N Senator Nasir Butt has also surfaced, while PML-N MNA from Vehari, Syed Sajid Mehdi, is among the parliamentarians who have fallen victim to cyber fraud.

The documents show that these parliamentarians were among more than 227,000 citizens who reported cyber fraud incidents in which they were deprived of their money through various fraudulent schemes.

Chairman of the National Assembly Standing Committee on the Ministry of Interior, Raja Khurram Nawaz, has also told a committee meeting that he regularly receives fraudulent calls.

NCCIA sources said most of the fraud cases involved WhatsApp hacking or calls made by fraudsters posing as representatives of banks or other institutions.

Sources further said that, apart from the more than 227,000 people who lodged complaints, thousands of others are defrauded of amounts ranging from Rs2,000 to Rs20,000 every day but do not report the incidents to the police or any other institution, either because the amount is relatively small or for other reasons, and simply remain silent.