An undated image of mobile phone. - Canva
Pakistanis continue to face ongoing fraudulent activities due to the country’s large population, struggling economy, and lack of awareness about regulatory and enforcement systems.
One common scam that has resurfaced is a text message. The SMS reads “Dear customer your Automated teller machine (ATM) card has been closed by State Bank due to non-verification yet if you want to keep using your ATM card contact us.”
However, this SMS comes from an individual’s personal phone number rather than an official one. It also provides another personal mobile number instead of a bank helpline and uses poor English, which is not the type of message sent by official sources.
To avoid falling for this scam, you can confirm if your debit/credit card is working through your bank’s app or by using it at an ATM. This is not the first time this scam has been reported, as it has been targeting mobile users for several years.
There is another fraudulent SMS scam that has resurfaced. The message claimed that a recipient’s online order package has been delayed or seized due to an incomplete address. The message then directs users to a malicious link where they are asked to verify their personal information and make a payment.
These scammers often pose as officials from Pakistan Post, but Pakistan Post’s official website has issued warnings about these fake texts.
Citing sources from Gadinsider, According to Fateh Mehmood, a parcel was waiting for delivery and required his address and he had to pay Rs 89 for re-delivery fees. However, when he attempted to make the payment, his bank alerted him of insufficient funds.
Upon further investigation, it was discovered that the scammer had attempted to withdraw approximately Rs 400,000 from a mobile shop in the UAE.