The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has issued an urgent alert in response to a significant increase in phishing scams targeting social media users. Hackers are reportedly sending malicious links and requesting One-Time Passwords (OTPs) from consumers, resulting in a surge of hacking incidents on platforms such as Facebook and WhatsApp.
The PTA has stated that it will never contact users via calls, emails, or messages to request personal details, passwords, or OTPs. To safeguard against these scams, users are strongly advised to avoid clicking on unfamiliar links and sharing their personal information.
To address the issue, the PTA has urged users to block or report any numbers associated with these scams to their mobile phone operators or directly to the PTA. Complaints can be registered through the PTA website, the PTA CMS mobile app, or by calling the PTA’s toll-free number.
In addition to these measures, users are encouraged to contact the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for further assistance and report any financial fraud to the State Bank of Pakistan. This alert follows numerous complaints from social media users about account hacking and financial fraud through deceptive links and OTP requests.
