The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) said it has identified a group that allegedly cheated taxi drivers by using counterfeit SIM cards, WhatsApp and other online accounts.
According to an NCCIA spokesperson, the suspects pretended to be government officials and arranged rides close to the Red Zone in Rawalpindi, claiming hospital bills and medical emergencies to convince drivers to transfer money.
After the drivers sent the payments online, the suspects cancelled the trips and cut all communication, the spokesperson added. A case has been filed and further inquiry continues.
Earlier, the NCCIA in Lahore detained the alleged mastermind behind an international online fraud operation valued at Rs35 billion. Investigators say a website created to sell fake US postage stamps was used to market more than five million counterfeit stamps.
Authorities carried out raids at 35 locations across Punjab, Islamabad and Sindh to apprehend the suspect.
The agency said the operation follows the zero-tolerance policy of Director General Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi and aims at curbing international cyber fraud and actions that could harm the country's reputation.
