LAHORE: In a major crackdown, the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) Multan has arrested 20 suspects involved in financial frauds targeting both Pakistani and foreign nationals, including Indian citizens.

NCCIA Multan Zone registered a case No. 181/25 against a sprawling network of 20 individuals under sections 13, 14, and 16 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016, read with sections 419, 420, 468, 471, and 109 of the Pakistan Penal Code.

Sanwal Abbas, a resident of Multan, launched the complaint about being defrauded of Rs640,000 and the NCCIA launched the operation.

The complaint available with Dawn stated that an individual impersonating his cousin on Facebook and WhatsApp first contacted him. The fraudster, after gaining his trust, convinced him to transfer money to a supposed agent for a visa issue, leading to the substantial financial loss.

An inquiry revealed that a highly organised gang was operating from a compound in Tehsil Shorkot, Jhang.

According to the inquiry, the gang’s modus operandi was elaborate and multifaceted. The suspects allegedly used social media platforms like Facebook, TikTok and WhatsApp to execute a range of scams.

These included impersonating relatives and friends to exploit emotional connections, posing as officials from law-enforcement agencies and financial institutions to intimidate victims, and acting as representatives of popular game shows like Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) and BOL Game Show to fake lottery wins.

The investigation revealed that the scammers used fake Indian WhatsApp numbers and even videos of Indian currency to lend credibility to their KBC scam, specifically targeting Indian citizens.

Other techniques involved creating fake advertisements on social media offering financial help to the needy, only to demand an upfront “tax” payment from the vulnerable individuals who contacted them.

In a scheme dubbed the “Marriage Bureau” scam, they created fake profiles on matrimonial websites using stolen pictures to befriend people, primarily in India, and then extort money from them under false pretence.

The NCCIA raiding team, led by AD Tariq Mehmood Sipra, conducted an operation in Shorkot and recovered 14 mobile phones. On-the-spot digital analysis revealed these devices were equipped with applications for generating fake transaction receipts, temporary emails, and mobile numbers, alongside galleries filled with screenshots of fraudulent transactions and conversations related to the scams.

The 20 arrested suspects were identified as Babar Ali, Ghulam Shabbir, Muhammad Javed, Muhammad Zeeshan, Muhammad Asif, Muhammad Shakeel, Muhammad Abu Bakar, Ishfaq Ali, Muhammad Esa, Muhammad Ashraf, Muhammad Ismail, Muhammad Imran, Ghulam Shabbir, Manan, Muhammad Saleem, Abdul Latif, Muhammad Irfan, Muhammad Imran, Farooq and Abdul Jabbar.

The suspects, all named in the FIR, hail from various areas including Jhang, Multan, Chiniot, and Faisalabad.

The suspects also confessed to their involvement in the gang during initial interrogation.

Published in Dawn, August 22nd, 2025