ISLAMABAD, July 20: The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) on Friday cautioned cellphone users to be aware of hoax calls and false messages luring subscribers to buy scratch cards and then notify coded numbers to the calling party or sender of the SMS for cash prizes.

A PTA spokesman said that mobile customers were advised to be mindful of receiving hoax/unsolicited calls and messages informing the customers that he/she had won a cash prize. But in order to retrieve the prize, he/she had to inform the calling party the hidden numbers on prepaid scratch cards.

According to a statement issued here on Friday, in case of receiving such calls and messages, mobile phone users should immediately contact their cellular operators for the verification of the information. The spokesman added that some instances had also been reported in which cellphone users were deprived of their prepaid balance by replying to a particular SMS.

The SMS contained a hidden message that transferred the prepaid balance from the customer’s account to the desired account on reply. “This has specially happened with customers of phones companies that offer credit transfer facility. And people must stay vigilant,” PTA Deputy Director Public Relations Khurram Ali Mehran said.

He said mobile phone subscribers should also register complaints with the PTA so that appropriate action could be taken against persons involved in the fraudulent activity.