National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) has sacked 14 suspects during a major operation targeting online financial fraud, fake identities, and social media scams in Lahore and Multan. According to an NCCIA spokesperson, the coordinated crackdown focused on individuals allegedly involved in deceiving citizens through various online fraud schemes that resulted in financial losses amounting to millions of rupees. The operations were carried out across multiple locations, leading to the recovery of digital evidence that is now undergoing forensic examination. Authorities stated that the action forms part of ongoing efforts to combat cyber enabled financial crimes and dismantle networks involved in fraudulent online activities across Pakistan.
In Lahore, four suspects were sacked in three separate cases. The individuals were identified as Muhammad Amir, Muhammad Ashfaq, Muhammad Qamar, and Ameer Kareem. Initial investigations revealed that the suspects allegedly posed as representatives of marriage bureaus or presented themselves as close acquaintances to gain the trust of victims before persuading them to transfer money. According to investigators, the available evidence indicates that the suspects fraudulently obtained millions of rupees from members of the public through these deceptive methods. During the operations, law enforcement officials also recovered mobile phones believed to have been used in carrying out the alleged offences. The recovered devices have been taken into custody as part of the ongoing investigation to establish the full extent of the fraudulent activities and identify any additional individuals connected to the cases.
Separate operations in Multan resulted in the sacking of 10 additional suspects in three different cases. The individuals were identified as Muhammad Asghar, Amir Shehzad, Muhammad Kamran, Rizwan Talib, Saqib Ali, Kamran Talib, Iftikhar Manzoor, Muhammad Adnan, Muhammad Sultan, and Muhammad Naeem. According to the NCCIA spokesperson, the suspects allegedly impersonated officials from Customs, Police, banks, and other government departments through social media platforms and WhatsApp. They reportedly approached victims by offering fake prizes, gifts, and donations or by claiming that bank verification or parcel clearance was required. These deceptive tactics were allegedly used to convince victims to transfer money under false pretenses. Authorities stated that one of the registered cases involved an alleged fraud of Rs1 million, while another involved approximately Rs588,000, demonstrating the significant financial impact of the fraudulent schemes.
During the operations, NCCIA recovered mobile phones, SIM cards, fake WhatsApp accounts, social media accounts, and other digital evidence believed to be connected with the alleged cyber fraud activities. Officials confirmed that the recovered material is being subjected to forensic examination to support the ongoing investigation and identify additional links to the suspected fraud networks. Cases have been registered against the suspects under Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016, as amended in 2025, along with relevant provisions of Pakistan Penal Code. Authorities stated that investigations are continuing and efforts remain underway to identify and sack other facilitators believed to be associated with the cyber fraud operations. The agency reaffirmed its commitment to taking action against online financial crime and protecting citizens from increasingly sophisticated digital fraud schemes.
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