Loopholes fuel crime wave as illegal SIMs drive banking fraud, NA panel told
ISLAMABAD: Loopholes in the system continue to fuel a crime wave, with illegally issued SIMs being used in a large number of fraudulent calls and fake banking messages. This was the grim picture presented to the National Assembly Standing Committee on Interior and Narcotics Control on Thursday, as regulators acknowledged that scammers remain active despite the blocking of 18.2 million illegal…
Loopholes in the system have allowed a crime wave to persist, with illegally issued SIMs being used in fraudulent calls and fake banking messages, according to a report presented to the National Assembly Standing Committee on Interior and Narcotics Control. Despite the blocking of 18.2 million illegal SIMs over the past two and a half years and fines imposed on telecom companies, criminals continue to exploit gaps in the system, often using stolen fingerprints and rented bank accounts to carry out financial fraud.
The meeting, chaired by Raja Khurram Shahzad Nawaz, heard from senior officers of various departments, including the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) and Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), who reported that the biometric system designed to secure SIM issuance is being bypassed, allowing scammers to steal fingerprint data from various facilities.
State Minister Talal Chaudhry urged a shift towards facial and iris recognition and called for telecom companies to upgrade their security features in coordination with the PTA.
Brief written by urgent.news from Dawn's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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