On May 5, I became a victim of an online scam. It started with an offer an online tutoring job that promised a high salary. The condition? A registration fee. Believing in the legitimacy of the offer and hopeful for an opportunity, I paid. But after the payment, the communication ceased. I began seeking help and found the relevant helpline and spoke to an assistant who redirected me to a city-specific number. That number led to another number, specifically for online fraud. But none of them worked.
Determined not to give up, I searched again and found a helpline email address. I wrote every detail including screenshots of the conversation with the scammer and transaction receipts. After three days, I received a response: a form asking me to ‘submit the details again’. I had already provided everything, but I complied. Days later, another request for details followed. This loop of asking and re-asking, of waiting and resending feels like a tactic to wear down the victims, to make them drop their case. Is this what justice looks like? Where is the protection for ordinary citizens?
Farza Jaweed
Karachi