FIA busts gang involved in phone banking fraud

LAHORE: Federal Investigation Agency has busted a gang involved in defrauding a retired major general by impersonating as employees of a bank.

The News has learnt that FIA Cyber Crime Circle Rawalpindi has arrested a gang of fraudsters including Muhammad Aslam, Muhammad Raza, Abdul Khaliq, Muhammad Muneer and Muhammad Tariq all residents of tehsil Mailsi, Vehari district.

It was learnt that the accused with active connivance with each other by using mobile numbers 0343-4134299, 0336-2712233, 0343-3645119 through Inter Bank Fund Transfer (IBFT) deceitfully received Rs800,000 from account of a retired senior army officer in bank on Haider Road, Rawalpindi Cantt. The accused got information from the ex-army officer about his bank account, Postal Index Number (PIN) code and other details by impersonating as officials of the State Bank.

Investigation officer of the case SI Khurshid Cyber Crime Circle Rawalpindi while talking to The News said the accused while using software made calls to the retired army officer though fake said mobile numbers impersonating as bank officials and tricked him to disclose his bank details. Later, the accused transferred a total amount of Rs800,000 in an account of the bank and accounts of a telecom company’s micro finance bank through IBFT. During the course of investigation, the FIA got a source report after which the accused were arrested from Gulzar-e-Quaid Rawalpindi, he added. The IO further said if anyone has received calls from numbers: 0343-4134299, 0336-2712233 and 0343-3645119 and has been defrauded through these numbers can contact FIA Cyber Crime Circle Rawalpindi for redress of their grievance.

It is pertinent to mention that online banking fraud in Pakistan is worsening with the passage of time. The FIA receives more than 1,000 complaints relating to unauthorised banking transactions each year.