KARACHI (Kashmir English): A criminal gang defrauded close contacts of a Member National Assembly (MNA) from MQM of more than one million rupees by hacking her WhatsApp, according to media reports.
Fraudsters extorted approximately Rs 1.5 million rupees from relatives, family members, and other persons in contact with Nikhat Shakeel, a member of the National Assembly elected on a reserved seat for MQM (Pakistan).
She is also a member of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Parliamentary Affairs, Health, and Kashmir.
Speaking to a private TV channel, she said that on Sunday morning around 9am, she got calls from different numbers, which she initially ignored.
According to Nikhat Shakeel, a caller introduced himself as being from PMD and said that some important documents had been received for her that needed to be delivered.
Along with that, he asked for a code sent to her mobile phone, which she thought might be related to documents for the Health Committee meeting in Islamabad on Monday.
“Due to the continuous calls, my husband also became worried, and then, while half-asleep, I mistakenly sent him the code. After that, the fraudsters hacked WhatsApp and contacted many numbers to demand money.”
Fraud victims
The MNA stated that the fraudsters sent messages to her contacts, asking them to send money without verification, while many others verified and avoided becoming victims of the fraud.
According to Dr. Nikhat Shakeel, the hackers provided two online mobile wallets and bank accounts to the numbers they contacted. Two of these were bank accounts, and two were mobile numbers with different names to which money was transferred.
“When I contacted the bank, they refused to cooperate, saying that since my account was not with them, no information could be provided, nor could any complaint be registered.”
Nikhat Shakeel submitted an online complaint to the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA). She was instructed to come to the Karachi office with a written application.
It is worth noting that relevant authorities in Pakistan, especially the PTA, have issued public awareness messages multiple times, requesting citizens to avoid sharing their secret codes or clicking on unnecessary links.
The MNA said she has been assured that the culprits will soon be brought to justice. However, Nikhat Shakeel stated that 48 hours have passed, and no action has been taken.
