Scam alert: PTA warns public against fraudulent courier messages

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has warned the public about spam messages that impersonate courier companies and require users to provide verification codes.

These suspicious messages, which have been going around in large numbers, require the users to input verification codes, which pose a huge threat to individual security.

The PTA cautioned against sharing any received codes through SMS or messaging platforms since they can be utilized for unauthorized entry. “Genuine courier organizations never ask recipients to enter codes for the delivery of parcels.”

The agency stated that it continues to guard consumers from cyber fraud and encourages members of the public to check the legitimacy of such messages before acting on them.

Earlier, a public warning was issued by the PTA about the rampant use of spurious WhatsApp accounts intended to mislead and defraud citizens.

The PTA says that scam WhatsApp messages carrying suspicious links are being spread, usually threatening users with suspension of their accounts due to policy breaches. These misleading messages prompt users to click on fake links in the pretext of “security verification.”

The PTA explained that these messages are being sent on both local and international numbers, but made it clear that WhatsApp doesn’t send messages of this type.

The authority advised that clicking on unfamiliar links might result in the theft of data or hacking of accounts.

For this reason, the PTA has highly cautioned users against responding to suspicious messages, not clicking on any unknown links, and blocking immediately any suspicious numbers.