Tag: fake

  • More than 53,000 suspicious identity cards issued to foreigners

    More than 53,000 suspicious identity cards issued to foreigners

    More than 53,000 fake computerised national identity cards have been found during a crackdown against illegal aliens across the country.

    An investigation conducted by the Federal Ministry of Interior showed that 595 vehicles were registered in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on suspected identity cards of illegal foreigners returning home from Pakistan.

    Cases have been prepared against 7,500 holders of fake identity cards and legal action has been directed against the suspects, including blocking of mobile phone SIM cards plus repatriating them after identifying their properties and businesses.

    Similarly, 349 undeclared properties and businesses in the name of foreigners also exist and are sent to the FBR for investigation.

    The Ministry of Interior has also decided to deport foreign illegal Tajik residents.

    The Ministry has also completed the investigation of 2,343 suspicious bank accounts in the name of Afghans in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.

  • Cases of fake notices increasing: FIA

    Cases of fake notices increasing: FIA

    The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has stated that there has been an increase in the issuance of fake notices among the public.

    FIA has categorically warned citizens to be aware of fake notices including emails and WhatsApp, adding that receivers of fake notices must never contact the sender either.

    The notices include fake details of involvement in criminal activities, threats of legal action, and fake profiled trying to obtain personal information under the pretext of verification or compliance.

    FIA has also clarified that they never ask for sensitive information.

  • Three billion rupees ka scam: Taylor Swift fans looted with fake tickets to concert

    Three billion rupees ka scam: Taylor Swift fans looted with fake tickets to concert

    As Taylor Swift’s UK tour approaches, fans are being warned about scams that have already cheated thousands of people out of more than £1 million or more than three billion rupees.
    Lloyds Bank says about 3,000 fans have been tricked since July, losing an average of £332 each, with some losing over £1,000.
    Most of the scams happen on Facebook, where more than 90 percent of cases come from fake ads or posts. It’s not just Swift fans getting targeted; scams for other artists like Beyonce, Coldplay, and Harry Styles have gone up too.

    Unofficial Facebook groups are part of the problem. They’re popping up to buy and sell tickets, with many listings on Facebook Marketplace. Scammers promise cheap or sold-out tickets, then disappear once they get the money through bank transfers.

    To stay safe, Lloyds Bank says only buy from trusted places. If possible, use debit or credit cards for more protection.
    As Swift’s tour gets closer, fans need to be careful and listen to warnings to avoiding getting scammed out of their concert experience.

  • Here’s the list of illegal loan apps banned in Pakistan

    Here’s the list of illegal loan apps banned in Pakistan

    The Ministry of IT and Telecom of the government responded to numerous reports and took decisive action against illegal loan apps, resulting in the banning of over 40 such applications. The severity of the issue prompted the ministry to intervene and curb the proliferation of these apps.

    In a statement released on Monday, Federal Minister Aminul Haque directed the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), led by Chairman Major General Hafeez-ur Rehman, to promptly address the situation. As a result, 43 applications were immediately blocked in accordance with the ministry’s instructions.

    Additionally, the PTA is collaborating with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SECP) to seek consultation and support in tackling this concerning matter.

    Here’s the list of loan apps recently banned:

    • Superb Loans
    • Fair Loans
    • Plati Loans
    • UrCash
    • MyCash
    • Debit Campsite
    • Loan Credit Cash
    • Easy Mobile Loans
    • Fori Qarz Online Personal Loan
    • Easy Loans Credit Fast Pay
    • Little Cash- Mobile Loans
    • FinMore- Online Credit Loans
    • ZetaLoan- Easy Credit Wallet
    • Qarza Pocket -Personal Funds
    • Asaan Qarza- credit loans
    • Fast Loan
    • Harsha Tube – Quick Money
    • Loanclub
    • Tazza Centre – Get Money Soon
    • Aasan Lab – Easy Apply Money
    • CashCredit-Online Loan money bee
    • Galaxy Loan
    • TiCash
    • CashPro-Immediate Approval
    • Rose Cash – Loan Cash
    • HamdardLoan
    • Bee Cash
    • Yocash
    • Sallam Loan – Online Loan App
    • Whale
    • Zenn Park -Easy Instant Help
    • Get Welfare
    • LendHome
    • QuickCash
    • Mrloan
    • 567 Speed Loan
    • Rico Box – Easy Apply Online
    • Fori Instant Loans
    • 99 Fast Cash Loan
    • Apple Qist Qarz
    • BG Loan
    • Swift Loans
  • Islamabad hike rape case false accusation, guy was set up: Islamabad Police

    Islamabad hike rape case false accusation, guy was set up: Islamabad Police

    The ‘victim’ in the Margalla Hills hiking trail case has confessed to be a part of a scam group, Islamabad Police has said on Tuesday.

    The case turned out to be a dramatic episode with plenty of twists and turns, as revealed by police. In a statement on Twitter, the capital city police said that the petitioner, Sidra who has accused Noman of raping her at the Margalla Hill trail, was taken before the magistrate for her statement, where she confessed to being a hired imposter by the suspect’s friend-cum-enemy.

    According to the girl’s statement, the main accused Noman had a quarrel with his friend Anwar who hired a gang to take revenge. The gang of scammers included Saima, Dr. Sidra, Ismail and Shakeel [fake journalists] and also a fake police officer Manzoor.

    The police investigation revealed that the man behind it all- Anwar- contacted Saima, a resident of Rawalpindi, to falsely accuse Noman of rape. Saima further contacted Sidra, who is from Sheikhupura, to play the role of victim.

    The master plan was that Sidra will walk with the accused to trail three and then start screaming for help, saying that Noman has attempted to rape her. Meanwhile, the rest of the group would reach the spot and make videos, which could be used to blackmail Noman and his family for extortion.

    The plan turned out to be an epic fail as Sidra waited for her accomplices after they reached trail three, but they couldn’t make it in time and she had to return with the accused to Rawalpindi. Afterwards, the gang opted for plan B. Sidra lodged a FIR for rape against Noman in Rawalpindi and went back to Sheikhupura.

    The police launched an investigation covering every aspect of the case which led to Sidra’s confession in front of the magistrate. The probe further disclosed that two cases had been filed against Sidra in Sheikhupura and Anwar-al-Haq, an operative of the scammer gang, was a proclaimed criminal in police record.

    A campaign was launched on social media while the case was under investigation, which according to the police was too soon to jump to conclusions. The police underscored that haste could lead one in the wrong direction and it’s better to wait at least for the investigative report before forming a conclusion, especially during the probing phase of such sensitive cases.

    “Citizens are requested not to believe in rumors until the final report of the police. Such a campaign could affect the police investigation which would benefit the accused,” said police.

  • FIA report reveals fake LLB students

    FIA report reveals fake LLB students

    Nearly 4000 students from affiliated law colleges of Bahauddin Zakariya University (BZU) in Multan are suspected of being “non-genuine”, according to a  Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) report.

    The FIA submitted the report to the Supreme Court on Monday, which disclosed that 3,997 individuals allegedly attempted to sit the LLB exam without ever attending classes.

    According to Dawn, the FIA, along with officials from the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) and the Higher Education Commission (HEC), constituted a joint investigation team (JIT) to question BZU officials and law college owners as ordered by the Supreme Court.

    The team examined BZU’s records and found that 3,997 students were suspected of being non-genuine. An additional 2,230 students are currently under investigation, but no adverse findings have been reported thus far.

    The JIT recommended taking legal action against the BZU officials and law colleges involved in the alleged fraud. It also called for improvements in the system of affiliating law colleges, registering students, collecting fees, and monitoring attendance to prevent future scams.

  • Pakistan Tobacco Company fears surge in smuggling, fake cigarette supply after tax hike

    Pakistan Tobacco Company fears surge in smuggling, fake cigarette supply after tax hike

    Pakistan Tobacco Company (PTC) has expressed serious concern over the recent mini-budget announcement, stating that new taxes on cigarettes will result in an increase in smuggling and counterfeit products in markets. Speaking to the media on Friday, PTC’s Director Legal and External Affairs, Syed Asad Shah, explained that the increase in federal excise duty (FED) and the lower minimum price set by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) would lead to less revenue collection from the cigarette industry.

    Shah displayed several illicit cigarette packs available in markets across the country, including some smuggled brands without health warnings, counterfeit products of local brands, and unregistered and non-tax-paid locally produced cigarettes.

    Shah projected that the share of illicit cigarettes in Pakistan would increase from the current 35 per cent to 40-50 per cent in the current year. He added that if the government did not rationalize the policy of managing the threshold price level and did not restrict illicit trade, its revenues would also decline after two years. Illicit cigarettes are sold below the minimum price because the applicable tax per pack is not paid on these products.

    The cigarette industry paid total taxes of Rs150 billion in fiscal year 2021-22, and the expected tax receipts this year would be around Rs185 billion because of the new taxation measures. According to the industry, tax contribution by PTC and Philip Morris, two multinational companies, alone will be around Rs182 billion.

    Shah pointed out that around 35 cigarette companies were running in Pakistan, making some 200 brands, but local players paid only Rs3 billion in taxes and duties. He added that many companies were not paying due taxes, which was why some were selling cigarette packs for Rs7.

    PTC officials emphasized the need for a rational increase in the minimum legal price of cigarettes. After the recent rise in FED, taxes, and duties on tier-2 cigarette packs came in at Rs101, but the minimum sale price of the same packs was Rs108.

    According to Express, the company officials demanded that the finance ministry take stringent action against the illicit cigarette trade and ensure across-the-board implementation of the FBR’s track and trace system that monitors the production and supply of cigarettes.

  • YouTube will let doctors apply to be labeled as ‘certified’ to avoid misinformation

    YouTube will let doctors apply to be labeled as ‘certified’ to avoid misinformation

    In an attempt to decrease inaccurate information on the platform, YouTube said Thursday that doctors and other health care providers can apply to have their channels certified. The change will allow viewers to more easily access videos containing “high-quality health information,” YouTube said.

    “This is a big step towards helping people more easily find and connect with content that comes from the extraordinary community of healthcare professionals on YouTube,” it added.

    In addition to physicians and nurses, those in the mental health field and those who offer healthcare information may also apply for the YouTube verification that makes their videos visible to users. “This new step will allow us to expand to include high-quality information from a wider group of healthcare channels,” the company said.

    The National Academy of Medicine estimates that 90 per cent of Americans use social media to look up health-related information.

    Last year, YouTube came under fire for displaying videos that decried the Covid-19 vaccine or went against the World Health Organization’s or the CDC’s recommendations for good health.

    In September 2021, it enacted a prohibition on vaccine-related misinformation in response.

    Additionally, a limited programme was introduced that permitted movies produced by public health departments, hospitals, and governments, among other organisations, to carry labels indicating their authority to consumers.

    This programme is currently being expanded.

    Healthcare providers need to follow best practises for disseminating science-based health information and have an active YouTube channel in order to access the programme, according to the business.

    The San Bruno, California-based company YouTube claims two billion active monthly users.

  • Lahore police initiates crackdown against professional beggars

    Lahore police initiates crackdown against professional beggars

    On the orders of Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Lahore, Additional IG Ghulam Mahmood Dogar, special squads of the Lahore Police have started a crackdown against habitual and professional beggars in an effort to free the provincial capital of this annoyance.

    In keeping with its campaign against professional panhandlers, Lahore Police has so far detained 254 panhandlers, comprising 249 men and 5 women, from various parts of the city in cooperation with the Punjab Child Protection and Welfare Bureau (PCPWB) and other relevant agencies.

    While adult addict beggars were admitted to rehabilitation wards of relevant institutions chosen by the government in this regard, Lahore Police turned over the children beggars to the PCPWB.

    In accordance with the “Anti Beggary Act,” Lahore Police have so far this year detained 3,681 professional beggars, comprising 3,518 men and 150 women, and have filed 3,623 cases against them at various police stations throughout the city.

    As a result, during the crackdown, the Model Town division police detained 640 beggars while the City division police arrested 763, the Cantt division 546, the Civil Lines division police 425, the Iqbal Town division 546, and the Sadar division 701 beggars. Beggars who obstruct traffic at intersections and traffic signals have been the subject of separate action by the city traffic police, according to The News.

    According to the CCPO of Lahore, all divisional SsP have been given the unique responsibility of apprehending professional, falsely disabled, and regular beggars because the majority of them have criminal histories yet pose as beggars. Traffic police officers have been working with Lahore police special units to combat organised crime groups and professional begging.

  • Rs16 billion money laundering case: PM Shehbaz appears before court, terms case as ‘fake’

    Rs16 billion money laundering case: PM Shehbaz appears before court, terms case as ‘fake’

    A special court in Lahore adjourned the hearing till October 8 in a Rs16 billion money laundering case filed by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) against Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif and his son, Hamza Shehbaz.

    The court also directed the lawyer to submit additional details on the acquittal plea by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders.

    In the hearing which took place on Friday (today), PM’s son Hamza Shehbaz did not appear before the court as he had sought exemption on medical grounds. However, PM Shehbaz appeared before the court but later sought exemption as he had “important” matters to attend to.

    PM’s lawyer Amjad Pervaiz told the court that the first information report (FIR) registered against his clients mentioned they were involved in money laundering worth Rs25 billion from 2008-2018 through fake companies. However, he said, “During this 10-year span, PM Shehbaz was neither the director nor a shareholder of those companies.”

    PM Shehbaz also spoke before the court, stating that the money laundering case against him is “fake”.

    He claimed that when he was Chief Minister (CM) for 20 years he had made decisions that “hurt” his family’s sugar business. “I was requested to provide subsidy to sugar mills, but I refused. I refused as the amount (that would be used for subsidy) belonged to the poor people in Punjab,” he declared to the court.

    Later, he sought an exemption from the court which was granted to him. After Shehbaz left, the court went on a break.

    Once the hearing resumed, the lawyer presented his arguments again. Then, the court adjourned the hearing till October 8 and asked him to continue deliberations at the next hearing.

    In 2021, the FIA submitted a challan against Shehbaz and Hamza to the special court for their alleged involvement in laundering Rs16 billion in a sugar scam.

    The report added that the amount was kept in “hidden accounts” and “given to Shehbaz in a personal capacity”.

    At the time, FIA had said that the amount of Rs16 billion has nothing to do with the sugar business of Shehbaz’s family. The money allegedly received from the accounts of low-wage employees was transferred outside Pakistan, ultimately destined for the beneficial use of his family members.