Pakistan SIM Swap Fraud Hits Two MNAs, Exposes Telecom and Bank Controls

A new investigation by The News says criminals used biometric fraud and duplicate SIMs to drain bank accounts of two members of Pakistan’s National Assembly, and the same pattern also hit a Karachi businessman. For high-risk payment flows, the important part is not the celebrity factor; it is the combination of weak telecom verification, bank onboarding through online banking, and mule-account movement.

1. MQM lawmaker Farhan Chishti lost mobile access after landing at Islamabad airport on January 12. According to the report, someone obtained a duplicate SIM against his number from a point of sale in Karachi’s Malir area, then registered him for online banking and moved Rs1.5 million into mule accounts across South Punjab and Sindh.
2. In a separate incident, MNA Shaharyar Mahar lost Rs2 million. The report ties both cases to the same broader SIM swap scam network that exploits weaknesses in Pakistan’s telecom verification system rather than any single bank channel.
3. A third case involved Karachi businessman Sunny Kumar. On September 29, 2025, a duplicate SIM appeared in his name at a retail outlet in Thatta, after which criminals stole Rs8.5 million from his account. Investigators also found a bank insider in Mardan who had accessed about 30 accounts before the SIM swap; the suspected total fraud linked to that insider alone reached Rs25 million.
4. The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority fined the telecom company Rs77.8 million per case, citing Regulation 4(4), which makes operators solely responsible for every SIM they sell. Authorities did not take action against the banks beyond ordering them to return victims’ money.
5. The investigation says criminals are now collecting biometric data in bulk from leaked databases and reportedly obtaining fingerprints from airports, passport offices, and driving licence centres. PTA Chairman Hafeezur Rehman confirmed that fraudsters are bypassing biometric safeguards for identity checks, while authorities have blocked 18.2 million illegal SIMs over roughly two and a half years.

The enforcement picture is getting broader. The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency has seized 195 active SIMs and 81 ATM cards from scammers, while joint operations led to 171 arrests and the recovery of data belonging to about 600,000 people. A National Assembly committee has now directed the Interior Ministry to work with the SBP, PTA, and telecom operators on new legislative and technical safeguards.