ISLAMABAD: In a serious case of cyber fraud, the WhatsApp account of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan was hacked, with scammers allegedly using his identity to request money from people in his contact list.
In a statement on X, Barrister Gohar said his WhatsApp account was hacked at around 11am.
“My WhatsApp has been hacked and is now deleted from my phone. Requests for money transfers are being made from my number,” he said.
He urged the public to ignore any such requests while he seeks recourse through the relevant authorities.
Barrister Gohar added that he has contacted the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Cyber Crime Wing, warning that his number remains active and could still be misused.
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He also called for swift action to prevent potential misuse of his data.
WhatsApp hacking cases have surged in Pakistan in recent months, with hundreds of accounts reportedly compromised, prompting national alerts.
Earlier in January, the National Cyber Emergency Response Team issued a nationwide advisory warning of a sharp rise in WhatsApp account hijacking incidents, describing the attacks as widespread and ongoing.
According to the advisory, attackers are primarily using social engineering techniques rather than exploiting technical flaws in the app.
Common tactics include tricking users into sharing one-time passcodes (OTPs), manipulating call-forwarding settings, sending phishing links, and distributing malicious QR codes that link victims’ accounts to attackers’ devices.
Once compromised, these accounts are used to impersonate victims, defraud their contacts, access private communications, and spread malicious content.
