Loopholes fuel crime wave as illegal SIMs drive banking fraud, NA panel told

ISLAMABAD: Loopholes in the system continue to fuel a crime wave, with illegally issued SIMs being used in a large number of fraudulent calls and fake banking messages. This was the grim picture presented to the National Assembly Standing Committee on Interior and Narcotics Control on Thursday, as regulators acknowledged that scammers remain active despite the blocking of 18. 2 million illegal SIMs over the past two and a half years and fines imposed on telecom companies.

The committee was told that criminals were exploiting stolen fingerprints and “rented” bank accounts to carry out financial fraud, highlighting persistent gaps in the system despite ongoing efforts to curb the misuse of SIMs and banking channels. The meeting, chaired by Raja Khurram Shahzad Nawaz, was attended by Minister of State Talal Chaudhry and lawmakers, including Anjum Aqeel Khan, Abdul Qadir Patel and Khawaja Izharul Hassan, among others. Senior officers from the interior and law departments, the Capital Development Authority (CDA), National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and Punjab Board of Revenue were also present.…