Scams without Borders: How Cyber criminals invade our Homes

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Sandeep Kumar returned to Karachi from Dubai during the COVID-19 lockdown. After years of working in Dubai’s real estate market, he had come back hoping to start a modest, peaceful life with his family. But Pakistan’s worsening economic crisis shattered his expectations. Jobs came and went, and the income he managed to earn was never enough to cover even the most basic household expenses.

Then, just four months ago, a single WhatsApp message turned his life upside down. The message arrived from an unknown number but carried the name of his brother-in-law, Gulshan, who lives in Portugal. The sender wrote that he had borrowed money from a Pakistani friend and urgently needed four hundred thousand rupees to return it. To make the transaction easier, he provided the details of a local woman’s bank account and instructed Sandeep to transfer the money immediately.

Trusting the name, Sandeep acted without a second thought. Within minutes, he transferred the amount through online banking. Only later, when he phoned Gulshan to tell him the job was done, did the truth emerge. Gulshan denied ever sending such a message. He had no idea what Sandeep was talking about.

The realization hit like a thunderbolt. The money, which Sandeep had managed to save after selling his car, was gone. He felt as though he had been stripped bare, left financially and emotionally ruined.

A Futile Struggle to Recover the Money:

As soon as he realized the scam, Sandeep called his bank’s helpline in desperation. But it was already too late. “It was a Friday evening,” he recalled. “I begged them to stop the transaction, but they said nothing could be done because the money had already been transferred.”

In his desperation, he even contacted the bank that held the account where the money had gone. To his dismay, he was told that the account was opened in Chiniot, Punjab, and it was an “online account,” one of those for which the holder never actually visits a physical branch.

A journalist friend helped Sandeep reach out to the branch manager, but the reply was equally discouraging: “The money is gone. Tracing online accounts is almost impossible.”

By the following Monday, after the weekend break, he once again contacted the bank, only to hear the same helpless response: “We can’t do anything.”

The next day, Sandeep filed a complaint with the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). Yet months later, there was still no progress. “The officers just keep saying the investigation is ongoing,” Sandeep said bitterly. “But my money has never come back.” According to him, one staff member at the FIA office had bluntly told him at the time of filing the complaint, “These kinds of frauds usually go nowhere.” Sadly, that prediction proved right.

Why Are These Frauds Increasing?

Dr. Imtiaz Ali, a Karachi-based cyber law expert, says Sandeep’s case is “painfully common.” He explains that such scams succeed because they exploit two things: technology and trust. “When a message appears to come from a family member, people act without thinking. The fraudsters know exactly how to manipulate this weakness.”

An FIA Cybercrime Wing report confirms that thousands of Pakistanis fall prey to similar scams every year. The chance of recovering stolen money is, however, close to zero.

Digital security researcher Ahmed Hassan adds, “The money is instantly shifted from one account to another or withdrawn in cash. Banks do not respond quickly enough.” He points to another structural flaw: the way online accounts are opened without strict verification. “Unless the rules of ‘Know Your Customer’ are properly enforced, these scams will keep happening,” he warned.

The Human Side of the Loss:

For Sandeep, the loss was not just financial but deeply emotional and psychological. Already struggling with economic uncertainty, this blow pushed him into a sea of despair.

Psychologist Dr. Harish Lohana notes that fraud victims often suffer from shame and anxiety. “They feel it was their own stupidity, even though it is a crime committed against them. In many cases, the emotional toll outweighs even the financial loss.”

Who Should Be Held Accountable?

Human rights activist and lawyer Anwar Ali believes the responsibility lies with both banks and regulators. “Banks promote digital banking as safe, but when fraud occurs, they shift the entire burden onto the victim. What about the institutions that allowed a fraudster’s account to remain active?”

He emphasizes that cooperation between the FIA and the banking sector must improve. “If quick action is not

taken, victims lose faith in the justice system, and criminals grow bolder.”

A Warning for All:

Sandeep’s ordeal is more than just the story of one man losing his savings. It is a reflection of a society caught between technology, trust, and human vulnerability. His experience serves as a warning to every Pakistani: digital transactions require extreme caution.

Experts advise never to act instantly on such requests. Always verify through a direct phone call, and report any suspicious activity without delay.

As Pakistan moves rapidly toward digital banking and online transactions, the government and financial institutions must ensure stronger safeguards. Without decisive action, countless more people will continue to

fall victim to scammers—while institutions look the other way.