The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has issued an important public safety warning. Citizens are urged to be extremely cautious and avoid providing their thumb impressions or fingerprints to anyone.
The warning states that fraudsters often target vulnerable people. They use promises of free SIM cards or financial aid schemes to steal biometric data.
Criminals use a simple but effective method. They approach people, often women, with offers that seem too good to be true.
By obtaining a person’s fingerprint, they can register a SIM card in that person’s name illegally. These fraudulent SIMs are then used to commit serious crimes.
Read: PTA Clarifies Fake SIM Advisory Circulating on Social Media
The PTA emphasised that giving your SIM card to someone else is also a crime. Citizens are advised to keep their SIMs secure at all times.
This warning is part of a larger effort to improve digital safety in Pakistan. The PTA has also partnered with Meta and the educational platform EYEYAH!
Together, they launched a campaign called “Is This Legit?”. The initiative aims to teach people how to identify common online scams.
These include romance scams, shopping fraud, and impersonation tricks. The goal is to create a more secure and informed digital environment for all users.
 has warned citizens not to provide thumb impressions to strangers offering free SIMs.){kind=link}