AI and education in Pakistan: can automation fix a broken system?
September 11, 2026
More than 227,000 Pakistanis reported losing Rs8.32 billion to cyber fraud over the past three years, according to documents from the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA). The agency received 227,757 complaints between 2024 and the subsequent year, with serving and former parliamentarians also among the victims. Six lawmakers collectively lost Rs2.749 million, of which the NCCIA recovered more than Rs918,000 for three senators.
More than 227,000 Pakistanis have reported losing Rs8.32 billion to cyber fraud over the past three years, highlighting the growing scale of online financial scams across the country. The figures reflect only reported cases, while the actual number of victims is believed to be considerably higher.
According to official documents, the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) received 227,757 complaints during the three-year period. The agency recorded 83,080 complaints in 2024, followed by 76,646 in 2025 and another 68,031 in the subsequent year.
NCCIA sources said that a large proportion of the reported cases involved WhatsApp hacking and fraudulent calls. In many instances, scammers reportedly impersonated representatives of banks and other institutions to deceive victims and obtain money or sensitive information.
However, the official figures may not fully reflect the scale of the problem. NCCIA sources noted that thousands of people are reportedly defrauded of relatively small amounts, ranging from Rs2,000 to Rs20,000 every day, but many do not report such incidents because of the limited financial loss or other reasons. This underreporting suggests that the documented complaints could represent only a portion of cyber fraud occurring across the country.
The growing threat has also affected public representatives, with six serving and former parliamentarians collectively reporting losses of Rs2.749 million. Former MNA Sahibzada Hamid Raza lost Rs490,000, while Senator Falak Naz Chitrali was defrauded of Rs485,000 and Senator Bilal Ahmed Mandokhail lost Rs403,500. Senator Niaz Ahmed reported a loss of Rs30,000, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa MPA Shehla Bano lost Rs370,800, while a former MPA was defrauded of Rs970,000.
The NCCIA has managed to recover more than Rs918,000 of the amount lost by the lawmakers, with recoveries made for three senators, Falak Naz Chitrali, Bilal Ahmed Mandokhail and Niaz Ahmed.
The scale of both reported complaints and financial losses underscores the continuing challenge posed by cyber fraud in Pakistan. The figures also highlight the need for stronger investigation and recovery mechanisms, along with greater public awareness, as online scams become increasingly common and fraudsters adopt new methods to target citizens.
