KARACHI – A major fraud involving the use of illegally issued duplicate SIM cards to steal millions of rupees from bank accounts has come to light in Pakistan, with two members of the National Assembly (MNAs) and a Karachi-based businessman among the reported victims.
According to a report, the fraudsters allegedly obtained duplicate SIM cards without the account holders’ authorisation and used them to gain access to their banking services, change transaction limits and transfer funds into accounts opened in other people’s names.
MNA Loses Rs1.5 Million After Duplicate SIM Issued
The report stated that on January 12, Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) MNA Farhan Chishti arrived at Islamabad Airport in the afternoon and discovered that his mobile SIM had stopped working. He was unable to make calls or receive messages.
When he visited his mobile operator’s service centre, he learned that a duplicate SIM had been issued against his number without his knowledge or consent, rendering his original SIM inactive. Staff informed him that the replacement SIM had been issued from Malir, Karachi.
Meanwhile, the person using the duplicate SIM had allegedly registered an online banking facility in Chishti’s name, even though the lawmaker had never used electronic banking services.
The fraudster reportedly increased the withdrawal limit on Chishti’s account, set the password to “Sain Sarkar” and transferred Rs1.5 million from his account to one belonging to a woman identified as Sakina Bibi.
According to the report, Bibi was also a victim of the fraud, as a bank account had allegedly been opened in her name without her knowledge. Funds were also transferred to other accounts registered in women’s names in southern Punjab and Sindh.
Biometric Verification Process Under Scrutiny
Chishti lodged a complaint with the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), prompting investigators to question the owner of a shop in the Khokhrapar area of Malir from where the duplicate SIM had reportedly been issued.
The shop owner told investigators that a man had visited the outlet and claimed that his mother needed a duplicate SIM but was too weak to get out of a vehicle. The man allegedly requested that the shopkeeper bring the biometric verification device to the vehicle so his mother’s thumb impression could be recorded.
However, it remains unclear how Chishti’s own thumb impression was obtained or used in the process. The individual allegedly using the duplicate SIM was reportedly a resident of Nawabshah.
Second MNA and Karachi Businessman Also Targeted
The report identified another lawmaker, MNA Shehryar Mahar, as a victim of a similar fraud, in which he reportedly lost Rs2 million.
Karachi businessman Sunny Kumar was also targeted. On September 29, 2025, a duplicate SIM registered in his name was issued from a retail outlet in Dhabeji, Thatta.
Interestingly, Kumar and Chishti were customers of the same telecommunications company.
Following the issuance of the duplicate SIM, Rs8.5 million was allegedly withdrawn from Kumar’s bank account.
Bank Employee Suspected of Sharing Customer Information
Investigators looking into Kumar’s case reportedly discovered evidence suggesting that a bank employee may have been involved in the fraud.
According to the report, a branch service officer employed at a bank branch in Mardan had accessed Kumar’s account details before the duplicate SIM was issued. The officer had also reportedly accessed information relating to around 30 other accounts.
Call records allegedly showed that the officer had attempted to obtain customer data from an employee of another bank. He also reportedly offered money to an employee of the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) in exchange for information, but the employee refused to provide it.
A source familiar with the investigations told the publication that similar methods had been used in the other two cases, with the possible involvement of bank employees also coming under suspicion.
However, investigations into those cases reportedly failed to make significant progress because the complainants were primarily interested in recovering their stolen money.
PTA Fines Telecom Company Rs77.8 Million
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) imposed a fine of Rs77.8 million on the telecommunications company over irregularities in the SIM issuance process.
According to the report, the action taken against the banks was limited to orders directing them to reimburse the affected customers.
The report also noted that the problem was not confined to these three cases, as similar incidents had been reported in other provinces of Pakistan.
Stolen Biometric Data Raises Wider Security Concerns
Investigators suspect that criminal networks may be obtaining biometric information, including fingerprints, on a wider scale through stolen data or by collecting fingerprints at locations where verification procedures are not strictly enforced for routine services.
The fingerprints are allegedly stored using software and subsequently misused to bypass biometric verification systems.
The cases have raised concerns about weaknesses in SIM registration procedures, banking security, the protection of customer information and the possible misuse of biometric data.
The incidents also highlight the need for stronger verification mechanisms and accountability across telecommunications companies, banks and other institutions that handle sensitive personal information.
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