Islamabad: Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has cautioned the cellular mobile customers to be aware of hoax calls and falsified/unsolicited SMSes alluring the subscribers to buy scratch cards and then notify scratch numbers to calling party or sender of the SMS for cash prizes.

A PTA spokesman said that the mobile customers are advised to be mindful of receiving hoax/unsolicited calls and SMSes informing the customer that he has won a cash prize but in order to retrieve the prize, he has to inform the calling party the hidden numbers on the prepaid scratch cards. As a result, the customer may be deprived of the value of the scratch card. In case of receiving such calls/SMSes, mobile phone consumers should immediately contact their mobile phone operators to verify the information, the spokesman added.

Furthermore, some instances have also been reported wherein mobile phone users were deprived of their prepaid balance by replying to a particular SMS. The SMS contains a hidden message which transfers the prepaid balance from the customerâ??s account to the desired account on reply.

Besides contacting their respective mobile phone operators, consumers may also register their complaints in this regard on PTA complaint cell numbers 051-9225329-31 Ext: 155 and at email address complaint@pta.gov.pk . Appropriate action would be taken against the persons involved in this fraudulent activity.

 

Khurram Ali Mehran

Deputy Director (PR)