The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has told the public that a notification circulating online, which carries its logo, is fake. The authority said it never issued the alert and called it false and misleading.
What is PTA fake notification about?
The fake notification of the PTA that is circulating at the social media names a phone number, (051) 7080507, and tells people not to follow any voice instructions if they get a call from it. It claims that just answering the call could let hackers get into a phone and even reach into mobile wallet accounts like Easypaisa.
The message goes further, claiming the callers don’t even need to ask for a one-time password (OTP) to steal information. Instead, it says some kind of software linked to the number can pull data from the phone during the call itself, and that this can happen in as little as five to seven seconds.
At the end, the message urges people to forward it to family and friends, which is likely a big reason it spread so quickly.
The officials of the PTA have clearly denied issuing any such warning. It called the notification fake and misleading, and asked people not to trust or share information like this unless it comes from a verified source.
The authority also reminded the public to follow its official social media accounts if they want real, verified updates and alerts, rather than relying on messages forwarded through WhatsApp or Facebook groups.
The PTA fake notification alerts claiming to be from government bodies or telecom regulators tend to spread fast because they play on people’s fear of losing money or having their phone hacked.
Messages that urge readers to “forward this to everyone you know” are a common warning sign of a scam, even when they look official and use a real organisation’s logo.
PTA has advised users not to believe or forward the PTA fake notification like this without checking if it’s real first. If something claims to be from a government authority, it’s worth checking that authority’s official website or verified social media account before acting on it or sharing it further.
