Karachiites, already beset by an unabated spree of violence, vandalism and high crime rate, are being fleeced by unscrupulous elements in the name of Benazir Income Support Program (BISP), Business Recorder learnt reliably.
These swindlers are deceiving unsuspecting people lucrative amounts under various BISP schemes via SMS.
BISP is a state-run poverty reduction programme established by the government. Billions of rupees have been disbursed among poor families in all provinces.
Interestingly, this correspondent himself received a few SMSs stating: "Benazir Enquem (Income) Sport (Support) program ghar ghar serway (surway) k teht apko 25200 (rupees) mubark ho. Ap ka number BISP me register tha. So ic number pr 03034833196 call krain."
Business Recorder investigated one of the message, contacting the given number. A man attended the call and directly said: "Ap ko mubrak ho. Ap ke BISP ke account main 25,200 ka izafa hogaya he. Yeh raqam ap kisi bhi easy-paisa shop se le sakte hain. Shop pe ja ka ap hamare numainde 'Irfan sahib' se rabta karen".
The man then proceeded to give a cell phone number 03078734506 which, according to him, was of 'Irfan sahib'. He further "instructed": "Easy-paisa shop pe ja ke Irfan sahib ko call milaiyega. Aur jese wo kahen wese kejyega. Phir 25,200 ap ko mil jaenge".
Later, this correspondent called on the said number and talked with the man who called himself 'Irfan sahib'. He insisted: "Ap aahista se bat karen... easy-paisa (shop) wale ko ye naheen bataen ke main koi BISP ka numainda hoon. Us ko mobile de ke ye kahen ke yeh mere bhai hain in ko mujhe pese bhejne hain. Ap in se baat karen."
This correspondent gave his cell phone to the man running an easypaisa shop. Swindler 'Irfan' then asked the vendor: "Apna easy-paisa wala mobile lo aur menu me jao. Us k bad us option me *78hash likho aur dial karo".
The man running the shop said: "If I press *78 from my esay-paisa mobile, it will seek my secret code. If (by mistake) I used it (the code), the amount in my mobile would be transferred to the other person's mobile phone. Any future transaction activity would also have been automatically transferred in that person's phone." Then he cut the call.
After his crime activity was exposed, 'Irfan' did not return this correspondent's calls. After several futile attempts, he (the so-called Irfan sahib) switched off his number.
Another easy-paisa vendor in the Garden area told this correspondent that this was the newest scam being run via cell phones. He said that he had guided several people about the fraud when they approached him.
A senior lawyer dealing with cyber crime matters told Business Recorder that there was a 'Prevention of Electronic Crimes Ordinance, 2008' which was promulgated to deter electronic crimes.
He said that the Ordinance covered the entire country and applied on every person who committed an electronic crime irrespective of his nationality or citizenship whatsoever. The law also encompassed people and place inside and outside the country. It was meant to deter persons trying to harm the "security of Pakistan or its nationals or national harmony or any property or any electronic system or data...or any electronic system or data capable of being connected, sent to, used by or with any electronic system in Pakistan", he added.
"This ordinance offers penalties ranging from an imprisonment of six months to capital punishment for 17 types of cyber crimes, including cyber terrorism, hacking of websites and criminal access to secure data. The ordinance deals with electronic crimes, including cyber terrorism, criminal access, criminal data access, data damage electronic fraud, electronic forgery, misuse of electronic system or electronic device, unauthorised access to code, misuse of encryption, misuse of code, cyber stalking. It suggests stringent punishment for offences involving sensitive electronic crimes," he explained.
He said that this ordinance proposes a punishment of seven years on charges of electronic fraud and electronic forgery without the right to bail. Those, he said, who tried to damage data or system and criminal data access, misuse of electronic system or electronic devices would get a maximum of three-year jail term with the right to bail, he added.
On the other hand, a senior FIA official said on condition of anonymity that this crime fell under the description of cyber crimes, adding that several other crime laws were applicable in connection with these fraud calls and SMSes.
He said that FIA's cyber crime circle was dealing with these crimes on people's complaints. FIA, he said, was working hard against cyber crime, but it had failed to overcome it.
According to him, it was difficult to trace the real identities of such swindlers through cell phone numbers because they were using "fake" SIMs. He said that another major impediment in this connection was cellular hone companies' reluctance to cooperate with the government and its law enforcement institutions, he added.
Director BISP, Karachi, Ghulam Nabi told Business Recorder that his office was aware of this fraud and they had refered them to the FIA.
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