Cell phone scams are on the rise, sometime with juicy lotteries or otherwise with threat calls. Though, it is extremely difficult to have an unregistered SIM these days, so using an illegal SIM without owners’ information is not very easy, but still – fraudulent people find a way to trap innocent people.
You can be tricked by deceivers who use deceptive and fraudulent practices in order to obtain mobile credit from your prepaid/postpaid account – or even worse financial loss. For the purpose, cellular companies have already lowered their upper limit of sharing mobile credit.
You can remain safe by simply confirming any legal prize scheme launched by your operator or registering a complaint instead of replying those numbers.
You can be deceived through any of following practices:
- Phone call or SMS asking you to call a particular number to win prize: Never respond to any such call or SMS, as it will transfer your prepaid phone amount to another number
- Phone call or SMS asking you to call or SMS on a particular number to win free minutes: never respond to any such call or SMS as it is not going to get you free minutes, instead your credit will be transferred into another account.
- Phone call or SMS asking you to transfer your prepaid balance to develop friendship: Beware of any such calls as criminals change their voice or use voice changer to pretend as females to take financial advantages
- Phonecalls or SMS asking for an amount for SIM registration: Your operator will never ask you for money for SIM registration, therefore never transfer any amount to any number for SIM registration
- Unknown Messages with Unknown String: Do not reply or press any key to any string of numbers (e.g.8100#92805812233023##) received through SMS. Simply exit or discard it at first instance
- Prize Money, Car or Plot Winners: If you get a call and person says that you have won a car, 10 million rupees or whatever, never transfer any money to any bank account or through balance share. Be aware of the fact that cellular companies are giving away car prizes, so you better check from your operator for the genuineness of prize before you celebrate it. But in any case, don’t transfer money to anyone. Your operator will never ask you for money in return of a prize
You can register your complaint at following numbers:
- Ufone: Dial 333 from Ufone numbers or 111-333-100 from landline
- Zong: Dial 310 from Zong numbers or 111-222-111 from landline
- Warid: Dial 321 from Warid numbers or 111-111-321 from landline
- Mobilink: Dial 111 from Mobilink numbers or 111-300-300 from landline
- Telenor: Dial 345 from Telenor numbers or 111-345-111 from landline
- PTCL: Dial 1236 and 1218
- World Call: 0800-19111 or 111-111-965
- Telecard: Dial 1223344 from Go numbers
- Wateen: Dial 042-111-365-111
- wi-tribe: UAN: 111-187-423
In case your complaint is not addressed by your concerned operator, contact PTA’s consumer protection department
PTA Complaint Resolution Contact details:
