Pakistan’s National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) has registered a First Information Report (FIR) against a Rawalpindi resident accused of running multiple fake social media accounts to groom, exploit, and blackmail minors.
According to the FIR registered at the NCCIA Cyber Crime Reporting Centre, Islamabad, the accused allegedly used fraudulent Instagram accounts posing as scholarship programs to lure children into online contact.
Investigators say the suspect manipulated at least two minor boys, recorded obscene and sexually explicit material, and later used the content to blackmail and threaten the victims with public exposure.
The case emerged following the conclusion of NCCIA Enquiry No. 239/2026, which found evidence that the accused deliberately groomed one victim over time, coercing him into sharing explicit videos and images. Authorities state that the suspect also attempted to unlawfully access the child’s Instagram and WhatsApp accounts by seeking verification codes.
A technical forensic analysis of the seized mobile phone revealed extensive evidence of criminal activity.
Investigators recovered hundreds of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) files from the device and identified constant communication with multiple WhatsApp numbers and an EasyPaisa account allegedly used for the sharing, transmission, and sale of child exploitation content, both within Pakistan and internationally.
Further inquiry uncovered that the accused had also targeted another minor using a separate fake Instagram profile while impersonating a female. In that case, investigators say the suspect succeeded in obtaining explicit material and illegally acquiring a WhatsApp verification code linked to the child’s phone number.
Digital records obtained from Meta Inc. confirmed that the fraudulent Instagram accounts were registered using phone numbers connected to the accused and, in one instance, a number belonging to the family of a victim. Connectivity data showed that the accounts were operated from the accused’s mobile device and internet connection.
The technical report also revealed that the accused was using a patched smartphone with an illegally altered IMEI number, an act constituting electronic forgery under Pakistani law.
The FIR has been registered under multiple sections of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016, along with relevant provisions of the Pakistan Penal Code. Authorities say investigations are ongoing to determine the roles of other suspected subscribers, facilitators, and abettors identified during forensic analysis