In 2024, the PTA (Pakistan Telecommunication Authority) informed Meta about more than 1,000 fake IDs and 37 hacked accounts.

In 2024, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) reported 1,043 fake accounts to Meta, the company that owns Facebook and WhatsApp, to have them blocked or removed.

These fake accounts pretended to be government officials, politicians, or regular people.

The PTA also handled 37 cases of hacked social media accounts this year, including 27 Facebook accounts and 10 WhatsApp accounts, and sent them to Meta for recovery. However, the PTA explained that it doesn’t keep detailed records of hacking cases from past years because users usually report these issues directly to the social media platforms.

The PTA said the main causes of hacking are scams that trick people, data breaches, and using unsafe public Wi-Fi. Other reasons include malware, weak passwords, not using two-factor authentication (2FA), and using free VPNs.

The PTA highlighted the importance of knowing how to stay safe online and taking steps to protect accounts. It regularly runs public awareness campaigns through SMS, newspapers, and social media to teach users how to keep their accounts secure.

The PTA also suggested ways to improve account security. It advised using stronger passwords, enabling 2FA, and never sharing one-time passwords or security codes. People should also avoid public Wi-Fi for sensitive activities, log out from shared devices, and limit permissions for third-party apps.