Bank Fraud Through Fake SIMs Exposed in Lahore3 Accused Including Banker Arrested

By Muhammad Shahzad, Lahore Pakistan
LAHORE: The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency Lahore has arrested three accused, including a banker, during a major operation against an organized gang allegedly involved in accessing bank accounts through fake SIMs and stealing money from citizens.
The operation was conducted on the instructions of Muhammad Ali Waseem.
According to the NCCIA spokesperson, the arrested suspects include Muhammad Tayyab, Muhammad Umar, and a facilitator identified as Atif, who was associated with a private bank. The accused allegedly obtained citizens’ identity details and issued fake and duplicate SIMs through an illegal multi-fingerprint biometric system.
Authorities said the gang later used those SIMs to gain access to victims’ online banking accounts and transferred millions of rupees into different accounts.
NCCIA Lahore registered case number 61/2026 and recovered two mobile phones along with 11 SIM cards during the raid. The case has been registered under various sections of the Pakistan Penal Code and the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, including the 2025 amendments.
According to investigators, the accused were involved in stealing citizens’ financial information through modern cyber fraud techniques, and evidence of extorting large sums of money from multiple victims has also been found.
Investigating officer Najam Ashraf Bajwa is conducting further investigations, while raids are underway to arrest other facilitators linked to the gang.