In 2024, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) reported 1,043 fake accounts and 37 hacked social media profiles to Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. According to information released by PTA, the fake accounts, which included impersonations of politicians, government officials, and citizens, were flagged for removal.

Of the hacked accounts, 27 were on Facebook and ten on WhatsApp. The PTA forwarded these cases to Meta for resolution but said it does not maintain detailed records of previous hacking complaints, as users often report such issues directly to social media platforms. Meta encourages direct reporting to streamline resolutions.

The PTA identified data breaches, social engineering scams, and unsecured public Wi-Fi networks as the primary causes of these security breaches, as well as malware, weaker passwords, lack of two-factor authentication, and use of free VPNs.

The PTA launched awareness campaigns through SMS, print, and social media. Users are advised to adopt measures such as creating strong passwords, enabling two-factor authentication, and refraining from sharing one-time passwords or security codes.

The PTA also recommended limiting permissions granted to third-party applications, logging out of shared devices, and avoiding sensitive activities on public Wi-Fi networks to enhance security.