On August 5, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) released two separate advisories urging digital platform users to exercise caution while engaging online, warning against both illegal social media activity and rising cyber scams disguised as courier services.

In its first advisory, the PTA reminded users that the misuse of digital platforms to promote illegal content is a punishable offense under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016. The authority stated that freedom of expression is a fundamental right, but warned that its abuse to spread prohibited material would not be tolerated.

The statement highlighted that content including blasphemy, religious disrespect, incitement to violence, hate speech, defamatory propaganda against national institutions, and the spread of obscene or false material falls under criminal activity.

The PTA urged users to report any such unlawful content through the PTA CMS mobile application, with the message: “Be alert, stay safe.”

In a separate communication, the PTA cautioned the public about fraudulent messages being circulated under the pretense of courier companies. These scams, according to the authority, are often designed to extract personal or sensitive information through fake verification codes or deceptive links.

PTA explained that cybercriminals posing as delivery service representatives may attempt to gain unauthorized access to user accounts by prompting victims to share private details, often under false claims related to payments or parcels.

The advisory clarified that such messages are entirely fake and not associated with any genuine courier company or official service. Users have been instructed not to share verification codes or personal data and to ignore unsolicited messages or calls of this nature.