The Punjab Home Department issued a province-wide advisory to administrative departments and law enforcement agencies, alerting them to an increase in WhatsApp hacking incidents and impersonation scams targeting government officials. The directive, disseminated to senior bureaucrats, police leadership and field formations in the province, comes in response to a series of security breaches involving the WhatsApp accounts of serving officers.

The advisory noted that cybercriminals have gained unauthorized access to these accounts, using them to send fraudulent messages to contacts —often colleagues or subordinates — requesting financial aid under false pretenses. These attacks exploit trust within professional networks through sophisticated social engineering tactics.

In addition to account hacking, there has been a rise in the creation of fake social media profiles. Criminals use publicly available information, such as names, designations, and profile photos, to craft convincing identities and solicit money.

The Home Department has urged government employees to exercise caution, advising against conducting financial transactions based solely on digital messages, especially those marked as urgent or confidential. It also recommends enabling security features like two-step verification and instructing staff to never share one-time passwords (OTPs) or sensitive credentials.

The advisory urged all departments and agencies to implement stringent security protocols. This includes developing advanced cybersecurity knowledge programs to protect against future breaches that could compromise official communication systems.