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ISLAMABAD: In 2024, Meta, the parent company of Facebook and WhatsApp, received 1,043 reports of fake identifications from the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA). As a result, these accounts were disabled and deleted.
Some of these fake accounts were made to look like politicians, government workers, and normal people.
In addition, the PTA received 37 reports of compromised social media accounts this year, with 27 Facebook accounts and 10 WhatsApp accounts being forwarded to Meta for recovery. However, the regulator made it clear that while users often report hacking directly to social media sites, the agency does not keep full records of hacking accusations from previous years. Meta promotes direct reporting as a means to enhance communication and problem-solving efficiency.
Data breaches, social engineering schemes, and using unsecured public Wi-Fi have been named as the primary causes by the PTA. Additional factors include malware, insecure passwords, lack of two-factor authentication (2FA), and the use of free VPNs.
For better account security, the PTA has also recommended some safety steps. Users should avoid sharing security codes or one-time passwords and instead use stronger passwords. Two-factor authentication should also be enabled. Avoiding sensitive activity on public Wi-Fi, logging out of shared devices, and limiting rights offered to other parties are additional steps to take.
