Hackers have been exploiting the federal government electricity subsidy scheme to steal personal data from consumers using fake QR codes on bills.
The Power Division has issued a formal advisory warning consumers about criminal elements using fake QR codes to collect sensitive personal information illegally.
Law enforcement agencies have been officially informed about those criminals who are conducting this fraud through the misuse of electricity bill QR codes across Pakistan.
According to the Power Division spokesperson, consumers are asked to click a specific link and share their personal information across four separate steps online.
After entering their details, consumers are then instructed to submit a 6-digit code on the same fraudulent link, completing the data theft process entirely.
The Power Division confirmed that entering billing information on any external platform is both incorrect and illegal under the current data protection framework of Pakistan.
Electricity consumers are strictly advised not to register their information on any digital or physical form when applying for the government subsidy scheme.
Certain criminal elements are using QR code technology on electricity bills to achieve malicious goals and extract private data from consumers across Pakistan.
