7 min read
For many women in Pakistan, the digital world is not a gateway to opportunity but a minefield of risks. From fake online shops to extortion threats, the internet has become a breeding ground for scams that disproportionately target women.
What makes the situation worse is not only the money lost, but the silence that follows. A culture of shame and fear linked to such incidents that actively discourages victims from reporting. We see it combined with weak institutional responses making fraudsters bolder with each scam they succeed in.
In this hostile environment, women face a double victimisation, first at the hands of scammers, and then again by a society that questions their choices instead of holding perpetrators accountable.
All The Digital Traps
Fraudsters exploit women’s trust and vulnerabilities by disguising scams as everyday conveniences. Social media pages masquerading as fashion or cosmetics shops entice buyers with too-good-to-be-true deals. Once victims transfer money through Easypaisa or bank accounts, the products never arrive or worse, a box of worthless items lands at their doorstep.
Another common trick comes in the form of parcel code or OTP phishing. Scammers pose as couriers, requesting a “delivery code” that is, in fact, a one-time password linked to the victim’s bank account. Once disclosed, accounts are emptied within minutes.
Romance investment scams prey on emotional connections. Fraudsters cultivate fake online relationships, often posing as foreigners or professionals, before introducing requests for money, crypto transfers, or even personal images. These interactions sometimes spiral into extortion, where women are blackmailed with threats to release intimate photos.
Stories from Reddit echo this: one user detailed weeks of chatting with a supposed foreign admirer, only to be blocked after sending money. Others have warned about similar scams in which trust quickly turns into financial and emotional exploitation.
Fake job offers also remain a persistent threat. Victims are lured with promises of well-paying opportunities, only to be asked for CNIC scans, photos, or security deposits.
A user warns about scams targeting people hunting for online jobs via WhatsApp and Telegram:
I received a message on WhatsApp offering a part-time job … Soon after, I was added to a Telegram group … they asked me to pay 20,000 PKR … then 100,000 PKR … it looked legit at first…
Another comment on the same Reddit post read:
I got scammed by a job interview — applied to four different companies … one ad matched my skill set … after the interview they said the real job was making calls to pitch visa services … the setup reeked of a scam.
In some cases, these details were later misused for blackmail or resold on the dark web. Women online have shared how such scams left them not just financially strained but emotionally shaken, wary of future opportunities.
Perhaps most devastating is the rise of AI-powered exploitation. Women’s faces are increasingly being inserted into deepfake videos without consent, while scammers use doctored images to threaten and extort money. The speed and scale of such abuse, made possible by AI tools, have amplified the dangers exponentially.
A media article reported that just in 2024, one in seven adults has been threatened over sexual images or videos. Many of these threats used manipulated or deepfake content as leverage to shame or coerce victims.
Why Women Are More Targeted
Women in Pakistan are disproportionately at risk because of a combination of digital illiteracy, cultural stigma, and weak law enforcement. Many lack awareness of basic online safety measures or the protections available under cybercrime law. Even when they recognize they have been scammed, societal expectations often pressure them into silence. The fear of being blamed by family or community can feel worse than the financial loss itself.
Law enforcement is another failing link. With too few cybercrime units and limited capacity, cases often stall before reaching court. Meanwhile, online platforms where much of the harassment happens, from Twitter to Instagram, have been repeatedly criticized for their inadequate and delayed responses to reports of abuse.
Some women have shared how attempts to report frauds fell flat. In one Reddit post, a user explained that after being cheated through a ride-service scam, she traced the fraudster’s JazzCash account but was still blocked from any remedy.
Others online have recounted bizarre yet gendered manipulation attempts, such as scammers trying to emotionally blackmail them by spreading rumors about their personal lives.
The Emotional Toll
The consequences of scams and harassment extend far beyond bank balances. Many women develop long-term anxiety, lose trust in online platforms, and withdraw from digital participation altogether.
Psychologists describe victims who refuse to shop online, avoid digital payments, or even shut down social media accounts.
This silent retreat from the internet is, in itself, another form of loss, excluding women from education, entrepreneurship, and civic discourse in an already male-dominated digital sphere.
One such majorly hart-wrenching incident that happened with Naila Rind in Jamshoro, Sindh back in 2017: She was reportedly blackmailed by a lecturer who pressured her with her private images and videos over months. When this harassment came to light, instead of support, she faced societal stigma and lack of institutional protection. Her death by suicide is widely believed to be linked to shame, pressure, and inaction by authorities.
In broader research, the Digital Rights Foundation’s case studies (Pakistan) highlight how women often face backlash or disbelief when they file complaints of online violence. Reports show that many women are discouraged from pursuing legal action out of fear of blame or reputational damage.
Common Scams Explained
One of the most widespread scams is the fake online store. Women are attracted by discounted prices on fashion and beauty products, but after transferring money, they either receive counterfeit items or nothing at all. These fraudulent pages often vanish after a few weeks, only to resurface under a new name.
Phishing through parcel codes or OTPs is another frequent scheme. Victims receive calls from supposed couriers, asking for a delivery code. In reality, they are tricked into giving away sensitive information that grants fraudsters access to bank accounts.
Some scams strike at an emotional level: after weeks of digital courtship, the scammer requests financial help. They even fall to coercion, forcing victims into sharing private pictures. These images are later used to extort money under the threat of public exposure. On social forums, women often warn each other about such scams, highlighting how vulnerable digital relationships can become traps.
Employment scams are also prevalent. Fake recruiters demand security deposits or personal information such as CNIC numbers and photos. In some cases, these details are resold on the dark web or misused for blackmail. Victims have expressed online how such betrayals leave them hesitant to even apply for legitimate jobs, fearing their details might be misused again.
Finally, extortion and deepfake abuse represent the most disturbing evolution of online scams. Using AI, attackers manipulate images to create fake content, then demand payment to keep it private. Victims often feel trapped, with no clear legal or technical remedy.
Toward Change: What Must Be Done
Solving this crisis requires more than victim awareness campaigns. Dedicated cybercrime desks with female officers and 24/7 helplines can make reporting safer and easier. Education programs must target women specifically, teaching them how to spot fraud, secure their devices, and recognize phishing attempts.
Platforms themselves must bear more responsibility, flagging suspicious accounts, verifying online sellers, and rapidly removing harmful content, particularly non-consensual deepfakes. Legal reforms are also overdue. Pakistan’s cybercrime laws must be updated to address AI-driven abuse and provide faster, more victim-friendly trials.
Most importantly, there must be a cultural shift. Victim-blaming perpetuates silence, and silence emboldens scammers. Women must be supported, not shamed, when they speak up about online fraud and harassment.
Will Women Ever Feel Safe Online?
The digital age was supposed to open new doors for Pakistani women. Instead, it has exposed many to new dangers, fraud, harassment, and silencing. Until stronger protections are built into law, technology, and culture, women will continue to shoulder a disproportionate share of digital risks.
Change will require a collective effort, with tech companies tightening safeguards, policymakers updating laws, and society shedding its instinct to blame the victim.
