Act fast: the first steps
If money has left your account through a scam, speed matters more than paperwork. In the first hours:
- Call your bank or wallet provider on the helpline printed on your card or shown in the official app. Ask them to block the card, freeze the account or stop the transfer if it is still pending.
- Stop paying. Scammers often ask for "release fees", "tax" or "verification deposits" before a withdrawal. These are part of the fraud.
- Change passwords for email, banking and the platform involved, and turn on two-step verification.
- Do not contact "recovery agents". People who promise to get your money back for a fee are a common second scam.
- Stop all payments and do not send any more money.
- Save the evidence: chats, receipts, website addresses and wallet numbers.
- Contact your bank or payment provider at once.
- Report it to the police and the financial regulator.
- Ignore offers to recover your money for a fee: they are often a second scam.
Collect your evidence
Every office below will ask for proof. Save it before chats or websites disappear:
- Screenshots of chats (WhatsApp, Telegram, social media), with the sender's number or profile visible
- Website addresses, app names and account IDs
- Bank statements, transaction IDs and receipts
- Names, phone numbers and wallet or IBAN details the scammer gave you
- A short written timeline of what happened
Bank complaint and the Banking Mohtasib
Your bank is the first formal step for any card, transfer or account problem. File a written complaint through its official channels and keep the complaint reference.
If the bank does not resolve your complaint, or you disagree with its answer, you can usually take it to the Banking Mohtasib Pakistan, the banking ombudsman. It handles complaints against banks, not against the scammer. Check the eligibility rules, time limits and filing method on the Banking Mohtasib's official website before you apply.
Cybercrime complaint (FIA and successor agency)
Online fraud, hacked accounts, fake investment apps and identity theft are cybercrime matters. For years these complaints went to the FIA Cyber Crime Wing. Responsibility for cybercrime cases has been reorganised in recent years, so confirm the current agency name, online complaint portal and helpline on official government websites before you file.
When you file an FIA cybercrime complaint, attach the evidence listed above and your CNIC details. Keep the complaint number for follow-up.
SECP complaint about fraud by a broker or platform
The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), with trading in listed securities and commodities only via SECP-licensed securities and futures brokers. If a company or person offered you trading or investment services, you can report them to the SECP through its official complaint channels.
Points the SECP itself makes:
- Broker lists: per the SECP, lists of licensed brokers are on the PSX and PMEX websites. Check a broker there before dealing with it.
- Licensing rule: under the Futures Market Act 2016, s.47(1), no one may carry on a regulated activity (futures broker, adviser, representative) without an SECP licence.
- SECP warnings by press release naming platforms (Quotex 09.04.2025; IBKR look-alikes, IGIL Securities, BMA Capital No.108 etc. 22.05.2025; Hillhouse Capital, S-169 Wharton 13.01.2026), none of which names Exness.
- Offshore platforms: per the SECP, offshore forex/CFD platforms operate without regulatory approval in Pakistan.
Our page on SECP licences and warnings explains how to read these notices.
The limits with offshore platforms
Be realistic about recovery. On offshore platforms, per the SECP, offshore platforms have no Pakistani licence or oversight and offer no legal protection or recourse. A complaint to the SECP or the cybercrime authorities can still lead to warnings and investigations, but it may not return your money.
There is also a foreign exchange issue: per the SBP, remitting foreign exchange to overseas forex/margin/CFD platforms is not allowed through any payment channel (FERA s.5(1)). Read more on SBP FX rules and Is forex legal?.
Even with a genuine broker, leveraged forex and CFD trading can lose money fast. A loss from market moves is not fraud; a fake platform that blocks withdrawals is.
Which office to contact
| Problem | Where to report |
|---|---|
| Unauthorised card or bank transaction | Your bank's helpline, then a written bank complaint |
| Bank did not resolve your complaint | Banking Mohtasib Pakistan |
| Fake app, hacked account, online scam | Cybercrime authority (formerly the FIA Cyber Crime Wing) |
| Unlicensed broker or investment scheme | SECP complaint |
| Scam involving a wallet or payment app | The provider's helpline, then the cybercrime authority |
You can report to more than one office. A bank complaint and a cybercrime complaint often run side by side.
For warning signs to spot before you pay, see Investment scams and Law and regulators.
Frequent questions
How do I report online fraud in Pakistan?
Call your bank first to block payments, collect evidence, then file a complaint with the cybercrime authority. If a trading or investment firm was involved, also file an SECP complaint.
Can the SECP get my money back?
The SECP regulates licensed firms and warns about illegal ones. With offshore platforms, the SECP says there is no legal protection or recourse, so recovery is not guaranteed.
When should I go to the Banking Mohtasib?
After your bank has handled your complaint and you are not satisfied. Check the current rules on the Banking Mohtasib's official site.
Is the FIA still handling cybercrime complaints?
Cybercrime responsibilities have been reorganised. Confirm the current agency and complaint portal on official government websites.
Someone offers to recover my lost money for a fee. Is that real?
Treat it as a likely second scam. Report it together with the original fraud.