Punjab Govt Initiates Crackdown Against Illegal Loan Apps:

Lahore: The Punjab government has taken the initiative and decided to take strict action against cyber crimes. The govt has announced a crackdown on illegal loan apps operating in the country. Almost 43 apps are blocked with immediate effect.

Syed Aminul Haq, Federal Minister for IT and Telecommunication, said, “43 apps have been blocked under the immediate implementation of the instructions issued by the ministry”.

According to Syed Aminul Haq, the targeted companies operating within the lending industry were registered with the official sector of the Security and Exchange Commission.

He further added that “the ministry had directed Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Chairman Major General Hafeezur Rehman (retd) to take immediate action in this regard. The minister said an awareness campaign should also be started so that people do not become victims of such fraud.”

According to the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoITT), the IT minister is also trying to mitigate the issue; therefore, he contacted the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) with instructions to take action and make rules against such elements. In addition, he also said that instead of waiting for complaints, we should bring specific proactive measures to stop Cybercrime. He added that people should file complaints with the FIA cybercrime, PTA, and local police.

The team has been designed to protect against, detect, and respond to cybersecurity incidents and will immediately work on it to resolve the issue. The council will assist in establishing the team at national, defense, government, and other sector levels.

As we know, the crime rate is increasing very rapidly in Pakistan. Attackers from Pakistan, Russia, and other countries are trying to hack the information of all intelligence agencies in Pakistan. They plan to collect all the sensitive information from the military sector, government officials, and other vital agencies.

According to the sources, the action was taken after the incident happened in Balochistan and other provinces. Therefore, the Punjab government has become vigilant and taking strict measures against cyber terrorism and terror financing.

Syed Aminul Haque also highlighted the involvement of mafia groups using social media platforms. These uncertain actions lead to blackmailing innocent individuals, expositing their financial vulnerabilities.

To avoid such things, an awareness program should be launched to safeguard the public. The citizens should be informed to report any suspicious loan applications or incidents to PTA, the FIA’s Cybercrime wing, or any police station.

Various law enforcement agencies mutual efforts will help resolve the issue and reduce the increasing Cybercrime wave. He stressed the significance and value of public financial assets and the government’s responsibility to protect them from loan mafia groups, including misuse of personal data, blackmailing, and threats of violence.

This also includes developing the potential to support incidents across a broad spectrum within the nation, including the significant government-sensitive departments such as military, telecommunication, critical services and infrastructures, academic, banking, and finance.

The ministry observed how rapidly online scams are taking place and the prevalence of online posts emphasizing money-making schemes. He advised individuals not to respond to such scams and avoid sharing their details, information, or money.

The government aims to protect people from cyber threats, maintain a safe and secure online environment for every individual, and secure their digital assets. As soon as the actions occur, the authorities are advised to be vigilant in bringing the culprits to justice and protect every individual from falling victim to fraudulent loan schemes.
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