Messages circulating on WhatsApp and social media that promise a Rs13,000 cash reward in the name of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for Iqbal Day are fake. The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) issued a warning on 9 November 2026, saying the messages may contain suspicious links designed to obtain personal information and banking details.
The warning matters because a message that appears to offer government assistance can persuade people to act quickly, especially when it uses a public holiday, a familiar political name or an official-looking logo. The safest response is not to open the link or complete a form. If you have already interacted with it, the steps to take depend on what information you shared.
How the fake reward message works
The message uses the name of a senior public official and a specific cash amount to make the offer appear credible. A link may then take the recipient to a page that asks for details or encourages them to share the message with other people. The NCCIA has warned that such links can be used to steal personal and financial information.
A logo, photograph, flag or official-sounding heading does not prove that a message came from the government. Fraudulent pages can copy public images and design elements. The important question is whether the announcement appears through a genuine government department’s official channel and is supported by a verifiable notification or programme page.
Warning signs to check before responding
- A reward you never applied for: an unexpected message says you have been selected to receive money.
- A link to claim the amount: the message directs you to an unfamiliar website rather than a recognised government portal.
- Requests for sensitive information: the page asks for a bank account number, card details, PIN, password or one-time password.
- Pressure to act immediately: it claims the offer will expire unless you register or forward it quickly.
- Requests to share the message: it asks you to send the link to family groups or a set number of contacts before the reward is released.
- Unclear programme details: there is no department, eligibility policy, official notification or named complaint channel that can be independently checked.
What to do if you only received the message
If you have not opened the link or shared any information, do not interact with it. Delete the message, block or report the sender where the platform allows it, and do not forward the claim—even to warn friends. If someone in your family has shared it, tell them that the NCCIA has identified the Rs13,000 offer as fake and ask them to remove the message from group chats.
If you clicked the link but entered nothing
Close the page and do not download files, install an app or grant permissions requested by the website. Check whether anything was downloaded or installed without your intention. If you installed an unfamiliar application, remove it and review the permissions it received. Keep your phone and browser updated. Clicking a link does not by itself prove that money or data has been stolen, but it is a reason to check the device and accounts carefully.
If you entered your CNIC, phone number or other personal details
Do not panic, but be alert to follow-up calls and messages that use the information you submitted. Scammers may contact you again pretending to be a government official, bank representative or payment agent. Do not confirm additional details, read out a code or follow a second link. Monitor your financial and mobile accounts for activity you do not recognise.
If you shared an OTP, PIN, password or bank-card details
Act quickly. Contact your bank or wallet provider using the number printed on your card or shown inside its official app. Explain what was shared and ask the provider to secure the account, block the card or disable access where necessary. Change exposed passwords from a trusted device, review active sessions and enable available two-step verification. If your mobile number or SIM appears to have been taken over, contact your mobile operator through its official service channel.
If money has already left your account
Contact the bank or wallet provider immediately and ask it to register a fraud complaint and review the transaction. Keep the transaction reference, date, amount and recipient details. Report the incident to the NCCIA as well. A complaint does not guarantee that funds will be recovered, so do not delay contacting the financial institution while preparing paperwork.
How to report the fake message
The NCCIA has asked citizens to report suspected cybercrime through its helpline 1799 or by visiting the nearest NCCIA circle office. Its online complaint portal is complaint.nccia.gov.pk. Preserve useful evidence before deleting the message from your device: take screenshots of the text, sender number or account, suspicious link, date and time, and any payment receipt or transaction ID. Do not reopen a suspicious link simply to collect more evidence.
How to verify a real government benefit
Before responding to any offer of public assistance, look for a named government department, an announcement on its official website or verified account, clear eligibility conditions and a published application process. Check that the website address is genuine rather than a lookalike domain. If an offer appears only in a forwarded message and asks for an OTP, PIN or password, treat it as unsafe.
Government support programmes may use digital channels, but that does not make every message claiming to be from a ministry or the prime minister authentic. Verity has also explained how to protect a messaging account linked to an inactive SIM in its guide to WhatsApp account protection.
Official cyber-fraud guidance: National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency advice on financial frauds and reporting.