The legal framework
Cybercrime complaints go to the federal investigation agency's cybercrime wing, through an online portal, a helpline or a regional office. Banks operate fraud lines, and the central bank runs a complaints portal for unresolved banking disputes. Recovery is realistic only where the report is made before the funds are withdrawn, which in practice means within the hour.
The Federal Investigation Agency's cybercrime wing takes complaints through an online portal and regional offices, and it is the designated route for online fraud. Recovery prospects are limited: investigations are slow and most losses are moved through mule accounts and cashed out quickly. The realistic value of reporting is evidential — you will need the complaint number for any dispute with a bank or a telecom operator.
Key points
| Reporting | Federal investigation agency cybercrime wing, online or by helpline |
|---|---|
| Banking complaints | Central bank complaint portal for unresolved disputes |
| Recovery window | Realistic only within the first hour |
| Mobile wallets | Blocking at the provider is faster than any other route |
| Evidence | Screenshots and transaction references are essential |
| Sextortion | Never pay; report and preserve evidence |
| Cryptocurrency | Effectively unrecoverable |
In practice
- Call the bank or wallet provider first, then file the cybercrime complaint.
- Keep every transaction SMS: it carries the references the investigation needs.
- Escalate to the central bank complaints portal if the bank does not resolve the matter.
- Report sextortion rather than paying: the demands never stop after a first payment.
Cost and coverage
Reporting is free.
Where to go
- Federal investigation agency cybercrime wing.
- Your bank or mobile wallet provider, immediately.
- Central bank complaints portal.
- Digital rights organisations offering free helpline support.
Worth knowing
Sextortion is reported heavily here and the response is the same everywhere: do not pay, do not negotiate, preserve the evidence and report. Paying identifies you as a paying target.
Frequently asked questions
Are funds ever recovered in Pakistan?
Occasionally, where the receiving account is still holding the money and the bank acts quickly. In most cases the funds are moved and withdrawn within hours. Report to the bank first and to the cybercrime wing immediately afterwards, and keep every screenshot.
How do romance scams usually work?
A months-long build-up of affection, always with a reason not to meet or to video-call, followed by a first emergency — a medical bill, a customs charge, a blocked transfer — and then an escalating series of them. The newer variant adds an investment platform that shows a rising balance you can never withdraw. The tell is not the story; it is that money must always move away from you, and quickly.
Official sources and links
- National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) — successor to the FIA cybercrime wing: online complaint form, helpline 1799
- Your mobile money provider's fraud line — the fastest lever: call before the funds are withdrawn
- eConsumer.gov — international channel for scams committed from abroad
- Government of Pakistan — official government portal