A fake prize call scam in Pakistan usually starts with exciting news: you have won a car, cash or gold in a lucky draw. The caller claims to be from a mobile network, a TV show or a prize scheme. The prize is fake. The only thing the caller really wants is your money or your personal details.
This is one of the oldest phone scams in Pakistan, and it still works because it plays on excitement. The moment you believe you have won something big, you stop asking questions — and that is exactly what the scammer counts on.
How the scam works
The scam usually follows the same script:
- The exciting call or SMS. You get a call or message saying you have won a big prize — often a Toyota Corolla, a cash prize of Rs 1 million, or gold — in a “lucky draw” run by a mobile company such as Jazz (formerly Mobilink) or another well-known brand. The caller may give you a “coupon number” or “prize code” to make it sound official.
- A small fee to unlock the prize. Before you can receive the prize, you are asked to pay a “processing fee”, “tax” or “delivery charge”. The amount is kept small at first — a few hundred or a few thousand rupees — so it feels harmless compared with the prize.
- Payment through scratch cards or mobile transfer. In the classic version of this scam, victims are asked to buy prepaid scratch cards and read out the hidden numbers to the caller. In newer versions, the fee is demanded through Easypaisa or JazzCash transfer to a personal mobile number.
- The prize never arrives. Once the fee is paid, the caller disappears — or asks for yet another payment, claiming a new problem has come up. Each extra payment is money lost.
In some reported cases, callers have also asked for the victim’s home address and CNIC number, supposedly to “deliver” the prize. That information can then be used for identity theft or further scams.
Why the scam is so convincing
- A trusted brand name. The caller uses the name of a real mobile network or TV programme. Victims assume a big company would not lie.
- Spoofed caller IDs. Scammers can make their number look like an official helpline or company number on your phone screen. A familiar-looking number is not proof that the call is genuine.
- Urgency. Victims are told to pay quickly, sometimes within a couple of hours, so they do not have time to check with the company.
- A believable story. Mobile companies really do run prize schemes and promotions, so the idea of winning something does not sound impossible.
What the authorities have said
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has cautioned mobile users about hoax calls and SMS messages that claim the receiver has won a cash prize and then ask them to share prepaid scratch card numbers with the caller. The PTA’s advice is simple: if you receive such a call or message, contact your mobile operator directly to verify it before doing anything.
The PTA has also warned, as part of Cybersecurity Awareness Week 2026, that scammers use fake prize offers and impersonate banks, companies and government departments to steal personal information and money. Its standing advice is never to share one-time passwords (OTPs), PINs, passwords or CNIC details with anyone who calls you.
News reports over the years have documented the same pattern again and again: callers pretending to be prize-scheme officials from a mobile company, asking victims to buy scratch cards or transfer money as a “tax” before a car or cash prize can be released — and victims losing the money they sent.
Red flags that give it away
- You are told you won a draw you never entered.
- You must pay any fee, tax or charge to receive a prize. Real prizes do not work this way.
- Payment is demanded through scratch card numbers or a transfer to a personal mobile number.
- The caller pressures you to act immediately and not tell anyone.
- The caller asks for your CNIC number, bank details, OTP or PIN.
- The call comes from an ordinary mobile number, even if the caller ID looks official.
What to do if you already paid or shared details
- Stop all contact with the caller and do not send more money, no matter what new excuse they give.
- If you shared an OTP, PIN or bank details, contact your bank or mobile wallet provider immediately and ask them to secure your account.
- If you shared your CNIC details, stay alert for further scam calls or messages in your name.
- Report the number: call the National Cybercrime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) helpline on 1799, report the call through the PTA’s complaint portal or PTA CMS mobile app, and inform your mobile operator so the number can be blocked.
How to protect yourself
- Never pay to claim a prize. Any demand for a fee, tax, scratch card or transfer before receiving a prize is a scam, full stop.
- Hang up and verify. If a caller claims to be from Jazz, Telenor, Zong or Ufone, end the call and dial the company’s official helpline yourself from its website or the back of your SIM pack. Never call back a number the caller gives you.
- Never share scratch card numbers, OTPs, PINs or CNIC details with anyone who calls you, no matter how official they sound.
- Be suspicious of prizes you never entered. You cannot win a draw you did not join.
- Warn your family, especially elderly relatives, who are often targeted by these calls.
- Report every attempt, even if you did not lose money. Each report helps the PTA and the NCCIA block the numbers and warn others.
Similar tricks use the same pressure tactics: fake bank helpline calls that ask for your OTP (the bank helpline scam), fake PTA messages demanding a “mobile tax” (fake PTA DIRBS tax SMS), fake BISP messages promising cash (BISP 8171 SMS scam), and SIM swap fraud where criminals take over your number (duplicate SIM fraud). The newest version uses AI to clone a relative’s voice for a fake emergency (AI voice clone call scam). In every case, the defence is the same: stop, verify through an official channel, and never pay or share details under pressure.