ISLAMABAD: Meta has shut down 176,000 WhatsApp accounts operating on recycled mobile phone numbers in Pakistan following a request from the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), as authorities step up efforts to curb cyber fraud and misuse of inactive numbers.
According to PTA officials, mobile numbers that are abandoned or deactivated by their original users are eventually reassigned to new subscribers. However, WhatsApp accounts previously linked to these numbers were reportedly becoming a source of cyber fraud and fraudulent activities.
Officials said telecom operators collectively hold approximately 16 million recycled mobile numbers. The PTA had shared details of 10 million of these numbers with Meta to help identify active WhatsApp accounts linked to them and take appropriate action.
Meta to Receive Details of 5,000 Recycled Numbers Every Month
The PTA and Meta have also agreed on a mechanism to address WhatsApp accounts associated with inactive and recycled mobile numbers.
Under the arrangement, the PTA will provide Meta with details of 5,000 recycled mobile numbers every month. Accounts linked to these numbers will then be reviewed and gradually blocked.
PTA officials further stated that Meta resolved 82 per cent of the complaints received during the previous year.
The initiative aims to prevent the misuse of recycled mobile numbers and protect WhatsApp users from potential financial fraud, scams and other cyber-related threats.
