LAHORE – A Lahore court sentenced a husband and wife to 30 years in prison each for creating fake ATM cards and stealing money from people’s bank accounts.
The convicted couple, Madeeha Ghafoor and her husband Waqas, committed the crimes in 2011, but case concluded only 14 years later. Authorities confirmed that the duo was involved in extensive ATM card fraud.
The investigation started after a complainant, Qazi Ali Malik, reported unauthorized withdrawals from his account. Within a month, eight Lac rupees were withdrawn without his consent. Police, coordinating with the bank, apprehended the couple during an attempted withdrawal.
A third accomplice, who assisted in producing the fake cards, was also arrested and sentenced to 30 years in prison.
During 2011, a criminal network operated across Lahore and nearby areas, installing small devices on ATMs to steal card information. The stolen data was then used to withdraw large sums from multiple accounts, primarily targeting a single bank. The State Bank of Pakistan subsequently issued directives to enhance ATM security.
ATM fraud in Pakistan takes several forms, including skimming, cash trapping, card trapping, shoulder surfing, and fake ATMs. According to recent statistics, digital and online fraud caused losses of nearly nine billion rupees in 2025, with ATM-related crimes accounting for more than 20% of the total.
Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016 addresses such offenses, prescribing penalties of up to five years in prison, fines up to 10 million rupees, or both. For more serious cases affecting multiple accounts, sentences can be extended, and under the Pakistan Penal Code, fraud and forgery carry additional penalties.
Scam Alert: Itv Pakistan App disappears overnight after cheating depositors
About the Author
