A recent message circulating on WhatsApp and social media in Pakistan is warning people to avoid using ATMs and online banking for the next few days due to an alleged ransomware attack.
This claim is unfounded.
Say
“ATMs will likely be closed for the next two to three days due to a ransomware cyber attack in Pakistan,” one user wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Aug. 17. “Do not make any online transactions today.”
Similar claims have also been circulated here, here and here. The text has also been circulated in WhatsApp groups.
Made
There is no evidence to support the claim that ATMs or online banking are at risk due to malware in Pakistan.
Noor Ahmad, spokesperson for the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), confirmed to Verification of geographic data that the claims are false. He then referred to a statement from 1LINK (Pvt) Limited, which runs the country's leading electronic payments gateway.
On August 18, 1LINK issued a press release denouncing “false rumors” about the closure of ATMs and online banking. The statement reassured the public that no cyber threats had been observed and advised them to ignore such rumors.
The full statement can be read here.
Verification of geographic data Bank Alfalah was also contacted. Madiha Javed Qureshi, director of corporate communications, said the claims were “baseless” and confirmed that Bank Alfalah’s ATMs and online banking services were functioning normally.
Furthermore, Asif Iqbal Chaudhry, deputy director of the cybercrime wing of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), dismissed the claim as “false” and noted that such attacks cannot be predicted.
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