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Text messages has emerged as a medium of marketing, misleading calls and financial frauds in Pakistan. Mobile phone users are often trapped by text messages and calls into ponzi schemes, sometimes asking for personal information like bank account details and transfer a small amount of money in order to win expensive gifts and cash prizes.
Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has been actively working to restrict spam calls and messages that spread misleading information on financial prize schemes. Lahore High Court directed PTA earlier this month work in order to stop unwanted promotional calls and text messages as a result of a petition filed by an affected citizen.
In a move to control spam calls and messages, PTA has started asking the users by SMS alerts to report “spamming and unsolicited communication” by sending a detailed message on 9000. The sms reads, “To report spamming / unsolicited communication, type spammers cell number space received message and send it to short code 9000." You can also block unwanted number from your smartphone if it offers the feature.
PTA Chairman has to appear in the High Court hearing on 19th of July and if PTA failed to take satisfactory action against these spammers and curb the criminals who use sms and calls as a medium to thug general public, the court may impose a penalty on the executive and the department.
