PTA Blocks 176,000 WhatsApp Accounts Linked to Recycled Numbers

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), working alongside Meta, has blocked 176,000 WhatsApp accounts that were registered against recycled mobile numbers. The move is part of an effort to curb cyber fraud and safeguard mobile subscribers.

According to PTA officials, the accounts were deactivated at the regulator's request following a rise in complaints that recycled numbers were being used to carry out fraud through WhatsApp.

To make this possible, the authority shared roughly 10 million recycled mobile numbers with Meta so the platform could verify them and identify any WhatsApp accounts registered against them.

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The two sides have now agreed on a permanent arrangement. Under this system, PTA will send 5,000 recycled mobile numbers to Meta each month, allowing the company to trace and block any accounts connected to them.

PTA officials explained that telecom operators currently hold around 16 million recycled mobile numbers. These numbers become a security concern when WhatsApp accounts linked to them stay active even after the original SIM cards have been cancelled or deactivated.

The risk grows when operators issue these numbers to new subscribers. Since the old WhatsApp accounts may still be tied to the numbers, fraudsters can misuse them and potentially target the new users.

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As part of the agreed mechanism, WhatsApp accounts linked to recycled numbers will be identified and blocked in phases.

The officials also noted that Meta resolved 82 percent of the complaints forwarded by the regulator over the past year.