If you run a shop, a service, or any small business on WhatsApp in Pakistan, your WhatsApp Business account is one of your most valuable assets. It holds your customer chats, your catalogue, your reputation, and often the only contact channel your customers trust. That is exactly why a fresh warning from Pakistan’s cybercrime agency deserves your attention. The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) has warned that WhatsApp Business accounts are increasingly being hacked, and it has urged users to be careful as cybercrime rises.
This guide explains what the NCCIA actually said, what it did not say, and — most importantly — what you should do about it. It covers how to protect your account today, how to check whether something is already wrong, how to recover an account that has been taken over, and how to report the crime with the evidence investigators ask for. Everything here is based on the NCCIA briefing reported on 24 October 2026, plus the agency’s own reporting guidance. Where the facts run out, this article says so plainly instead of guessing.
What the NCCIA Actually Said
The warning came from NCCIA Karachi Zone Deputy Director Shehzad Akbar, speaking at a press conference in Karachi on Friday, 23 October 2026. The Express Tribune published the story on Saturday, 24 October 2026. Akbar said WhatsApp Business accounts were being compromised in large numbers and advised users to stay vigilant, particularly about the security of their Business accounts.
The same briefing included the NCCIA’s recent enforcement figures, which show the scale of the problem the agency is dealing with. According to The Express Tribune’s report of the briefing, the agency had recovered 39 accounts belonging to citizens on WhatsApp, Instagram and other social media platforms over the past 15 days. It had also blocked 95 accounts allegedly involved in financially defrauding people, and it had taken action against 38 accounts allegedly used to harass women through fake identities.
| What the NCCIA reported | Figure | Source of the figure |
|---|---|---|
| Citizen accounts recovered (WhatsApp, Instagram and other platforms) | 39 accounts | The Express Tribune, reporting the 23 October briefing |
| Accounts blocked for alleged financial fraud | 95 accounts | The Express Tribune, same briefing |
| Accounts acted against for allegedly harassing women through fake identities | 38 accounts | The Express Tribune, same briefing |
These figures are worth reading carefully. The 39 recovered accounts cover WhatsApp, Instagram and other platforms together — they are not 39 WhatsApp Business accounts alone. The warning about Business accounts is separate from the recovery figure, and this article keeps them separate too.
One Discrepancy You Should Know About
There is a small but honest discrepancy between the two reports of the same briefing, and it is worth flagging so you are not confused if you see both versions online. The Express Tribune says the 39 accounts were recovered “over the past 15 days”. The Times of Karachi, reporting the same briefing, says 39 hacked accounts were recovered “in one week”. Both reports agree on the number 39 and on the warning itself; they disagree on the time window.
This article follows The Express Tribune’s version — 39 accounts over the past 15 days — because it is the fuller report of the briefing and the one used as the primary source here. The difference does not change the advice in this guide, but it is a good reminder to treat any single number in a fast-moving news story as approximate until an official NCCIA statement confirms it.
What the NCCIA Did Not Say
Just as important as the warning is what the briefing did not explain. Neither report of the press conference explains how the Business accounts are being compromised. No specific method was published — no detail about fake login pages, stolen pairing codes, malicious apps, or any other technique. The Times of Karachi relayed a vague remark that advertisements seen while browsing could contain bugs, but it gave no technical details and did not explain how any vulnerability was being exploited.
That gap matters for two reasons. First, it means nobody can honestly tell you “this is exactly how the hackers are getting in” right now. Any article, video or social media post that claims to know the exact method is guessing. Second, it means your defence has to be general rather than narrow: instead of guarding against one specific trick, you need the basic protections that block most account takeovers, whatever the method. The rest of this guide is built on that approach.
It is also worth being clear about what this warning is not. It is not a ban, a shutdown, or a change to WhatsApp itself. WhatsApp Business is still working normally. The warning is about criminals targeting accounts, not about the app being unsafe to use. A protected account is still a safe account.
Why Business Accounts Are Attractive Targets
You do not need a technical explanation of the attacks to understand why criminals want Business accounts. A Business account carries trust. When a message arrives from your shop’s number, with your shop name, photo and catalogue, customers believe it. If a criminal takes over that account, they inherit that trust instantly. They can message your customers, pretend to be you, and ask for payments, advance bookings, or personal details — and your customers have little reason to doubt the message, because it really did come from your number.
A Business account is also often a working tool, not just a chat app. It may be linked to a catalogue, a payment link, a Facebook page, or a staff member’s phone. That makes it more valuable to a criminal than an ordinary personal account, and it makes a takeover more disruptive for you, because your business stops the moment you lose access. The good news is that the same features that make the account valuable also make it worth protecting properly, and the protections below cost nothing.
Protect Your Account Today: The Checklist
Work through this checklist now, before anything goes wrong. Every step is free, takes only a few minutes, and uses settings already inside WhatsApp.
1. Turn on two-step verification
This is the single most important protection. Two-step verification adds a six-digit PIN that is asked for whenever your number is registered on WhatsApp again. Even if someone gets hold of your SMS verification code, they still cannot take over your account without this PIN.
To turn it on, open WhatsApp, go to Settings, then Account, then Two-step verification, and tap Enable. Choose a PIN you will remember but nobody else can guess, and add an email address. The email address is your safety net: if you forget the PIN, WhatsApp can send you a reset link. Without an email address, forgetting the PIN can lock you out of your own account for seven days.
2. Never share your six-digit code with anyone
WhatsApp sends a six-digit registration code by SMS when your number is set up on a new phone. That code is the key to your account. No genuine support agent, bank officer, customer, or WhatsApp employee will ever ask you for it. Anyone who asks for it — by call, SMS, WhatsApp message, or in person — is trying to take your account, no matter how convincing their story sounds. This includes people who claim to be from WhatsApp, from your mobile network, or from the NCCIA itself. Real officials do not ask for your code.
3. Check your linked devices regularly
WhatsApp lets you see every device connected to your account. Open WhatsApp, go to Settings, then Linked Devices. You should recognise every entry there. If you see a browser, computer or phone you do not recognise, or a session from a place you have never been, log it out immediately by tapping it and choosing Log Out. Make this check a weekly habit, the same way you would check a shop’s locks.
4. Keep WhatsApp and your phone updated
Security fixes arrive through app and system updates. An old version of WhatsApp or an old Android version can carry known weaknesses that criminals already know how to use. Turn on automatic updates for WhatsApp in the Play Store, and install your phone’s system updates when they arrive. The Times of Karachi’s report of the briefing also passed on the general advice to keep applications updated and to avoid clicking suspicious advertisements or unfamiliar links, which is sound advice even though the report gave no technical detail behind it.
5. Control who can add you and message you
For a Business account, you cannot shut the door to customers, but you can still reduce risk. Be careful with unknown numbers that send links, files, or “verification” requests. Do not open links from strangers, and do not download files sent by numbers you do not recognise. If a supplier or customer sends something unexpected, confirm it through a second channel — a phone call to a number you already know — before you act on it.
6. Protect the phone itself
Your WhatsApp account is only as safe as the phone it lives on. Use a screen lock — a PIN, fingerprint, or pattern — so a stolen or borrowed phone does not mean instant access to your chats. Do not hand your unlocked phone to strangers, and be careful about “helpful” strangers in shops or markets who offer to fix a setting on your phone. If your phone is shared with staff, use WhatsApp’s own features rather than sharing your personal login, and review linked devices after any staff change.
| Protection | Where to find it | How often |
|---|---|---|
| Two-step verification + recovery email | Settings → Account → Two-step verification | Set once, check the email yearly |
| Linked devices review | Settings → Linked Devices | Every week |
| App and system updates | Play Store + phone Settings → System update | Automatic, check monthly |
| Six-digit code secrecy | Never share it with anyone, for any reason | Always |
| Screen lock on the phone | Phone Settings → Security | Always on |
How to Tell If Your Account May Be Compromised
A takeover is not always obvious. Sometimes the first sign comes from a customer, not from you. Watch for these warning signs:
- Messages in your chats that you did not send, especially messages asking customers for payments, advance money, or personal details.
- Customers telling you they received strange messages, offers, or payment requests from your number.
- Your WhatsApp suddenly asking you to verify your number again, or showing that your number is registered on another phone.
- A linked device in Settings → Linked Devices that you do not recognise.
- Changes to your business profile, catalogue, or away message that you did not make.
- Being logged out of WhatsApp without any action on your part.
Any one of these signs is enough to act. Do not wait for a second sign. The faster you respond, the less damage a criminal can do with your number and your customers’ trust.
How to Recover a Compromised Account
If you have lost access, or you believe someone else is using your account, follow these steps in order:
- Re-register your number. Open WhatsApp on your own phone, enter your phone number, and complete the SMS verification. Registering the number on your phone automatically logs it out everywhere else, including on the criminal’s device. If two-step verification is on, you will also need your PIN — this is exactly the situation the PIN is designed for.
- If you are locked out by a PIN you did not set, wait. WhatsApp allows a re-registration without the two-step PIN after seven days of inactivity on the account, and the criminal cannot use your account normally in the meantime if you have already re-registered. Do not pay anyone who offers to unlock the account faster — that is a second scam built on the first one.
- Review and clean up. Once you are back in, open Settings → Linked Devices and log out every device you do not recognise. Check your business profile, catalogue and recent chats for changes or messages you did not send.
- Warn your customers. Post a status update and, if needed, message your regular customers through another channel to tell them that messages sent during the takeover were not from you, and that they should ignore any payment requests from that period. This single step prevents most of the financial harm a takeover causes.
- Change related passwords. If the same password or PIN was used anywhere else — email, banking apps, social media — change those too, starting with your email account, because email is often the recovery route for everything else.
If recovery fails, or if money has already been taken from you or your customers, move to reporting without delay. Time matters: the sooner investigators receive the complaint and the evidence, the better the chance of tracing the accounts involved.
How to Report: NCCIA Helpline 1799 and the Evidence You Need
For cybercrime complaints in Pakistan, the NCCIA helpline is 1799. You can also approach the NCCIA through its official complaint channels and offices. When you report, the quality of your evidence matters as much as the speed of your complaint.
Pakistan’s National CERT published guidance on 22 October 2026 noting the NCCIA’s new guidelines for complainants. For WhatsApp, Facebook and X cases, complainants are asked to submit screenshots, along with phone numbers and transaction records where relevant. Before you report, gather the following:
- Screenshots of the suspicious messages, including the sender’s number, the full message text, and the date and time shown in the chat. Do not crop out the number or the time — investigators need both.
- The phone numbers involved, including your own number, the numbers that contacted you or your customers, and any number given for payments.
- Transaction records if money changed hands: bank transfer slips, JazzCash or Easypaisa transaction IDs, screenshots of payment confirmations, and the dates and amounts.
- A short written timeline: when you first noticed the problem, what changed, what you did, and when. Keep it factual and in order — it helps investigators far more than a long, emotional account.
- Your CNIC details as required by the complaint form, and keep a copy of the complaint number you receive. Follow up with that number if you hear nothing back.
Do not delete the evidence from your phone before you have submitted copies. Screenshots stored only in a chat that the criminal can still access may disappear. Save copies to a separate place — email them to yourself or store them in a cloud folder — before you start the recovery steps that might wipe the chat.
One more caution: report only through official channels. Fake “NCCIA complaint” websites, WhatsApp numbers and social media pages exist, and they are designed to collect exactly the personal details the real agency warns you not to share. If a page or number asks for your WhatsApp verification code, your banking password, or a fee to register a complaint, it is not genuine. The real complaint process does not ask for your WhatsApp code.
What to Tell Your Customers
If your account is taken over, your customers are the second victims. A short, honest message protects them and protects your business reputation. Tell them: your account was compromised, any payment request sent during a specific period was not from you, you have recovered the account, and they should confirm any future payment request by calling your known shop number first. Most customers will respect the honesty, and the warning stops the criminal from collecting more money in your name.
Even if your account has never been attacked, a small preventive step helps: tell your regular customers, once, that you will never ask for advance payment or verification codes through WhatsApp alone, and that they should call you first if a message from your number ever looks unusual. That one message makes your customers much harder to fool.
The Bottom Line
The NCCIA’s warning is straightforward: WhatsApp Business accounts in Pakistan are being targeted, and account owners need to take their security seriously. The agency’s own figures — 39 accounts recovered, 95 fraud accounts blocked, 38 harassment accounts acted against — show an active enforcement effort, but enforcement after the fact cannot undo a takeover that has already reached your customers.
The protections that matter most are simple and free: two-step verification with a recovery email, never sharing your six-digit code with anyone, a weekly check of your linked devices, and keeping your app updated. If something goes wrong, re-register your number immediately, clean up linked devices, warn your customers, and report to the NCCIA on 1799 with screenshots, numbers and transaction records ready.
No single setting makes an account unhackable, and the NCCIA has not published the exact methods being used, so no article can promise you complete safety. But an account with two-step verification on, an owner who checks linked devices, and customers who know to double-check payment requests is a far harder target than one without those basics. Set them up today, while your account is still yours.
The warning from NCCIA Karachi Zone Deputy Director Shehzad Akbar, the recovery and blocking figures, and the advice to users were reported by The Express Tribune on 24 October 2026, covering the press conference held in Karachi on Friday, 23 October 2026.
Also read: WhatsApp Business Catalogue: Set Up Your Shop in 15 Minutes and “WhatsApp Spy Apps” Are a Scam: What Parents and Partners Must Know
FAQs
Are WhatsApp Business accounts really being hacked in Pakistan?
Yes, according to the NCCIA. At a press conference in Karachi on Friday, 23 October 2026, NCCIA Karachi Zone Deputy Director Shehzad Akbar warned that WhatsApp Business accounts are increasingly being hacked and urged users to be cautious. The agency also reported recovering 39 citizen accounts across WhatsApp, Instagram and other platforms over the past 15 days, blocking 95 accounts allegedly involved in financial fraud, and acting against 38 accounts allegedly used to harass women through fake identities. The NCCIA has not published the technical method behind the Business account attacks, so no specific hacking technique should be treated as confirmed.
How do I know if my WhatsApp Business account has been hacked?
Look for messages you did not send, customers reporting strange payment requests from your number, a sudden request to verify your number again, an unfamiliar device in Settings → Linked Devices, unexplained changes to your business profile or catalogue, or being logged out without doing anything yourself. Any one of these signs is enough to act immediately: re-register your number on your own phone, log out unknown linked devices, and warn your customers that messages sent during the takeover were not from you.
What is the first thing I should do if I lose access to my Business account?
Re-register your phone number in WhatsApp on your own phone and complete the SMS verification. This logs the number out everywhere else, including on the attacker’s device. If two-step verification is enabled, you will also need your PIN. If a PIN you did not set is blocking you, do not pay anyone who offers a faster unlock — that is usually a second scam. Once you are back in, review linked devices, check for changes to your profile and chats, warn your customers, and change any password that was reused elsewhere, starting with your email account.
Where do I report a hacked WhatsApp Business account in Pakistan?
Report to the NCCIA on helpline 1799 or through its official complaint channels. Before you report, gather screenshots showing the sender’s number, the full message and the date and time, the phone numbers involved, and transaction records such as bank slips or JazzCash and Easypaisa transaction IDs if money was taken. National CERT guidance published on 22 October 2026 notes that the NCCIA asks complainants in WhatsApp, Facebook and X cases to submit screenshots, phone numbers and transaction records. Keep a copy of your complaint number, save your evidence separately before recovery steps wipe chats, and never share your WhatsApp six-digit verification code with anyone claiming to help — real officials never ask for it.