ISLAMABAD: The District and Sessions Courts Islamabad have sentenced three men to imprisonment and fines in an online and electronic fraud case in which an Islamabad resident was cheated out of Rs19,391,000 through a fake Barclays Bank advertisement on Facebook.
Senior Civil Judge and Judicial Magistrate Malik Aman announced the verdict, convicting Chinese national Bai Xiaoming, Nouman Abid Malik and Hasnain Mehmood after the charges against them were proved.
Each convict was sentenced under Section 420 of the Pakistan Penal Code to five years’ rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs50,000.
Under Section 14 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016, each will serve an additional two years in prison and pay a fine of Rs200,000.
The court acquitted Zou Chengliang, Shahzada Ayaz Latif and Hamza Shahnawaz, giving them the benefit of the doubt for lack of evidence.
Nine accused, including Tahir Waseem and other foreign and local suspects, were declared proclaimed offenders in the case.
According to the case record, the victim, Haris Ahmed Sheikh, was targeted through a fake Barclays Bank advertisement on Facebook. The fraudsters misused the name and logo of Barclays Bank and its purported chief executive, “Will Thomson”, and extracted money through WhatsApp groups and a fake application.
To win the victim’s trust, the fraudsters first paid a profit of Rs900 on an initial investment of Rs12,000, before larger sums were drawn in.
The prosecution established an unusual flow of funds: more than Rs2.5 million was transferred into and withdrawn from convict Hasnain Mehmood’s bank account within just 14 days.
The court also found that the accounts of New Gates Technologies, the company of convict Nouman Abid, and BXM International, the company of the Chinese national, had been used in the fraud.
Section 420 of the Pakistan Penal Code deals with cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property. Section 14 of PECA 2016 specifically covers electronic fraud, where information systems or devices are used to deceive people for wrongful gain.
The combined sentences show how courts are applying both traditional criminal law and cyber-specific legislation to digital financial crimes.
Online investment scams have become one of the fastest-growing forms of fraud in Pakistan. Criminals increasingly impersonate well-known banks, brokerages and public figures on social media, promising quick and guaranteed returns.
The “small profit first” tactic seen in this case is a classic pattern in which a modest early payout lowers the victim’s guard before much larger sums are demanded. Police in Punjab are also pursuing absconders in cases involving bogus cheques and financial fraud.
Cybercrime experts urge citizens to verify any investment offer directly through a bank’s official website or branch, never to trust investment advice shared through WhatsApp groups or unofficial apps, and to be wary of guaranteed returns. Victims of online fraud can file complaints with the relevant cybercrime authorities.
The convictions are being seen as an important deterrent, particularly in a case involving cross-border elements and the misuse of corporate bank accounts.
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