Pakistan busts major online scam posing as ‘Upwork Pakistan’

If you've ever seen messages online promising big profits from small investments, think twice, you could be looking at a scam.

In Faisalabad, the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) recently busted a major online fraud operation. 149 people were arrested, many of them foreign nationals, for running a fake investment network on platforms like Telegram and WhatsApp.

The scam operated under the name Upwork Pakistan, a deliberate attempt to mimic the global freelancing platform Upwork and trick people into trusting them. Victims were lured with high-return promises, asked for small deposits at first, and then pushed to invest larger amounts. Once the money was sent, the scammers disappeared.

According to NCCIA Lahore Zone’s Additional Director Muhammad Sarfraz Chaudhry, the raid was based on confirmed intelligence about illegal equity schemes, and clear proof was recovered from the scene.

This case is a sharp reminder to be careful online. Always double-check the source before clicking, joining, or investing. A quick decision could cost you more than you think.