Pakistan is emerging as one of the top developing countries losing a significant share of its economy to financial scams, costing nearly 2.5% of its GDP, according to the Global State of Scams Report 2025 by the Global Anti-Scam Alliance and Feedzai. Based on the country's current GDP, this loss amounts to around $9.3 billion - a figure nearly one-third higher than the recent loan Pakistan secured from the IMF. This stark comparison reveals the scale of the silent economic hemorrhage caused by fraud and digital scams draining national wealth.

The report, based on a survey of 46,000 adults across 42 countries, found that seven out of ten adults globally encountered scams last year, and more than one in ten faced such attempts daily. While Pakistan ranked sixth among countries with the lowest average loss per victim - about 139 dollars - the collective effect of these seemingly small losses translates into billions in national damage.

Globally, scams cost the world an estimated $442 billion in the past year alone, with shopping scams, investment schemes and fraudulent offers of unexpected money being the most common. In Pakistan, these scams often exploit SMS, WhatsApp and social media platforms, luring users into fake investment offers that promise unrealistic returns. Many victims receive small initial profits to build trust before suffering heavy losses. Online shopping scams are also rising, with fraudsters posing as courier representatives or bank officials, sending malicious links to steal personal or financial data. Others impersonate relatives in distress or government officers warning of account suspension, prompting individuals to........

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