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Pakistan Arrests LabelsBank Operator Over $126 Million Counterfeit Labels

By Drooid · Oct 22, 2026, 12:18 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Pakistan Agency Arrests Akram

Pakistan's cybercrime agency arrested 33-year-old Faheem Akram for operating the counterfeit postage site LabelsBank.com.
The scheme sold over 5.1 million fake labels to more than 5,200 U.S. customers, costing $126 million.
He is charged with conspiracy, five counterfeit-postage counts and four wire-fraud counts.
If convicted, penalties include up to five years for conspiracy and up to 20 years per wire-fraud count.

Summary

NCCIA Conducts Raids

NCCIA used artificial intelligence to examine 122 call records, 50 IMEI reports and footage from 120 cameras.
Additional Director Atif Ameer formed a joint team with Waqas Saeed, Hassan Sajjad Naqvi, Najam Bajwa, Nabeel and Tanveer.
Director General Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi praised the officers’ professionalism during a video-conference review.
The fraud was valued at approximately Rs35 billion.
Raids hit 35 locations in Punjab, Islamabad and Sindh, questioning 47 individuals.

History

Historical Context

In 2000, the United Nations adopted the Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, obligating signatories to criminalize large-scale fraud. The treaty prompted the U.S. Department of Justice to secure $150 million in restitution from the 1999 Melissa virus scheme, prosecuted by the FBI and Microsoft. Similarly, Pakistan’s National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency mobilized a joint team—including Director Atif Ameer and Director General Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi—to dismantle a Rs35 billion counterfeit-postage operation targeting U.S. customers. The precedent demonstrates how international legal frameworks enable coordinated raids that can seize billions, reinforcing cross-border enforcement against digital fraud.

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Pakistan Agency Arrests Akram

Pakistan's cybercrime agency arrested 33-year-old Faheem Akram for operating the counterfeit postage site LabelsBank.com.
The scheme sold over 5.1 million fake labels to more than 5,200 U.S. customers, costing $126 million.
He is charged with conspiracy, five counterfeit-postage counts and four wire-fraud counts.
If convicted, penalties include up to five years for conspiracy and up to 20 years per wire-fraud count.

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