The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has urged citizens to exercise caution when purchasing new or used smartphones.

To prevent potential fraud and ensure safety, the PTA recommends buying smartphones from trustworthy sources and verifying their warranty.

In a recent alert, the PTA emphasized the importance of safety when acquiring mobile devices, advising individuals to always purchase from reliable vendors and ensure the phone comes with a warranty.

“Purchase box-packed phones, check the PTA stamp on the box, and match the IMEI on the box and phone,” PTA said.

PTA also urged the public to refrain from buying expensive devices at unusually low prices or without a warranty, always choose a box-packed mobile device. The authority also advised consumers to check for the PTA stamp in front of the shop owner and ensure the IMEI numbers are identical on both the box and the phone.

Additionally, the PTA provided a link, https://dirbs.pta.gov.pk/, for IMEI verification, which can also be done by texting the IMEI to 8484 or using the DVS app.