Chief Whip warns MPs over hacking, voice cloning scams -…

On September 10, 2026, the Chief Whip of Bangladesh, Nurul Islam Moni, addressed Parliament to warn lawmakers about a surge in digital impersonation attacks targeting members of both the ruling and opposition parties. The warning follows reports that attackers are utilizing a combination of compromised mobile numbers, voice cloning technology, and forged documents to solicit money under false pretenses.

What happened

The Chief Whip detailed a specific pattern of fraud where attackers gained unauthorized access to the mobile numbers of MPs. These compromised accounts were then used to send urgent messages requesting financial transfers of Tk 50,000, Tk 30,000, and Tk 25,000. When recipients attempted to verify these requests by calling the numbers, they were unable to reach the actual lawmakers, confirming that the accounts had been hijacked.

Beyond mobile hacking, the Chief Whip highlighted that fraudsters are increasingly leveraging voice cloning technology and forged signatures on counterfeit documents to deceive the public and impersonate government officials. During the parliamentary session, Deputy Speaker Barrister Kayser Kamal emphasized that the state and relevant agencies must take primary responsibility for protecting lawmakers from these evolving threats. In response to the growing security concerns, the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has initiated preventive measures to mitigate the impact of these scams. Lawmakers have been urged to maintain high levels of vigilance and to actively warn the public about the risks associated with these sophisticated digital impersonation tactics.