The Unholy Marriage – Tiktokers X Call Centre Scammers

Here comes the money.

What if I told you there was a way to make hundreds of thousands of dollars in a single night, without lifting a finger? All you need is yourself, your phone’s camera, and if you’re feeling it, a ring light.

Too good to be true, right? Well, not really. It is true.

TikTok Live has spread like a virus across Pakistan. If you’ve ever stumbled into one of these livestreams, you’ve likely seen the “live matches” and the dazzling, virtual “audience gifting.”

On the surface, it works like this: viewers can buy digital gifts on TikTok to send to their favorite creators. It’s a way to support and motivate the performers. A modern-day tip jar.

But who would call us Pakistani if we didn’t find a way to twist this feature into something else entirely? Something far more sinister. Money Laundering.

Yes, Money Laundering.

The most-watched TikTok live artist in Pakistan goes by the name “Mr. Patlo.” I know. But the real shock isn’t his username; it’s how much he earns. Those familiar with this phenomenon know that his highest single-night haul from gifts was over 30 CR PKR. Yes, that CR stands for Crore.

Now, naturally, you might ask: who in their right mind sends gifts of such staggering value? Wait for it. Can you guess? It’s call center card scammers.

Let me explain.

The whole process unfolds like a dark symphony. A call center owner, who scams Westerners out of their personal banking information, uses those stolen credit cards to purchase TikTok gifts. They do this from accounts registered with foreign numbers. Then, the scammer approaches a live streamer and negotiates a cut. Whatever amount of digital “gifts” are sent, TikTok takes 50% straight off the top. The remaining 50% of this stolen money is then split between the streamer and the scammer. A match made in heaven, apparently. And when TikTok pays the creator, the collected amount is transformed into white, legal, hard-earned streaming money.

This is the level of innovation we Pakistanis possess in the realm of shady enterprise. It’s hard to imagine anyone else in the world concocting such a scheme. And the sheer lack of international and national media coverage on this scale makes one thing evident: this is happening right under everyone’s nose.

The same streamer, “Mr. Patlo,” is apparently under investigation by authorities, yet he remains at large. Most likely, our “institutes” won’t be able to prove anything in court, and he’ll simply walk.

TikTok, taking notice of the suspicious activity, banned his account and his face. So the guy simply continues, now wearing a face mask. Yet again, I must say, it’s out-of-the-box thinking.

This is not an isolated problem. It is a mirror reflecting a nation that thrives in the shadows. People who pray five times a day but see no conflict in earning money through any means possible.

Our content creators promote betting apps, sharing in the losses of their viewers. Our media reports only the stories that bring them views and money. Our influencers promote anything for a price, with no quality check, no conscience. Our vloggers craft all kinds of fake content solely for the sake of engagement. We have not used digital platforms as the world does, or as they were meant to be used. We exploit them to such an extent that even the platform owners must be stunned by the creativity and audacity of it all.

So the next time you see a TikTok live clip on your social media feed, you’ll know what’s really happening. And you will feel both surprise and fury, burning at the same time.

Welcome to Pakistan. Next stop: Extremely creative fraud attempt.