24-year-old physics graduate Laiba Ejaz allegedly lost millions of rupees to suspects promising admission to Harvard University, prompting a federal investigation and calls for tighter regulation of overseas education consultants
[ISLAMABAD] The death of a 24-year-old Pakistani physics gold medalist who dreamed of becoming a scientist has sparked a national outcry and prompted a federal investigation into an alleged education consultancy fraud that cost her family millions of rupees.
Laiba Ejaz, from Sargodha in Pakistan’s Punjab province, was found dead on Friday, October 9, at a weekly market in Islamabad’s G-10 sector. Police said her body was found hanging from a tree, with a traditional scarf tied around her neck.
Laiba Ejaz. (Courtesy Amjad Ur Rehman)
Investigators are examining allegations that two suspects defrauded Ejaz and her family of 9.3 million Pakistani rupees…
These frauds exploit emotional vulnerability and trust rather than technical weaknesses.
- Romance Scams: Scammers build long-term online relationships with victims, eventually fabricating a “crisis” (medical emergency, legal trouble, or travel costs) that requires the victim to send money.
- Pig Butchering: A hybrid scam where the criminal builds a romantic or platonic relationship to eventually “tutor” the victim in a fraudulent cryptocurrency investment.