Hoax email alarms PM media office

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published: 3 September 2012

A fake email claiming to be from the Prime Minister's media office caused alarm, leading to a prompt denial from officials. The message was sent from a fraudulent ID.

Summary

ISLAMABAD: A Prime Minister’s Defence Day message circulated using a fake ID Monday caused alarm in his media office prompting an immediate clarification.

The fake email sent out from pmmediaofficer@gmail.com was quickly followed up by an urgent denial by the prime minister’s media team.

Although the Defence Day falls on September 6, the prime minister had recorded a message last week for a special program to be aired by Pakistan Television (PTV) on the big day.

“It has come to our notice that a message of the prime minister on Defence Day has been circulated on a fake ID pmmediaofficer@gmail.com. You are requested to ignore the message as it has not been issued by this office,” read the clarification.

It said the official IDs of the prime minister’s media office are pmmediaoffice@gmail.com, pmcampoffice@gmail.com and pmmediaoffice3@gmail.com.

“All mails generated from pmmediaofficer@gmail.com may please be ignored,” said the message.

However, some journalists later questioned the logic behind using Gmail and Hotmail email servers when gov.pk domains are available for use by the media office.

KEY POINTS:

• Hoax email circulated from pmmediaofficer@gmail.com
• Prime Minister's media team issued an urgent denial
• Official IDs were provided for clarification
• Defence Day message recorded for Pakistan Television
• Journalists questioned the use of Gmail for official communication