AI deception, fake identities at heart of student death probe

Investigation into Laiba’s death reveals alleged AI-assisted deception involving two fabricated identities, fake documents and a fictitious US-based brother in a scheme involving Rs9.3 million, officials tell The Nation; court remands accused for five days

ISLAMABAD – Muhammad Nauman, the consultant accused of defrauding the family of Laiba Aijaz, a university graduate whose death has sparked widespread public concern, was produced before a judicial magistrate in Islamabad on Monday with his face covered. The court granted police five days’ physical remand for further investigation.

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An investigation by The Nation, based on information provided by officials familiar with the case, has uncovered an alleged scheme in which Nauman first established online social media platform shops for Laiba’s family and, after the venture failed, allegedly impersonated a woman named Aiza and an invented brother living in the United States to extract money in the name of a student visa and admission abroad that did not exist. Officials privy to the investigation told The Nation that Nauman allegedly used AI chatbots to draft English-language replies and prepare fabricated certificates and other documents. The alleged scheme, according to the officials, involved the use of WhatsApp, a SIM registered in his own name, photographs taken from Aiza’s online material and a Gmail account created for the fictitious brother.

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The investigation found that Nauman was working at an insurance company’s office on Murree Road when Laiba visited for a job interview in March 2023. She did not take up the position, but he retained her contact number and other details. After moving to another insurance company in 2025, he contacted her again and offered her a job. Laiba visited the office but explained that she gave private tuition and could not work regular office hours. She therefore asked him to arrange online work.

According to officials, Nauman subsequently established social media platform shops in the names of Laiba, her sister and their mother. A woman named Aiza handled the work associated with the shops. Each venture required a security deposit of around $1,000, which the family could not afford. The officials said Aiza eventually became suspicious, blocked the family and withdrew from the arrangement, following which the shops closed. The officials stressed that this woman had no role in the alleged fraud that followed.

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After the online ventures collapsed, Laiba approached Nauman for assistance with obtaining a student visa and admission to an overseas university. The Nation’s investigation indicates that this was when the alleged fraud was devised, in February 2026. Officials familiar with the case alleged that Nauman obtained Aiza’s photographs and screenshots, opened a WhatsApp account in her name using a SIM registered to himself and set her photograph as the account’s display picture. To persuade Laiba that she was communicating with the real Aiza, he allegedly arranged for his cousin, Fatima Sarwar, who is also nominated in the FIA case, to speak to Laiba once through a voice note.

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After that exchange, the officials said, Nauman allegedly handled all further correspondence through text messages. They said the phone history examined during the investigation contained no voice calls. According to the officials, Nauman drafted messages in English by copying Laiba’s messages into AI chatbots and pasting the generated replies into the conversation. He allegedly used the same tools to prepare fabricated documents, working from a sample document and inserting Laiba’s personal details. The officials further alleged that he created a Gmail account for a fictitious brother supposedly living in the United States. The man, also impersonated by Nauman, allegedly emailed Laiba claiming that Nauman had referred her to him. By posing as both Aiza and her supposed brother, Nauman allegedly continued to collect money from the family under the pretext of arranging admission and a student visa abroad.

The Nation’s investigation into the accused’s conduct has also examined allegations concerning his use of the money. Officials said investigators had found his bank accounts and mobile wallets empty, with one account holding only Rs23. They alleged that he had spent money obtained from the family on personal pursuits over the preceding six to seven months. The allegations concerning the use of the funds remain subject to investigation. Ramna police had sought 10 days’ physical remand of the accused. Judicial Magistrate Zunaira Zafar, however, granted five days for further investigation and the collection of evidence, directing that Nauman be produced before the court again on October 17. In its remand application, police said further investigation was required to establish the accused’s specific role and verify the evidence. The application also stated that he would need to be taken outside the district as part of the investigation.

Nauman is nominated in FIR No. 820/26, registered at Ramna police station on October 10 on the complaint of Laiba’s father. The case was registered under Sections 322 and 34 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). The original case account describes Section 322 as dealing with causing death indirectly without an intention to kill; the precise statutory provision and its application should be verified against the FIR and the relevant legal text before publication. The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has registered a second case, FIR No. 977/26, under Sections 419, 420 and 109 of the PPC, read with Sections 18 and 22 of the Emigration Ordinance, 1979. The case concerns an alleged financial fraud involving Rs9.3 million. Laiba, 24, a graduate of the International Islamic University Islamabad, was found dead near G-10 Sunday Bazaar on October 9. Her death has triggered widespread public anger and renewed scrutiny of the circumstances surrounding the case. Her family says she had dreamed of becoming a scientist and studying at an Ivy League university abroad. FIA officials said the agency would take custody of Nauman after the police completed their investigation and his physical remand. The transfer had not taken place at the time of reporting.

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