Be aware of Phishing scams

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Be increasingly vigilant to new and sophisticated scams employed by fraudsters who target customers. A new phishing scam has been detected across the UAE, indicating a targeted drive by financially motivated fraudsters and criminals.

Scammers are impersonating bank representatives and calling victims under the pretext of updating account details, offering mobile banking assistance, or providing security enhancements. During the call, victims are instructed to download a new mobile application via a provided link. This application is malicious and designed to harvest credit/debit card details, leading to unauthorised transactions and potential financial losses.


Common characteristics of Phishing scams

  1. Request for personal information
    The bank will never ask for sensitive information via unsecured emails or telephone calls. The Bank already has this information and has no reason to verify our customers based on account numbers or credit card numbers.
  2. Request to download an app via a link
    All mobile apps are available on the App Store and Google Play. The bank will never request customers to download a new banking app through customized links.
  3. Urgent language
    Be cautious of telephone calls or emails that instill a sense of urgency or request you to act immediately.

How to protect yourself

  1. Always verify
    If you receive a call that you are suspicious of then please always verify the caller separately. In order to do this, you may contact the bank directly to confirm whether the call is genuine. Do not respond to any email by providing sensitive data without verifying the authenticity of the sender.
  2. Do not click links or download attachments
    The bank does not request customers to download banking applications via customized links. Please do not click any such links, or act on any similar request to do so.
  3. Enhance security
    Please use a strong password and two-factor authentication to add an extra layer of security to your accounts.
  4. Report
    Contact the bank if you suspect you have received any suspicious or malicious phishing requests. If you believe you have fallen victim to any such request, please report the incident to the bank and Law Enforcement Authorities to act quickly to help you

If you believe you have been targeted by fraud, please report it immediately through our official Contact Centre on 600 50 2030.


Stay Safe online with authentic websites

If you are in doubt of the authenticity of a website, you can visit the UAE Government website StaySafe
Copy and paste any website link you are unsure of into StaySafe and it will check multiple sources for you to see if the site is a scam, phishing attempt or legitimate website.

Please note these sources are not complete or error-free, as new types of phishing attempts and well-hidden scams may not be identifiable. StaySafe is one of the many tools and checks available, and additional measures should always be taken to verify the authenticity of a website.

Tags: Just starting out Current account opening tips