ENBD and Dubai Police in tie-up to fight card fraud

Emirates NBD and Dubai Police have teamed up to educate residents on how to protect themselves from credit and debit-card fraud.

Emirates NBD has joined hands with Dubai Police to fight banking scams in the UAE, where fraud cases are on the rise. Randi Sokoloff / The National
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It's not really a deal, but it could save you a fortune: Emirates NBD (ENBD) and Dubai Police have teamed up to educate residents on how to protect themselves from credit and debit-card fraud.

The campaign, Fight Against Fraud, was launched this week and aims to "generate a greater understanding of banking scams and the threats faced by customers", as well as the risks to the economy.

Banking scams are on the rise around the world as hackers and fraudsters become more tech-savvy and have access to sophisticated tools to carry out their crimes.

A new survey by ACI Worldwide, which polled 5,200 consumers in 17 countries, including the UAE, found that one in four respondents had been victimised by credit, debit or prepaid card fraud during the past five years.

In the UAE alone, 36 per cent of respondents to the ACI Worldwide survey said they had experienced card fraud since 2007.

"As fraudsters and hackers get more tech-savvy, there have been increasing incidents of scams against bank customers in the UAE," says Saif Al Mansoori, the deputy head of group marketing and branding at ENBD.

"Often, these attacks come as phishing, emails and vishing [phone call] scams, where a perpetrator, claiming to be a bank representative, lures victims to share personal banking information, such as bank account numbers and PINs.

"Emirates NBD believes that educating customers and raising awareness of such scams is a major step in the country's fight against financial fraud."

Mr Al Mansoori says one of the focus points of the campaign is to teach customers about the importance of not revealing their bank account details to anybody. It will also advise customers not to accept help from strangers at ATMs.

ENBD and Dubai Police will host a series of seminars and roadshows at academic institutions across the country to get their message across.

"Security forces, who bear the fundamental responsibility of protecting the UAE and its people, can play a crucial role in preventing fraud attempts against UAE bank customers," says Maj Gen Mohammed Saeed Al Marri, the deputy director of community services at Dubai Police.

Go to www.emiratesnbd.com for more information.