56% of UAE residents face monthly scam attempts, survey finds

More than half of UAE residents encounter at least one scam attempt every month, according to a new report unveiled by the UAE Government's Cybersecurity Council and TRENDS Research & Advisory at the Global Media Congress 2024.

The study, conducted with the Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA) and BioCatch, revealed that 56% of UAE residents face monthly scam attempts, while 43% reported an increase in scams compared to last year.

The poll, which formed the basis of the study “The 2024 State of Scams in the United Arab Emirates,” surveyed more than 1,964 UAE citizens. Among the respondents, 59% hold university degrees and 24% hold postgraduate degrees.

Despite 65% of respondents feeling confident in identifying fraud, 9% admitted to struggling with detection, reflecting ongoing challenges in combating sophisticated scams.

Additionally, 20% of respondents said the number of scam attempts they face is similar to last year (2023), while 43% reported encountering more scams and 37% experienced fewer scams compared to the previous year.

AI's growing role in scams

The study also confirmed that most UAE citizens are aware that scammers can use AI against them. Awareness of AI generated text and images is high, but complex AI chats and videos are slightly less known.

Half of the respondents (50%) believe they have encountered an AI scam in the last 12 months. Thirty percent of respondents were uncertain, while 20% believe they were subjected to scams using artificial intelligence.

The study revealed that most UAE citizens are aware that scammers can use AI against them. While awareness of AI-generated text and images is high, complex AI-generated chats and videos are slightly less known.

50% of respondents believe they have encountered an AI scam in the last 12 months, while 30% were uncertain and 20% believe they were subjected to scams involving artificial intelligence.

Most used tools

The survey showed that the majority of scams are delivered via instant messaging tools, with WhatsApp being the most misused platform for scam delivery.

Phone calls and text/SMS messages are also common mediums for scams, followed by email in fourth place. Gmail, Facebook, Instagram, and Outlook round out the top five digital platforms most commonly exploited by scammers.

Most common scams

Shopping scams and identity theft are the most common types of scams, followed by investment scams in third place. On average, 1.77 scams were reported per victim, indicating that scam victims are likely to be retargeted. Despite this, only 30% of the UAE population reported scams to law enforcement.

The survey also found that 49% of scams are completed within 24 hours of first contact. Of these, 33% occurred within minutes, while 7% involved a "long con" lasting a year or more. Additionally, 69% of victims realized on their own that they had been scammed, while 21% were notified by their banks.

Credit cards and bank transfers are the top payment methods exploited by scammers. PayPal and peer-to-peer apps are also popular tools used to collect stolen funds. According to the survey, only 9% of victims were able to fully recover their losses, while 19% did not attempt to recover their funds. Additionally, 57% tried but were unable to recover any money.

Emotional impact

Scams have a significant emotional impact, with 59% of victims reporting strong emotional distress. Consequently, 62% of the UAE population expressed reduced trust in the Internet due to scams.

The reasons behind the success of scams vary. Twenty-three percent of respondents said they were enticed by the scammer’s offer, while 30% reported failing to detect the scam in time or lacking the knowledge to recognize it.

The survey findings also showed that 32% of respondents take precautions such as checking email addresses and reviewing websites to determine their legitimacy. Furthermore, 30% of respondents share their scam experiences with family and friends.

However, 18% of respondents admitted they do not know where to report a scam. Other reasons for not reporting include the belief that the process is too complicated, uncertainty over whether it was a scam, or the perception that reporting would not make a difference.