UAE cybersecurity authority warns against AI fraud, says is hard to detect

The UAE Cybersecurity Council (CSC) has emphasised the importance of raising awareness about artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled fraud techniques.

This comes as part of the weekly awareness campaign under the "Cyber Pulse" initiative launched by the council.

The CSC stressed that AI has fundamentally reshaped fraudulent practices. Tasks that once required significant time and effort can now be executed in mere seconds. These technologies increase the complexity of detecting cyber fraud, as AI can make deceptive activities appear legitimate.

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Advanced tech makes fraudulent messages look real

New technologies can create realistic voice imitations and altered logos, and transform text and graphics into polished, convincing designs — framing scams as urgent security requests. AI also enables fraudsters to create links that appear trustworthy, amid a rapid rise in advanced, technology-driven fraud attempts.

The Council noted that AI-powered phishing contributes to more than 90 per cent of digital breaches, as scammers now craft messages that appear almost perfectly authentic.

These advanced techniques allow fraudsters to remove common warning signs and design fraudulent operations with minimal detectable flaws. This requires individuals and users to remain vigilant before clicking on any links and disclosing any sensitive data.

How to protect against AI fraud

CSC explained that as the use of AI expands, the line between authenticity and imitation continues to blur, placing all users in the face of increasingly complex fraud risks. This necessitates adopting defensive tools and techniques built on knowledge and awareness to fully understand the magnitude of these emerging threats.

Strengthening capabilities is essential to provide additional layers of protection against account takeovers and the use of fake identities, enhance detection accuracy, reduce false alerts, safeguard payment integrity and support AI-powered prioritisation of investigations, even amid resource and budget constraints.

Importance of awareness

The Council affirmed that combating this type of phishing and electronic fraud begins with the individual, through strengthening cyber culture and awareness.

Individuals must understand that many products or advertisements circulating on social media may appear exceptionally perfect due to AI-generated images, which can make them seem entirely real.

Through its weekly awareness message, the "Cyber Pulse" campaign offered practical tips to avoid falling victim to AI-driven fraud.

These include:

• Avoiding unverified links

• Checking for spelling or linguistic errors in suspicious messages

• Verifying information through official or trusted channels

• Enabling multi-factor authentication (which prevents more than 90 percent of fraud attempts)

• Activating security software to detect threats and protect against viruses

The Council emphasised that online safety has become a critical challenge, and that these preventive measures complement ongoing government efforts to address emerging digital risks.

Now in its second year, the "Cyber Pulse" awareness campaign launched by the Cybersecurity Council continues across social media platforms as part of the UAE’s ongoing efforts to build a secure cyberspace that safeguards users from growing digital threats.

The initiative aligns with the nation’s comprehensive vision to enhance confidence in the digital ecosystem, foster a strong cybersecurity culture among families and individuals, and promote best cyber practices that protect the safety and privacy of citizens and residents in an era of rapid digital transformation.