Today's Edition
ABU DHABI (WAM)
As part of the weekly awareness campaign under the "Cyber Pulse" initiative launched by the UAE Cybersecurity Council (CSC), the Council emphasised in its latest outreach message the importance of raising awareness about AI-enabled fraud techniques, particularly as artificial intelligence and its various applications have fundamentally reshaped fraudulent practices.
Tasks that once required significant time and effort can now be executed in mere seconds.
CSC stressed that these technologies increase the complexity of detecting cyber fraud, as artificial intelligence can make deceptive activities appear legitimate, from generating realistic voice imitations and altering logos to appear official, to transforming text and graphics into polished, convincing designs and framing scams as urgent security requests.
Artificial intelligence 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 percent 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 to verify the legitimacy of advertisements, promotional messages or any communication requesting personal or financial information or the disclosure of sensitive data.
CSC explained that as the use of artificial intelligence 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 synthetic identities, enhance detection accuracy, reduce false alerts, safeguard payment integrity and support AI-powered prioritisation of investigations, even amid resource and budget constraints.
The Council affirmed that combating this type of phishing and electronic fraud begins with the individual, through strengthening cyber culture and awareness of the risks associated with artificial intelligence when leveraged maliciously.
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.
Fraudsters exploit this realism to mislead the public on an unprecedented scale, potentially escalating into full-scale scams, making constant vigilance essential.
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, and 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 associated with artificial intelligence and rapid technological developments.
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.
