The Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) has warned customers to be on their guard against fraudsters looking to take advantage of the current coronavirus crisis.
A statement from the national bank said: “Fraudsters always look for opportunities to target consumers, and as the public is engaged with coronavirus, Covid-19, pandemic news; fraudsters are using different tactics to increase fraudulent activities on banking customers.”
Cybersecurity firm Kaspersky told Arabian Business earlier this month that it had seen a spike in demand for its services as cyber attacks using the ongoing Covid-19 epidemic rise.
CBUAE reiterated that it would never ask consumers about private information – such as personal and bank account information and cautioned against malicious phone calls and WhatsApp messages claiming to be from CBUAE.
“We also alert the public to avoid responding to such calls, messages, and opening any hyperlink that may be attached, which may provide exposure to a malicious website and inform authorities immediately,” the statement from CBUAE added.
CBUAE never conducts phone calls – unless a consumer complaint has been logged through the right channels with a reference number – or uses social media to contact individuals or businesses.
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