A survey conducted in 2024 on the state of scams in the UAE highlights the prevalence and impact of scams on the population, as well as public awareness and responses. The study, jointly conducted by the UAE Government's Cybersecurity Council and TRENDS Research & Advisory, reveals that 56 per cent of residents encounter scam attempts monthly. Despite high awareness of AI-driven fraud, many victims still suffer financial losses, emotional distress, and difficulties in reporting and recovering from scams.
The study found that 65 per cent of participants are confident in their ability to identify fraud, while 9 per cent lack confidence. Only 12 per cent of respondents rarely face scams. Additionally, 20 per cent reported the same number of scam attempts as in 2023, while 43 per cent encountered more and 37 per cent experienced fewer scams.
Most UAE citizens are aware that scammers use AI against them. Awareness of AI-generated text and images is high, but complex AI chats and videos are less known. Half of the respondents believe they have encountered an AI scam in the last 12 months, while 30 per cent were uncertain and 20 per cent believe they were targeted by AI scams.
The survey, which formed the basis of the study 'The 2024 State of Scams in the United Arab Emirates,' surveyed 1,964 UAE citizens. Among the respondents, 59 per cent hold university degrees and 24 per cent hold postgraduate degrees. The majority of scams are delivered via instant messaging tools, with WhatsApp being the most misused platform. Phone calls, text/SMS messages, and email are also common mediums, followed by Gmail, Facebook, Instagram, and Outlook.
Shopping scams and identity theft are the most common types of scams, followed by investment scams. On average, 1.77 scams were reported per victim. Despite this, only 30 per cent of the UAE population reported scams to law enforcement. The survey also found that 49 per cent of scams are completed within 24 hours of first contact, with 33 per cent occurring within minutes and 7 per cent lasting a year or more.
Additionally, 69 per cent of victims realised on their own that they had been scammed, while 21 per cent were notified by their banks. Twenty-seven per cent of respondents reported losing money to scams, with an average loss of $2,194 (Dh8,058). Credit cards and bank transfers are the top payment methods exploited by scammers, followed by PayPal and peer-to-peer apps.
According to the survey, only 9 per cent of victims were able to fully recover their losses, while 19 per cent did not attempt to recover their funds. Additionally, 57 per cent tried but were unable to recover any money. Scams have a significant emotional impact, with 59 per cent of victims reporting strong emotional distress. Consequently, 62 per cent of the UAE population expressed reduced trust in the Internet due to scams.
The reasons behind the success of scams vary. Twenty-three per cent of respondents were enticed by the scammer's offer, while 30 per cent failed to detect the scam in time or lacked the knowledge to recognise it. The survey findings also showed that 32 per cent of respondents take precautions such as checking email addresses and reviewing websites to determine their legitimacy. Furthermore, 30 per cent of respondents share their scam experiences with family and friends.
However, 18 per cent 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.
Source link: https://www.khaleejtimes.com
