Emirates NBD, a leading bank in the region, announced the launch of “Fight Against Fraud,” a public service campaign in coordination with Dubai Police and Al Ameen Service, to raise awareness of financial fraud.

The initiative, which underlines Emirates NBD’s role as a responsible bank, aims to generate greater understanding of banking scams and the threats faced by customers and the resultant risk to the country’s economy.

“Security forces, who bear the fundamental responsibility of protecting the UAE and its people, can play a crucial role in preventing fraud attempts against UAE bank customers,” said Major General Mohammed Saeed Al Marri, Deputy Director of Community Services, Dubai Police. “We are pleased to partner with various organisations and be a key part of this campaign, which seeks to raise awareness of fraud and highlights the need to combat such criminal acts.”

He added: “We request the public to contact the security forces via its 24-hour Al Ameen service if they suspect that there has been an attempt at fraud or even to inquire about the fraudulent methods practised by criminals.”

“As fraudsters and hackers get more tech-savvy, there have been increasing incidents of scams against bank customers in the UAE,” said Saif Al Mansoori, Deputy Head, Group Marketing & Branding, Emirates NBD. “Often these attacks come as Phishing Emails and Vishing (phone call) scams, where a perpetrator, claiming to be a bank representative, lures victims to share personal banking information, such as bank account numbers and PIN. Emirates NBD believes that educating customers and raising awareness of such scams is a major step in the country’s fight against financial fraud.”

“We are happy to work with Dubai Police and Al Ameen Service to further this initiative, and ensure that the environment for banking transactions is characterised by the highest security standards,” he added.

One of the main focus points in the “Fight Against Fraud” campaign is to educate customers about the importance of not revealing their bank account details to anyone. The campaign also advises customers not to accept help from strangers at ATMs, as this could expose customers to fraud attempts. Emirates NBD has also been constantly providing tips to customers on how to prevent these attacks, through various communication methods, including email and SMS messages. Customers are also encouraged to immediately report such attempts.

The "Fight Against Fraud" campaign aims to host a series of awareness seminars, where representatives of Emirates NBD, Dubai Police and Al Ameen will explain the various types of financial and banking fraud. The spokespeople will also shed light on electronic channels and bank cards, a preferred tool for most fraudsters. The campaign will include roadshows to be held at various academic institutions across the UAE, to directly address students about to open new bank accounts.

Emirate:  Dubai

Date: Oct 30, 2012