Financial fraud affects millions of individuals worldwide. However, with the right knowledge and precautions, you can protect yourself from falling victim. Staying informed empowers you to recognize red flags and make safer financial decisions. This International Fraud Awareness Week, Al Ansari Exchange is committed to educating and empowering its customers to prevent financial scams.
Know the warning signs
Look out for unsolicited messages, fake offers, and unknown links. Never share sensitive information such as PINs or passwords. Remember, Al Ansari Exchange will never ask for personal details via email, phone, or social media.
If something feels suspicious, it probably is. Always verify the authenticity of any offer or request to ensure your financial security.
Stay safe. Stay vigilant.
Report fraud:
Your vigilance helps safeguard everyone. If you notice any suspicious activity, please report it promptly.
If you suspect fraud on your Al Ansari Exchange prepaid cards, please contact us immediately at:
Customer service number: +971 4 366 2117
Email: [email protected]
You can also report any fraudulent activities to the local authorities:
Dubai Police
- Toll-free number 901
- E-crime online platform
Abu Dhabi Police
- “Aman” service hotline at 800-2626
- adpolice.gov.ae
Ministry of Interior
Prevent and Fight Fraud
At Al Ansari Exchange, we are committed to utilizing all of our resources to combat fraud and prevent criminals from victimizing our customers. We invest in the latest technology and train our staff to catch fraudulent activities. We initiated several public awareness campaigns to help people protect themselves from different types of scams.
Learn how fraudsters operate:
Fraudsters send fake messages to their victims claiming that they won large cash prizes through:
- Phone calls
- SMS
- Whats App
- Social media
They ask for their victims’ data and bank account information, claiming that they need these details to receive their prize money. They use these details to gain access to the victims’ accounts and steal their money. These scammers will tell their victims not to share the details of their prizes with anyone for the purpose of maintaining confidentiality and privacy.
Other scammers will also instruct their targets to send money to a certain address or bank accounts before they can claim their cash prize.
Protect yourself:
At Al Ansari Exchange, we will never ask the winners of our promotions to disclose any personal data, identification numbers or their bank account details over the phone, nor will we ask them to pay fees so they can receive their prizes.
We will contact the winners from our official phone numbers to inform them of their prizes. You may also verify by visiting the nearest Al Ansari Exchange branch or calling our customer service at 600 54 6000.
Check our website, alansariexchange.com, or our official social media channels to find out if there is such a prize as well.
- Remain vigilant and do not share personal details with anyone.
- Confirm the credentials of the person contacting you.
- Never send money to unverified sources.
- Don’t click on suspicious links
- Report suspicious activities to the relevant authorities immediately.
Types of Fraud:
- Email:
- Fake email from bank claiming that the account is frozen for security reasons and that the customer should call a number found in the email.
- The person picking up the phone will grab the customer’s details giving the fraudsters access to the customer’s bank account/details
- Lottery:
- Fake message from Al Ansari Exchange claiming that a person has won a certain promotion
- Fraudster will require some information which they will use to access to accounts
- These messages are being aggressively shared and Al Ansari Exchange has been warning the general public against them for years
- ATMs:
- Small camera placed above the keypad to gain access to a user’s PIN
- Fake keypad placed above the actual keypad of the ATM to get user’s PIN
- Device placed above the card reader in the ATM that will scan the front and back of the card, giving the fraudster access to the card number and 3-digit security code
- SIM Swap:
- Fraudsters will gather information on a certain person, either from social media or other sources
- They will contact service providers to gain access to a new SIM card
- They will make payments using the victim’s card and use the new SIM to gain access to the One Time Password (OTP) sent through SMS to authenticate the transaction
- They can also use the OTP to access social media or bank accounts
- Magic Ink:
- The fraudster poses as a bank representative and comes to the victim with pre-filled documents for a credit card for example
- The victim fills out their account details and signs a cheque with the amount of the proposed credit card
- The fraudster uses heat to remove the ink of the cheque without removing the signature and therefore they have all the account details and a blank cheque issued from the victim’s bank and signed
- Fund Transfer:
- Businesses deal with suppliers and clients from all over the world, primarily via email
- Fraudsters will send links via copycat emails
- When the victim clicks on the link it gives the fraudster access to their computer or smartphone
- The fraudster can now gain access to supplier information and ask for payments or change bank details to their own
- Phone Fraud:
- Fraudsters will pose as bank employees
- They will claim that your account is frozen
- They will ask for personal information
- They will connect you to an automated system that will ask for your card details and security code
- Data privacy:
- Emirates ID number, date of birth, bank account details and much more can be breached by fraudsters
- Fraudsters will use this information to hack into your bank accounts, social media accounts etc.