Emirates airline suspends social media advertising as online scams increase

Decision comes as imposter accounts seek to con customers into giving personal details and bank card numbers

Emirates has halted social media advertising in an effort to protect customers against fraudulent promotions. Photo: Reuters

Emirates airline said on Wednesday it was suspending its social media advertising to protect customers from the growing nuisance of online scams.

The Dubai-based operator said it took action in response to “fraudulent advertisements currently circulating across social media platforms” that purport to be from Emirates.

The company warned of cybercriminals impersonating the official Emirates airline website by using branded visuals, unauthorised trademarks and links which closely resemble those belonging to the company.

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Such phishing scams are created to lure customers to buy tickets, share personal information or follow malicious links.

Emirates said it was working with social media platforms to have such advertising removed.

“To safeguard our customers and uphold brand integrity, Emirates has temporarily suspended all advertising on social media channels,” it said in a notice to customers.

“We are collaborating with platform providers to swiftly identify and remove these fraudulent advertisements, often within minutes of their appearance.

“Your safety is our highest priority. We strongly encourage you to remain alert and carefully verify any suspicious content.”

Fake membership offer

In February, Emirates advised customers to be vigilant following a fake membership offer to enrol in a discounted subscription to fly first class.

A phishing scam posing as an advert offering 10 first-class flights anywhere in the world for a $300 annual membership circulated across social media.

“Emirates is aware of fraudulent ads circulating on social media platforms that direct users to websites impersonating our legitimate site,” said a representative.

“We urge customers to stay cautious. All official Emirates communications are only shared through our verified channels.”

Authorities are seeking to step up enforcement action against a wave of increasingly sophisticated scams, many of which use advanced technology such as artificial intelligence.

No more SMS or email OTPs

Emirates' move comes shortly after some UAE banks said they would no longer issue one-time passwords for online financial transactions through SMS and email starting on Friday in an effort to tighten security measures.

Instead of passwords or OTPs, customers will have to authenticate transactions within their mobile banking apps, which experts said was a step in the right direction in efforts to boost security of digital banking and customer protection.

“SMS and email OTPs for online transactions will be phased out from July 25. Switch to ADIB mobile app for in-app authentication,” said an SMS received from Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, Abu Dhabi’s biggest Sharia-compliant lender.

Citibank customers had also received an email notifying them of the change. “We are enhancing the way you approve your online card transactions to provide you with greater security. As part of this upgrade, SMS OTP is no longer supported,” the email said.

The lender said the change will be rolled out in phases and asks customers to download the bank app and complete their registration. After registration, customers will receive in-app authorisation requests to approve online purchases.

In May, the UAE's cybersecurity chief said the country faced about 200,000 attack attempts daily.

Mohammed Al Kuwaiti, head of the UAE Cybersecurity Council, called for greater international collaboration and more awareness to confront the mounting risks posed by criminals online.

The use of artificial intelligence was a double-edged sword in cybersecurity as it was being used both to defend against and perpetrate attacks, Dr Al Kuwaiti said at the World Police Summit at Dubai World Trade Centre.