A voice note that sounds exactly like your brother. A call from someone who says they are from your bank or the police, with the right logo on the screen. A video of a well-known figure saying something they never said. AI has made these tricks cheaper and more convincing. This guide sets out what Gulf authorities say these scams look like, how to respond calmly, and where to report one in your country.
How do I spot an AI scam in Arabic, and where do I report it in my country?
What Gulf scams look like now, the warning signs, what to do in the moment, and the official place to report in each GCC state.
The short answer
Most AI scams still use an old method: they create urgency, pretend to be someone you trust, and ask for money, a code or your personal details. You do not need to spot the fake to stay safe. You only need to pause and check the request through a number or channel you find yourself. If you have already paid or shared a code, call your bank first and then report it to the police in your country. Every GCC state has an official channel.
Step by step
Step 1: What do these scams look like in the Gulf?
Gulf authorities describe the same few patterns. The UAE Cybersecurity Council said in January 2026 that AI has "fundamentally reshaped" fraud. It noted realistic voice imitations, altered logos, and scams framed as urgent security requests. The UAE Government Empowerment Department warned in October 2025 that attackers use AI and urgency while pretending to be official authorities. It also said deepfake video and audio are used to copy voices and pose as well-known public figures. In September 2026 the UAE Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) warned that scammers were using deepfake videos and voice messages made to look as if they came from the ministry or its officials, to ask for money or personal details. Saudi Arabia's central bank, SAMA, warned in 2020 about messages from people claiming to work for it and seeking banking details. SAMA said it does not hold deposits or funds for individuals or carry out transactions for them. In July 2025 an official in the cybercrime department of Kuwait's Interior Ministry said fake text messages from people posing as official bodies and banks were at the top of the list of frauds. Saudi Arabia's data and AI authority, SDAIA, describes "imposter scams" in its Deepfakes Guidelines (version 2, May 2025). These are fake calls or video meetings in which someone posing as a known executive or authority figure asks for confidential information or approves a payment. SDAIA also warns that synthetic voices may imitate executives "or family members with near-perfect accuracy".
From our pages
- Fears vs Reality: Will AI be used to watch us?Why the International AI Safety Report lists scams and deepfakes among the main current harms.
- Quick answers
- Terms explained
Step 2: How can I tell something is wrong?
Do not rely on spotting the fake. SDAIA's guidelines list clues such as slight lip-sync delays, unnatural blinking, and unnatural blending where the face meets the hairline. They also warn that deepfakes are becoming "harder to detect", and our FAQ says detection tools are not reliable enough to depend on. Look at the request itself instead. Warning signs include pressure to act now; a request to keep it secret; a request for a one-time password (OTP), card details or ID; a new number or account for a familiar person or organisation; and a payment you were not expecting. A familiar voice or an official logo is not proof: the UAE Cybersecurity Council says both can now be faked. The right dialect is not proof either.
From our pages
- In the tracker
- Quick answers
- Terms explained
Step 3: What should I do in the moment?
Stop and check before you act. If a call is unexpected, hang up, look up the official number yourself and call back. This is the UAE Government Empowerment Department's advice. If a request seems to come from family or a colleague, call them back, or go and see them in person. Amer Sharaf, a senior official at the Dubai Electronic Security Centre, gave this advice to The National in September 2026, especially before any money transfer. The National also reports advice to agree a safe word with family and friends. Never share an OTP, password or card details by phone or message. Do not forward doubtful videos and messages. The UAE Cybersecurity Council has asked people to check content attributed to public figures and national institutions against official sources before sharing. It also points to Federal Decree-Law 34 of 2021 on Countering Rumours and Cybercrimes, which carries penalties for offences including fake news and online fraud.
From our pages
- Can AI help keep the peace? What is already being used, and what it can't doHow to check an image or video before you believe or share it.
Step 4: What if I have already paid or shared a code?
Act quickly and in this order. First, call your bank. SAMA's rules require Saudi banks to run a 24-hour fraud hotline and to give customers a way to freeze their own account straight away. Second, save the evidence: keep screenshots, numbers, links, dates and times. SDAIA advises victims to keep a detailed record ready for the authorities. Third, report the account or post to the platform it came through, and ask for it to be removed. Fourth, report it to the police in your country, using the channels in the next step. Feeling embarrassed is common, but reporting quickly is what gives the bank and police a chance to help.
From our pages
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Step 5: Where do I report it in my country?
UAE: the UAE government portal lists the Ministry of Interior's eCrimes platform, in the MOI UAE app; Dubai Police's eCrime Hub website (ecrimehub.gov.ae); Abu Dhabi Police's Aman service (Abu Dhabi Police gives toll-free 8002626 and SMS 2828); the federal Public Prosecution's My Safe Society app; and your nearest police station, or 999. Saudi Arabia: call your bank's fraud line first. Fraud on Mada bank cards can be reported in Absher (My Services, then Public Security, then Financial Fraud Reports). SDAIA's guidelines also point victims to the Kollona Amn app, which Public Security runs and which accepts cybercrime reports, the Ministry of Interior's Cybercrime Unit and the Saudi Central Bank's e-service. Qatar: report financial cybercrime on the hotline 66815757, in the Metrash2 app or by email to cccc@moi.gov.qa. These channels are listed by the Qatar Central Bank's "Stay Aware" campaign, run with the Ministry of Interior. Bahrain: contact the General Directorate of Anti-Corruption and Economic & Electronic Security through its online reporting form, its hotline 992, or WhatsApp on +973 17108108. Kuwait: contact the Ministry of Interior's Electronic and Cyber Crime Combating Department on 97283939, by phone or WhatsApp. Oman: call the Royal Oman Police on 9999. The ROP has a separate line, 80077444, for reporting cyber extortion (blackmail).
From our pages
- Quick answers
- Terms explained
What we don’t know yet
- How much Gulf fraud now uses AI. The official warnings we found describe the methods but do not separate AI-made scams from ordinary ones in their figures.
- Whether detection tools will catch up. Dubai Electronic Security Centre has announced Saraab, a deepfake-video detector built by an Emirati team, which it says will be released as open source. We have not seen independent test results.
- Whether reporting channels will be unified. Today they differ by country, and in the UAE by emirate. Numbers and apps change, so check your authority's official site.
Read next
- Fears vs Reality: Will AI be used to watch us?Will AI be used to watch us? The full article.
- Can AI help keep the peace? What is already being used, and what it can't doHow verification works, and its limits.
This guide repeats only facts that are sourced on the pages it links to. Follow a link to see the original sources.