UAE Leads International Drive Against AI-Powered Cyber-Fraud Networks
The Ministry of Interior convened senior global law enforcement and security experts at the UN Congress on Crime Prevention to forge a coordinated strategy against sophisticated fraud operations exploiting vulnerable populations.
The United Arab Emirates has undertaken a prominent role in mobilising international cooperation to dismantle AI-enabled cyber-fraud networks, hosting a landmark high-level session at the 15th UN Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in Abu Dhabi.
The forum, entitled “No Victim Without Identity, No Crime Without Prosecution: Tackling Cyber-Fraud in the Age of AI,” brought together distinguished representatives from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, ASEANAPOL, the Australian Federal Police, Singapore Police Force, and leading security institutions to address an escalating global threat.
Colonel Dana Humaid Al Marzouqi, Director-General of International Affairs at the Ministry of Interior, underscored that contemporary cyber-fraud schemes target vulnerable populations including elderly individuals, women, children, and migrant workers. These operations frequently exploit deceptive employment offers to facilitate human trafficking, subsequently coercing victims into participating in criminal activities.
The discussion highlighted alarming statistics, with approximately 118 million people forcibly displaced globally in 2025, rendering such groups particularly susceptible to exploitation through fraudulent opportunities. INTERPOL reports indicate that these operations can involve hundreds of thousands of individuals.
Artificial intelligence has fundamentally altered the operational landscape of criminal networks. Colonel Al Marzouqi explained that AI-enabled fraud techniques, including voice and identity impersonation, generate returns approximately 4.5 times greater than conventional methods, whilst enabling rapid operational scaling. However, she emphasised that technology serves as an enabler rather than the primary driver of these crimes, which remain rooted in organised criminal networks connected to illicit finance, human trafficking, money laundering, and corruption.
The UAE’s comprehensive strategy rests upon three foundational principles. Firstly, law enforcement addresses fraud as organised crime, focusing investigations on individuals who orchestrate and finance fraudulent operations alongside associated money-laundering networks. Secondly, the approach recognises trafficked individuals compelled into criminal activity as victims requiring support, rather than offenders. Thirdly, the strategy prioritises transnational cooperation through intelligence exchange, joint investigations, expedited asset freezing, and recovery of stolen funds for victims.
This multifaceted approach reflects the UAE’s commitment to safeguarding residents from over 200 nationalities within its borders, whilst strengthening international mechanisms to pursue perpetrators and disrupt the financial infrastructure sustaining criminal enterprises.
Source: WAM