More awareness of digital payments scams: Scam-savviness is on the rise in the UAE, with 99% of consumers now taking active precautions to protect themselves when making purchases online, according to a press release citing data from Visa Stay Secure’s report (pdf). The study surveyed 5.8k adults across central Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

Despite a growing awareness it seems some scammers are still hitting their target, with 49% of consumers in the UAE falling victim to a scam at one point or another, and 15% having had the wool pulled over their eyes on more than one occasion.

A generational gap: 90% of respondents saw Gen X — those born between 1965 and 1980 — as most susceptible to online scammers when using digital payments, whilst 92% felt worried that a friend or relative might fall victim to one as well.

Respondents were more aware of common red flags, including being approached to transfer funds on someone’s behalf, receiving suspicious text messages or emails, or password change requests due to a supposed “data breach”.

Tags: