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UAE: 'Mass mail attack' warning issued

Abu Dhabi - Many residents have lost money as they were not careful online, authority says.

Abu Dhabi residents have been urged to be extremely cautious of suspicious emails and phone calls to avoid falling victim to online fraud by hackers.

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“Make sure to check the source of e-mails received, the incoming calls, the type of information required, and do not download any attachments from unknown sources in order to avoid infecting your device,” the Abu Dhabi Digital Authority said on Twitter.

According to recent reports from police and banking institutions, many people have fallen victim to online fraud operations and had their money stolen due to a lack of caution in their financial dealings online.

The authority advised people to keep their operating systems and software up-to-date as it helps the devices provide better protection, and enables them to detect and delete viruses that can steal data.

“This caution is one of the most important tools that protect against cyber risks,” said authorities.

“Mass mail attack is one of the types of service disruption attacks. It involves sending a large number of e-mail messages to a single e-mail address in a short period of time, with the aim of exceeding the user’s inbox space and these attacks may cause the e-mail server to malfunction.”

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Abu Dhabi Police have warned individuals against sending credit card information or personal financial account details via e-mails or untrusted websites.

The force also stressed the need to not disclose personal data, such as ID numbers, account numbers or passwords, via phone or e-mail, or other online means of communication, except after completely making sure that they trust the person requesting the information.

ismail@khaleejtimes.com