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'Confrontation Ghost': UAE says multinational anti-fraud operation to continue
The cross-border nature of such crimes requires effective and rapid coordination among the relevant entities, an Emirati official said
- PUBLISHED: Tue 29 Sept 2026, 1:36 PM
An anti-fraud operation in which 30 countries take part will continue, the UAE Ministry of Interior announced on Tuesday, September 29, on the sidelines of the 15th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in Abu Dhabi.
Two international organisations and 13 partners from the private and technology sectors are also participating in the operation, codenamed “Operation Confrontation Ghost”, which targets emerging fraud schemes, including AI-enabled fraud, online sextortion and financial fraud via digital platforms.
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As part of the combined multinational efforts, real-time intelligence sharing is enabled, alongside monitoring emerging trends and drawing on specialised expertise to identify and address threats quickly and accurately, while ensuring compliance with data protection standards.
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The cross-border nature of fraud crimes requires effective and rapid coordination among the relevant entities, Lt. Colonel Saeed Khalfan Al Kaabi, Director of the International Cooperation Department, said, adding that cooperation between law enforcement agencies and private sector partners helps monitor, detect, and prevent such crimes.
The UAE, he said, supports international efforts to combat fraud through its membership in the Global Anti-Scam Alliance, which brings together more than 90 countries and a network of partners from the technology and financial services sectors. The alliance promotes the exchange of expertise and identifies the latest fraud methods and the technologies used to confront them.
'Biggest crime today'
During the Abu Dhabi summit, the UAE has proposed a regional initiative to combat cross-border fraud and related money laundering, warning that conflicts across the Middle East have driven a surge in financial crime. The initiative includes four to five regional workshops for member countries to exchange expertise and share intelligence on fraud patterns. A dedicated working group drawn from member states will study national risk assessments, identify legislative gaps, and develop targeted strategies and legislation to counter fraud-related money laundering.
"Fraud has become the biggest and most widespread crime today, and it targets everyone, from children to the elderly," said anti-money laundering official Hamid Saif Al Zaabi.
A key driver behind the initiative is the cross-border nature of fraud itself, where a scheme may originate in one country, target victims in another, and move proceeds through a third. Al Zaabi noted that risk assessments across the region have consistently flagged fraud as a high-priority threat, with its reach expanding alongside the instability brought by recent regional conflicts. The more open a country's financial system, he added, the greater its exposure.
(With inputs from WAM)
Yasmin Hussein is an Assistant Digital Editor who believes that every news story carries a human element. Her motto is 'get it first, but first get it right'.