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Electronic Fraud: Renewed Threats and Awareness as Key to Confrontation

Doha, February 10 (QNA) - Countries around the world celebrate Safer Internet Day during the second week of February, an occasion through which the international tech community seeks to unify efforts and work towards a safe digital environment, encouraging dialogue and cooperation among individuals, organizations, and governments to reduce digital risks and confront threats in cyberspace.

The celebration of Safer Internet Day began in 2004 within the European Union, but with the escalation of cross-border digital risks and threats, the observance of this day has transcended the European scope to become a highly important occasion in the field of internet safety globally.

Electronic fraud is seen as one of the biggest digital threats facing individuals, institutions, companies, and the entire global financial sector. Countries and relevant international organizations are trying to take various measures to reduce this cross-border danger and govern the digital space, which has become a fertile environment for crime that evolves with the development of information technology.

Electronic fraud takes multiple forms, including identity theft, phishing, malware, and cyberattacks on financial systems. With the increasing use of the internet and modern technologies, and growing reliance on digital financial systems, fraud crimes have become a worrying phenomenon, especially with the rise in financial losses resulting from them.

A report published by the University of Portsmouth in the UK in October 2024 indicates that global financial losses from electronic fraud exceeded $5 trillion, while losses from this type of crime are expected to reach $10.5 trillion this year, according to a report by Cybersecurity Ventures.

It is worth noting that fraudulent calls and messages via phone and email have become a near-daily practice. Fraudulent entities employ various tactics to trap victims, including calls where perpetrators impersonate law enforcement officers or bank employees to trick victims into disclosing their credit card details and bank accounts or transferring money. Fraudsters' tactics, using advanced software, even extend to spoofing phone numbers of real people and entities, making it difficult for the target to distinguish between reality and fraud.

To confront this dangerous phenomenon, the Ministry of Interior, as well as banks and telecom companies in the country, continuously raise awareness and warn against the dangers of fraudulent messages and calls, constantly emphasizing that they do not ask customers for data, information, passwords, or personal numbers via calls, text messages, or links. They also caution against engaging or responding to any calls promising cash prizes and investment opportunities.

National efforts are not limited to awareness; the state has adopted numerous legal and institutional mechanisms to confront the challenge of electronic and cyber fraud in general. On the legislative front, the Cybercrime Prevention Law was issued under Law No. 14 of 2014, as well as Law No. (13) of 2016 on the Protection of Personal Data.

On the institutional level, the State of Qatar established the National Cyber Security Agency in 2021 'to unify visions and efforts to secure the state's cyberspace and maintain national cyber security.' Recently, the agency launched the National Cyber Security Strategy 2024-2030 to coordinate national efforts to address cyberspace challenges.

The state also focuses on qualifying and training national cadres in this field through academies and higher education institutions within the country, which have adopted research and technical programs and centers to address cybersecurity challenges and leverage technology to serve communities, while strengthening many mechanisms to confront digital risks.

Captain Abdulrahman Abdullah Al-Buainain from the Economic and Cyber Crimes Combating Department at the Ministry of Interior told Qatar News Agency (QNA) that electronic fraud crimes in Qatar are emerging crimes that are dealt with firmly, and the department's efforts focus on combating this type of crime through all legal means.

He highlighted the coordinated efforts among various relevant authorities in the country to combat this type of crime, including the Ministry of Interior, which plays a pivotal role in providing protection for individuals and institutions from electronic risks.

Al-Buainain explains that the Ministry of Interior, through the Economic and Cyber Crimes Combating Department, undertakes two important roles regarding electronic fraud crimes: one is to confront these crimes before they occur through awareness, training, and workshops, and the second is after the crimes occur through investigation, search, and inquiry to reach the perpetrators, who are often from outside the country, in addition to studying and analyzing criminal patterns to identify emerging criminal methods and counter them before they spread widely.

He pointed out that Law No. 14 of 2014 on combating cybercrime takes into account the evolution of cybercrime, as legal texts have been included to address emerging developments in this type of crime.

He warned that one of the most prominent types of electronic fraud cases is investment fraud, which involves deceiving individuals and companies to obtain their money illegally using fraudulent means in an investment context.

Captain Abdulrahman Al-Buainain added: 'Most of these crimes are carried out through false promises of high investment returns or by providing misleading and incorrect information about investment opportunities.'

For his part, Dr. Abdul Latif Shaqfa, head of the Cybersecurity Department at the University of Doha for Science and Technology, told QNA in a similar statement about the rapid and dangerous evolution of electronic fraud and cyberattacks over the past two decades, and the diversity of their forms, using advanced techniques to trap victims, whether individuals, companies, or institutions.

Dr. Shaqfa explains that electronic fraud began at the end of the 1990s and the beginning of the new millennium using relatively simple methods such as email phishing through fake messages, then moved to new stages in recent years, most notably attacks through social media networks, as well as the emergence of fraudulent attacks on major companies, and malicious software that can access victims' data and collect sensitive information.

Dr. Shaqfa spoke about artificial intelligence, which has opened a new field for electronic fraud crimes, making them more complex and dangerous. 'While AI can contribute to improving security systems, it is also used by attackers to develop more effective new fraud techniques.'