Fake Supplier Emails Target UAE Business Accounts in New Fraud Scheme
Finance desks across UAE corporate offices handle dozens of routine vendor payments every week, but a newly flagged threat is turning standard accounts payable workflows into a high-stakes gamble.
Corporate Finance Teams Face Hidden Transfer Traps
Abu Dhabi Police have issued an urgent warning regarding a sophisticated scam targeting local companies. Fraudsters are actively intercepting ongoing business correspondences between firms and their suppliers, inserting themselves into the communication chain just long enough to alter critical payment instructions.
Instead of funds reaching legitimate vendors, finance teams are being tricked into wiring money straight into fraudulent accounts. The most unsettling part of the operation is the timing: companies typically don’t realize anything’s amiss until long after the transfer has cleared, leading to severe financial hits that are nearly impossible to claw back once executed.
Verifying Every Vendor Request
The scam relies entirely on convincing impersonation. Attackers send emails that look like they’re coming from trusted beneficiary entities, requesting sudden updates to bank account details for upcoming dues. Because the messages mirror real business threads, busy accounting departments often process the changes without a second thought.
Abu Dhabi Police are urging all local businesses and institutions to step up internal vigilance immediately. Companies have been told to institute a strict policy: never authorize a financial transfer based solely on an email request to change bank details. Instead, finance staff must pick up the phone or use approved, independent communication channels to verify the authenticity of the change directly with the supplier before a single dirham moves.
A straightforward verification step before hitting ‘send’ remains the only reliable defense against these intercepted transactions.
