UAE warns public against AI deepfake scams impersonating HR Ministry officials

Dubai: The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) has warned the public against increasingly sophisticated deepfake scams that can make fraudulent videos, voice recordings and images appear genuine in an attempt to steal personal information or money.

In an awareness campaign, the ministry cautioned that fraudsters could use deepfake technology to create content appearing to come from MoHRE, its officials or employees, with the aim of deceiving people into sharing sensitive information or transferring funds.

“Don’t be fooled. What you see may not be real,” the ministry said in its campaign.

The ministry urged people not to trust a video or voice message simply because it appears authentic, warning that artificial intelligence and deepfake technology can be used to convincingly imitate people and organisations.

How to protect yourself

The ministry advised the public to verify any request, announcement or communication through MoHRE’s official channels before taking action.

People should not share personal or banking information in response to unverified messages or calls, it said, and should check the authenticity of links before clicking on them.

The ministry’s official communication channels include its call centre on 600590000, which is also available through WhatsApp, as well as its website and mobile application.

The warning comes as artificial intelligence tools make it increasingly possible to manipulate or generate realistic looking images, video and audio, making it more difficult for recipients to distinguish genuine communications from fraudulent ones.

MoHRE’s guidance stresses that users should independently verify communications through official channels rather than relying on how convincing a message, voice or image appears.