A familiar voice is no longer proof that you are speaking to the person you think you are.
INTERPOL has warned that increasingly realistic AI-generated audio, video and images are being used to impersonate family members, colleagues, employers and other trusted people in scams.
Its October 2026 public-awareness campaign highlights how synthetic media — often called deepfakes — can be used to create convincing calls, video messages and online profiles designed to obtain money, banking information or sensitive personal data.
For UAE residents, the practical lesson is simple:
if a request involves money, account access, an OTP or personal documents, verify the person independently — even if the voice or face looks completely genuine.
What can an AI impersonation scam look like?
INTERPOL gives several examples.
A scammer may imitate:
- a family member claiming to be in an emergency;
- a colleague requesting an urgent bank transfer;
- a business contact asking for confidential information;
- someone in an online relationship;
- or another trusted person whose voice or appearance has been copied from material available online.
Modern generative-AI tools can reproduce someone’s voice or appearance from relatively small amounts of publicly available content.
That means people who post videos, voice notes, interviews or social-media content may provide enough source material for criminals to attempt impersonation.
What should raise suspicion?
The strongest warning sign may not be the quality of the video or audio.
Look instead at the behaviour surrounding the request.
INTERPOL highlights several common signals:
Urgency — pressure to act immediately.
Secrecy — being told not to discuss the request with anyone else.
Emotional pressure — fear, panic, distress or guilt being used to stop you from thinking clearly.
Unexpected contact — especially if the conversation quickly turns towards money or personal information.
Unusual payment instructions — such as transfers to unfamiliar accounts, cryptocurrency or other difficult-to-reverse payment methods.
A perfectly realistic voice does not remove those warning signs.
Do not rely only on visual deepfake clues
Older advice often suggested looking for strange blinking, unnatural lip movement or distorted faces.
Those clues can still appear.
But they are becoming less dependable.
INTERPOL warns that AI is increasingly capable of removing many of the spelling mistakes, formatting errors and obvious inconsistencies people once relied on to identify scams.
So do not make the decision based on whether the video “looks fake.”
Instead ask:
Can I verify this request through a separate trusted channel?
That is much safer.
The safest response: stop and call back
If someone who appears to be a relative, colleague or manager suddenly asks for money or confidential information:
end the call or conversation and contact that person separately.
Use a telephone number you already know.
Do not use a number, WhatsApp link or contact detail supplied inside the suspicious message.
INTERPOL specifically recommends independent verification through a known channel.
For workplace requests, confirm through the organisation’s established communication system or another colleague.
For bank-related requests, call the bank using its official number or app.
Families can create a private verification word
INTERPOL also recommends that close families or trusted friends consider establishing a safe word or private question that can be used during suspicious calls.
The idea is simple.
Choose something that:
- is known only to the relevant family members;
- is not obvious from social media;
- is not a birthday, phone number or other easily discovered information; and
- can be changed if it is ever exposed.
If someone claiming to be a family member cannot answer correctly, end the conversation and verify through another channel.
This can be particularly useful for families spread between the UAE, Kerala and other countries.
Never share an OTP because a familiar voice asks for it
A scammer who already has some banking or identity information may only need one final piece to complete a fraudulent transaction.
That could be:
an OTP, PIN, card security code, password or approval inside a banking app.
Abu Dhabi Police has repeatedly warned residents not to disclose banking credentials, card numbers, passwords or OTPs to callers and says bank employees do not ask customers to provide such confidential information over suspicious calls.
The same principle applies even if the caller appears to sound like someone you know.
Businesses need a second layer of verification
AI impersonation is also a workplace risk.
A realistic video message appearing to come from a senior manager could be used to request:
a bank transfer, supplier payment, payroll change, confidential document or password reset.
INTERPOL recommends organisations establish multi-step verification procedures for financial transactions and sensitive data transfers.
For high-value or unusual payments, organisations can require:
- confirmation from a second authorised person;
- verification through an established corporate channel;
- callback to a known number;
- or face-to-face confirmation for especially sensitive transactions.
The objective is to make a convincing voice or video insufficient on its own to authorise money movement.
What if you already sent money?
Act quickly.
INTERPOL advises victims who have recently transferred money to contact their bank as soon as possible and also report the incident to local law enforcement.
Do not wait to see whether the person contacts you again.
Also preserve:
- screenshots;
- chat history;
- caller numbers;
- email addresses;
- payment receipts;
- bank-account details;
- wallet addresses, where relevant;
- and any audio or video received.
Deleting the conversation may remove useful evidence.
How can UAE residents report suspected cyber fraud?
For Dubai, cyber-enabled financial scams and other internet-related crimes can be reported through the Dubai Police eCrime platform. Dubai Police also directs the public to call 901 for non-emergency cases, while 999 remains the emergency number.
For Abu Dhabi, residents can provide security information through the Aman service on 8002626, by SMS to 2828, or through Abu Dhabi Police channels. Abu Dhabi Police clarifies that Aman receives security information; a formal criminal report should be filed through the appropriate police-reporting channel or police station.
Across the UAE, the federal government advises people to report cybercrime through official police channels and to call 999 for emergencies.
What if the scam claims to be from a bank or government body?
Do not trust logos, uniforms, caller ID or official-looking documents by themselves.
The Central Bank of the UAE warns that fraudsters sometimes misuse official names, logos and staff identities to make communications appear genuine.
Its advice is to verify communications independently and not send money to unauthorised individuals or institutions.
If someone claims to represent a bank, government department or police authority, end the conversation and contact that organisation through its official website, app or published telephone number.
What should you never send because of an urgent message?
Treat the following as high-risk:
OTP codes
bank passwords
card PINs or security codes
UAE PASS approval requests you did not initiate
passport or Emirates ID copies
bank-account credentials
remote-access permissions
large or unusual transfers
Abu Dhabi Police has also warned residents against installing remote-access applications at the request of suspicious callers because those tools can give criminals control of a phone or computer.
A useful five-step rule
When a familiar voice, video or profile makes an unusual request:
1. Stop.
Do not send money or information immediately.
2. Disconnect.
End the suspicious call or chat.
3. Verify independently.
Contact the person or organisation using a trusted number.
4. Protect the account.
If financial information may have been exposed, contact the bank immediately.
5. Preserve and report.
Keep evidence and use the appropriate UAE police reporting channel.
INTERPOL summarises the same principle in its campaign message:
“Wait. Validate. Don’t take the bait.”
MalluMetro Take
The difficult part about AI scams is that many of the old signs of fraud are becoming less useful.
A voice may sound right.
A face may move naturally.
A video call may look completely convincing.
That means residents need to change the question they ask.
Instead of:
“Does this look real?”
ask:
“Can I verify this person independently?”
If money, passwords, OTPs or personal documents are involved, a second channel should become normal — even when the request appears to come from someone you trust.
In the age of AI impersonation, familiarity is no longer verification.
Verified sources: INTERPOL; UAE Government official portal; Dubai Police; Abu Dhabi Police; Central Bank of the UAE. Guidance rechecked 12 November 2026.
Source: Emirates News Agency reporting INTERPOL’s campaign, 19 October 2026.