Fraud control room: A key proactive prevention measure
In response to growing concerns over the scale and sophistication of financial fraud globally, the Council of Ministers has approved the creation of a dedicated operations room tasked exclusively with combating such crimes in Saudi Arabia.
This move reflects increased awareness of the significant economic and social impacts of financial fraud and the urgent need for a specialized, well-equipped body to address complex misconduct.
By establishing this operations room, lawmakers aim to strengthen institutional defenses, restore public trust, and ensure greater accountability across financial systems.
According to Nasdaq Verafin's 2024 Global Financial Crime Report, illicit funds flowing through the global financial system were estimated at $3.1 trillion in 2023.
Of this, money laundering played a major role in enabling various crimes, including $346.7 billion tied to human trafficking, $782.9 billion linked to drug trafficking, and $11.5 billion in terrorist financing.
Fraud scams and bank fraud schemes also caused an estimated $485.6 billion in global losses in 2023.
In the Arab world, a study by Naif Arab University for Security Sciences, in cooperation with Interpol, revealed that daily visits to fraudulent websites by individuals of Arab nationalities exceeded 137,000.
The study also identified five major types of financial crimes prevalent in Arab countries: Investment fraud, business email compromise, romance fraud, sextortion, and phishing.
It further outlined 24 criminal methods used by fraudsters to trap victims. Prominent tactics include impersonating bank employees to extract sensitive information, exploiting artificial intelligence in fraudulent ad campaigns, using trusted online platforms to post fake ads, and employing cryptocurrencies to conceal fund trails.
Given these findings, the establishment of a dedicated financial fraud control room is crucial to proactively enhance coordination among authorities and strengthen efforts to combat financial crimes.
This initiative will enable swift responses to fraud-related distress calls, improve recovery of stolen funds, enhance tracking of perpetrators, and ensure the enforcement of legal and regulatory penalties, especially in cross-border cases.
The control room will also streamline information exchange between authorities, overcoming challenges such as slow processes and poor coordination.
By fostering more efficient collaboration, it will allow officials to intervene early and prevent fraud from escalating. Additionally, the control room will introduce electronic reporting systems, making it easier for victims to report fraud quickly, thus increasing the chances of stopping scams and recovering stolen funds.
This initiative underscores the critical need to raise public awareness about fraud prevention and strengthen regional and international cooperation against a crime that transcends borders.
The establishment of this specialized unit also aligns with Vision 2030, which aims to bolster cybersecurity and protect the national economy, financial systems, and monetary institutions from fraud and cyber threats.
While creating a dedicated financial fraud control room is essential, preventing fraud is a shared responsibility that extends beyond government entities to all individuals — citizens and residents alike.
Raising public awareness and vigilance is crucial. People must be cautious of suspicious messages, unsolicited investment offers, and unlicensed entities posing as investment firms.
Moreover, individuals should avoid sharing personal or banking information outside official channels and remain alert to calls from those claiming to represent financial institutions requesting confidential details. Legitimate bank representatives will never ask for sensitive information such as PINs or passwords.
• Talat Zaki Hafiz is an economist and financial analyst. X: @TalatHafiz
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