News
UAE Phishing Emails Up 77% Last Quarter, Kaspersky Says
Frequently used tactics included know-your-customer messages, free money offers, unusual email login activity and undelivered parcel warnings.
The United Arab Emirates saw a steep rise in emails containing phishing threats during the 2nd quarter of 2023.
The volume of scam emails increased by 77% compared to previous quarters, according to cyber threat experts Kaspersky, who also noted that illicit tactics were becoming more sophisticated.
The most prevalent phishing scams in the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa included emails involving undelivered parcels, know-your-customer messages, unusual email login activity warnings, and free money offers.
Known as social engineering scams, these tactics trick users into taking action by pretending to come from a trusted source. Once someone clicks a link in a phishing email, they will often be vulnerable to threats from malware or ransomware, which can cause significant harm to individuals and enterprises.
In January, the UAE Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority warned consumers to be on alert for scam text messages appearing to come from well-known courier companies, including DHL Express, Emirates Post, and Aramex, as they could be phishing scams.
“Once a cybercriminal understands what motivates an individual’s actions, they try to exploit their lack of knowledge and manipulate their behavior to meet the end goal,” said Kaspersky in its recent report.
Also Read: The Largest Data Breaches In The Middle East
In 2022, many scams involved emails containing fake links to free streaming of things like Netflix’s Stranger Things, The Batman movie, and the FIFA World Cup.
“There is no aspect of our life that cybercriminals cannot exploit. Human behavior and emotion is no exception,” explained Maher Yamout, lead security researcher at Kaspersky.
“These scams are a result of manipulation based on fear, curiosity, and greed. The key takeaway is to pay attention to basic details in emails before responding, even if they are from trusted sources because one wrong click can lead to harsh consequences,” the report also said.
News
Stake Powers Instant Payouts With Checkout.com Pay To Card
The new feature lets investors in the UAE, KSA, and UK receive real estate returns in minutes — cutting withdrawal times to under 10 minutes.
Stake, a leading digital real estate investment platform, has unveiled Pay to Card, a next-generation withdrawal feature built on Checkout.com’s global payment infrastructure. The integration enables investors to have dividends and returns credited directly to their bank cards — often within minutes — dramatically reducing the traditional multi-day payout process.
After a successful pilot in May involving over 200 users, some investors reported receiving their funds in under 10 minutes. Ricardo Brizido, CPTO and Co-Founder of Stake, emphasized the importance of speed and reliability: “With Pay to Card, we’re eliminating unnecessary delays and putting returns in our investors’ hands almost instantly. This feature was built to directly solve one of the most common pain points in real estate investing, and it’s already driving strong results”.
The feature launch coincides with rapid growth in real-time finance across the Middle East. Checkout.com’s “State of Digital Commerce in MENA 2025” report highlights a 388% year-on-year surge in Account Funding Transactions (AFTs) in the UAE, reflecting strong demand for immediate payout solutions. The same study recorded a 176% increase in total processing volume from 2023 to 2024 and noted that daily online transactions have jumped 320% since 2020.
Since its 2021 debut, Stake has facilitated over AED 1 billion in property transactions, advancing its mission to democratize real estate investment in high-growth markets. By integrating Pay to Card, Stake reinforces its commitment to customer-centric innovation and operational transparency.
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Remo Giovanni Abbondandolo, General Manager for MENA at Checkout.com, praised the collaboration: “Stake has always led with customer-first financial experiences. Together, we’re meeting the expectations of a region that is no longer just digital-first, but real-time-first. Pay to Card exemplifies how modern payment infrastructure can directly solve investor pain points”.
Pay to Card is now available to all Stake users in the United Arab Emirates, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the United Kingdom. By slashing withdrawal times from days to minutes, Stake and Checkout.com are setting a new standard for seamless, on-demand real estate investing.
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