DED, Visa launch card security week in UAE

Dubai / Emirates Business

The Department of Economic Development (DED) in Dubai and its long-standing partner, Visa, a global payments technology company, launched UAE Card Security Week, a consumer awareness campaign to promote safe online shopping habits and educate consumers on ways to avoid payment fraud in the UAE. The campaign is launched against the backdrop of growing adoption of online shopping and digital payment options, especially during the month of Ramadan.
The week-long campaign, being launched in the UAE after a successful run in South Africa, addresses concerns of UAE shoppers revealed in a recent Visa survey , and reinforces the commitment of DED and Visa to promoting a safe and secure online payment ecosystem and enhancing consumer protection by educating the general public on how to prevent and protect themselves against different types of payment-related frauds.
According to VisaNet data, during the 2015 holy month of Ramadan, Visa cardholders showed an interest to shop online, with 19% of spends during the month being through online channels as compared to 17% in a regular month. With online shopping growing in popularity in the UAE, it is important that consumers know they are visiting trustworthy and safe websites .
“For the Department of Economic Development, a major focus of its efforts towards preserving the integrity and reputation of Dubai as a popular shopping destination is on enabling consumers and traders to protect their rights. We continue to create successful public-private partnerships to achieve our consumer protection goals and we are confident that our joining hands with Visa will help consumers in Dubai take advantage of the increasing opportunities for online shopping confidently,” commented Mohammad Ali Rashid Lootah, Chief Executive Officer of the Commercial Compliance & Consumer Protection (CCCP) sector in DED.
Neil Fernandes, Head of Risk for MENA, Visa, said: “The online shopping survey highlights a strong trend towards increasing e-Commerce activity among UAE residents, and we see this especially during Ramadan. With these trends here to stay, it is imperative that cardholders are aware about the growing risks of payment-related fraud. Cardholder safety is at the heart of Visa’s business and, along with providing a safe and secure online shopping environment, we, along with the DED, are committed to educating our customers on ways to avoid falling victim to such scams at all times.”
“According to a survey on online purchases worldwide there are various challenges faced by countries and consumer protection bodies. Hence, the Department of Economic Development is expanding its awareness campaigns to combat such threats in the region focusing on vulnerable groups such as youngsters who are the largest online community. Through our joint campaign with Visa, online buyers will receive useful tips and tools to verify whether the sellers are genuine and then proceed to make safe and secure online purchases. The Consumer Protection section in the Department of Economic Development receives 3-7 complaints relating to online purchases daily,” said Ahmed Al Zaabi, Senior Manager – Consumer Awareness, at DED.
The online shopping survey showed that while UAE residents indicated growing confidence in buying more goods and services online, they expressed concerns such as security and budget management in using digital payment options instead of cash. About 1 in 10 respondents indicated they had been a victim of online credit card fraud in the past. Of these, 60 per cent said their card details were stolen, and 7 per cent said their cards had been debited for the wrong purchase.