As part of its ongoing support of the Diraya campaign

• Hamza AlTailji: It is important to handle unknown applications and electronic links with caution

Gulf Bank is continuing to spearhead various efforts in support of the Diraya campaign as part of its keenness to enhance financial literacy and education. For the second year in a row, Gulf Bank is supporting the campaign by broadcasting and disseminating awareness and educational materials through social media, the Bank's website, and other channels.

Assistant Manager of Corporate Communications at Gulf Bank, Hamza AlTailji, warned bank customers against falling victim to fraud through remote control applications in smart devices. Newer schemes that aim to steal personal data have been on the rise, in addition to more traditional means of information theft, such as phone calls, text messages, or emails.

He pointed out that applications are being promoted with the aim of luring victims to download them on their smart devices. After downloading these applications, the user typically loses control of their device, along with their data and personal information; in turn, the hackers gain control of the users’ private data, enabling them to steal from users’ bank accounts.

AlTailji indicated that hackers use cunning tricks to obtain customer data. One such way is through the promotion of applications that promise users attractive profits and returns; another is through the imitation of popular or well-known applications to persuade customers to enter their banking data and private information.

He noted that, as part of their efforts to confront the rapid development of piracy operations, banks expend great efforts and spend millions annually in order to fortify their systems through solid cybersecurity programs and systems designed to protect customers and digital payment operations. In line with these efforts, customers must also take care to preserve their banking data and smart devices from infiltration.

AlTailji recommended the following tips for all banking customers to keep in mind: Customers should take care not to store any confidential information such as debit card numbers, credit card numbers, or personal identification numbers on their mobile phones. In addition, customers should not write their passwords/pin codes on their card or share passwords/pin codes with anyone; this also applies to the One Time Password (OTP). Finally, customers should log out of the bank’s application or website as soon as they complete their transactions.

He affirmed that banks will never ask clients for their personal information via email, text message or phone calls, and that it is best to avoid responding to these types of messages. Messages that request clients’ personal information are fraudulent attempts whose aim is to obtain customers’ banking information in order to steal their money or identity.

AlTailji recommended that clients should handle electronic links with caution, as simply clicking on the link may expose their confidential banking data to theft.

It is worth noting that the Diraya campaign is an awareness campaign initiated by the Central Bank of Kuwait and the Kuwait Banking Association. The campaign aims to spread financial literacy in society, raise awareness of the role of the banking sector, and promote the various services that banks offer to their customers.

Gulf Bank's vision is to be the leading Kuwaiti Bank of the Future. The Bank is constantly engaging and empowering its employees as part of an inclusive and diversified workplace in recognition of every employee’s role in delivering customer excellence and serving the community at large. With its extensive network of branches and innovative digital services, Gulf Bank is able to give its customers the choice of how and where to conduct their banking transactions, all while ensuring a simple and seamless banking experience.

Gulf Bank is committed to maintaining a robust sustainability program at the community, economic, and environmental levels through sustainability initiatives that are strategically selected to benefit both the country and the Bank. Gulf Bank supports Kuwait Vision 2035 “New Kuwait” and works with various parties to achieve it.