Cybersecurity experts in the UAE have warned residents about the dangers of posting high-resolution photos on social media, as criminals could exploit them for identity theft, SIM swapping, and other cyberattacks.
Ashraf Koheil, regional sales director for Meta, Group-IB, highlighted the risks involved. “If you have two high-resolution images on social media, scammers can identify fingerprints. They can create a digital identity or use images to open a bank account or generate an e-SIM,” he explained.
Cybercriminals Target Social Media Users
With the UAE having high social media penetration, residents are at greater risk of cybercrimes. Many people maintain multiple accounts on platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, and YouTube, making them prime targets.
Koheil warned that cybercriminals can manipulate personal details such as date of birth to create fake cryptocurrency accounts for illegal activities. “They could manipulate digital identity and date of birth to create a crypto account, which can be used for money laundering and terror financing,” he said, adding that students from wealthy families are particularly targeted.
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The Bigger Threat: SIM Swapping and Phishing
While high-resolution images can be used for facial recognition or deepfake creation, experts believe these are not the most significant threats. Andreas Hassellöf, CEO of Ombori, emphasized that personal data shared online is a more immediate risk.
“The real risks stem from sharing personal data—such as email addresses, phone numbers, and other sensitive details—that can be directly exploited. The focus should be on defending against phishing, SIM swapping, and other forms of identity theft, which are much more prevalent and dangerous,” he said.
SIM swapping occurs when criminals trick a telecom provider into linking a victim’s phone number to a new SIM card, giving them full control over the victim’s accounts. In a Man-in-the-Middle (MITM) attack, hackers intercept communication to eavesdrop or impersonate users.
“While facial recognition misuse is a concern, real-world identity theft cases mostly involve voice cloning and deepfakes. People have lost significant amounts of money due to these scams,” Hassellöf added.
Why Cyberattacks Spike on Fridays
Koheil explained that hackers exploit security weaknesses during peak online activity. “For example, when a telecom firm launches a back-to-school holiday promotion, criminals take advantage by bombarding users with phishing messages,” he said.
Hackers also use location-based targeting. “If you log in from the UAE, you may see Salik; if from Saudi Arabia, a local service provider; and if from Egypt, another company. This makes it difficult for technology vendors to detect fraudulent activity,” Koheil said.
Most notably, cybercriminals launch attacks on Friday nights when security operations are less active. “They start phishing attacks on Friday nights because they know security operations are relaxed over the weekend,” he explained.
Due to this, security firms that typically block cyberattacks within an hour may take up to four hours to respond. “Just like we study them, they study us as well,” Koheil noted.
How to Protect Yourself
Experts advise UAE residents to use multi-factor authentication to add security layers to their accounts. Hassellöf also suggested using AI-driven technologies to detect manipulated images and blockchain-based identity management for secure online activity.
“While the fear of biometric misuse is understandable, the focus should remain on addressing the more realistic and pressing security vulnerabilities,” he said.
With cybercriminals becoming more sophisticated, experts stress the importance of staying vigilant online and limiting the amount of personal information shared on social media.