"Check Before You Interact".. Saudi Arabia and "Meta" Launch Initiative to Combat Cyber Fraud

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The General Authority for Media Regulation and "Meta" launched an awareness initiative under the slogan "Check Before You Interact", aimed at raising awareness about methods to detect and avoid electronic fraud and report it, as well as promoting safe usage practices of digital platforms in Saudi society.

The initiative focuses on encouraging users to pause and verify content and links before interacting with or sharing them, in addition to utilizing available digital safety tools to protect accounts and personal data.

In parallel, the initiative employs a select group of trusted local content creators, along with interactive content and practical tools to help users identify indicators of electronic fraud and deal with suspicious messages, accounts, and advertisements.

The General Authority for Media Regulation confirmed that the partnership with "Meta" comes within the framework of enhancing awareness of safe usage practices of digital platforms, and empowering community members to verify suspicious content and messages before interacting with them, as well as reporting fraud attempts.

For its part, "Meta" clarified that the initiative aims to establish safer digital habits by providing tips and tools to help users protect their accounts and deal with fraud attempts.

The authority and "Meta" urged users in the Kingdom to be cautious of urgent messages promising prizes, gifts, or high financial returns, calling for verification of links and offers before clicking on them or sharing any personal information.

They also recommended enabling two-factor authentication, regularly reviewing account security settings, and reporting suspicious accounts, messages, and advertisements directly from within the apps.

For his part, the Public Policy Director for the Gulf Cooperation Council countries at "Meta", Anas Metwally, stated that scammers continue to develop their methods, prompting the company to invest in the necessary technologies to detect, combat, and remove fraud from its platforms.

He added that the collaboration with the General Authority for Media Regulation in launching the "Check" initiative aims to enhance the digital culture among members of Saudi society and raise awareness of indicators of electronic fraud and ways to deal with it.

The initiative highlights several tools available to help users protect their accounts, including the security check feature on Facebook and Instagram, which allows users to review security settings, update weak passwords, enable two-factor authentication, and receive login alerts.

Meta also provides passkeys that replace traditional passwords with biometric data stored on devices or a screen lock code, along with tools to verify privacy settings and specify who can view the profile and posts or communicate with the user.

Protection tools also include warnings about suspicious links on Facebook, alerts when attempting to log into a WhatsApp account from an unknown device, as well as a feature to mute incoming calls from unknown numbers.

The company also offers a "Fraud Protection Center," which is a centralized platform equipped with an AI-based support tool that allows users to report scams, view previous reports, and receive guidance on digital safety.

This initiative is part of Meta's global efforts to combat fraud and scams, as the company announced that it removed more than 159 million fraudulent ads worldwide during 2025, noting that 92% of them were deleted before being reported.

Meta has canceled 10.9 million accounts on Facebook and Instagram linked to criminal fraud centers, and has succeeded in reducing the rate of reporting fraudulent ads per ad view by more than 55%.

Meta continues to invest in advanced technologies, including AI-based monitoring tools and facial recognition technologies, to combat impersonation of celebrities and expand verification procedures for advertiser accounts.

The company is also collaborating with government entities, banks, and law enforcement agencies worldwide to disrupt fraud networks targeting internet users.