Ministers, financial organisations, and tech giants from around the world will convene at a summit in London to discuss strategies to battle international fraud.
The meeting, set to begin on Monday at Lancaster House, is a collective effort to tackle the growing threat posed by cross-border financial frauds.
Interpol’s General Secretary, Jurgen Stock, emphasised the need for global co-operation.
“Cross-border co-operation was needed to ensure there are no safe havens for financial fraudsters,” Mr Stock said.
Those at the summit will include representatives of the Five Eyes intelligence partnership – the UK, US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand – and other nations such as France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Singapore and South Korea.
Tech firms such as Amazon, Apple, Google, Meta, TikTok and LinkedIn, alongside financial sector giants including HSBC, NatWest, Santander, Visa and various national and international banking associations, are due to attend.
The two-day summit will also host law-enforcement agencies and civil society groups, highlighting the collaborative effort required to address this issue.
A concerning increase in global fraud is anticipated to be highlighted in an Interpol threat assessment.
“Changes in technology and the rapid increase in the scale and volume of organised crime has driven the creation of a range of new ways to defraud innocent people, business and even governments," Mr Stock said.
"Urgent action is required.”
The UK experiences significant effects from international fraud, with about 70 per cent of offences linked to international criminals, leading to £3 billion ($3.86 billion) lost to overseas accounts last year.
Interpol has indicated that organised criminal groups, including human traffickers forcing people to work in scam centres, often perpetrate such fraud.
“Fraudsters have no regard for boundaries, they devastate citizens in all our countries," British Home Secretary James Cleverly said.
“We will only put a stop to this scourge if we fight it head-on together and that’s precisely what we plan to do.”
Graeme Biggar, director general of the National Crime Agency, said: “Over 70 per cent of fraud has an international element and it is clear that we need an efficient and effective joint response with partners across the globe.
“The global fraud summit is an important step forward, bringing together colleagues from the public and private sectors to tackle this persistent and pervasive threat.”
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
The specs
Engine: 2.4-litre 4-cylinder
Transmission: CVT auto
Power: 181bhp
Torque: 244Nm
Price: Dh122,900
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Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
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Stars: Kevin Hart
3/5 stars
Dates for the diary
To mark Bodytree’s 10th anniversary, the coming season will be filled with celebratory activities:
- September 21 Anyone interested in becoming a certified yoga instructor can sign up for a 250-hour course in Yoga Teacher Training with Jacquelene Sadek. It begins on September 21 and will take place over the course of six weekends.
- October 18 to 21 International yoga instructor, Yogi Nora, will be visiting Bodytree and offering classes.
- October 26 to November 4 International pilates instructor Courtney Miller will be on hand at the studio, offering classes.
- November 9 Bodytree is hosting a party to celebrate turning 10, and everyone is invited. Expect a day full of free classes on the grounds of the studio.
- December 11 Yogeswari, an advanced certified Jivamukti teacher, will be visiting the studio.
- February 2, 2018 Bodytree will host its 4th annual yoga market.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km
Price: Dh133,900
On sale: now
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Small Victories: The True Story of Faith No More by Adrian Harte
Jawbone Press
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
if you go
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct to Kolkata from Dh1,504 and Dh1,450 return including taxes, respectively. The flight takes four hours 30 minutes outbound and 5 hours 30 minute returning.
The trains
Numerous trains link Kolkata and Murshidabad but the daily early morning Hazarduari Express (3’ 52”) is the fastest and most convenient; this service also stops in Plassey. The return train departs Murshidabad late afternoon. Though just about feasible as a day trip, staying overnight is recommended.
The hotels
Mursidabad’s hotels are less than modest but Berhampore, 11km south, offers more accommodation and facilities (and the Hazarduari Express also pauses here). Try Hotel The Fame, with an array of rooms from doubles at Rs1,596/Dh90 to a ‘grand presidential suite’ at Rs7,854/Dh443.
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
