The Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) has officially banned local banks from using instant messaging applications such as WhatsApp for communications with customers.

This decision, reported by Asharq Al-Awsat, was made due to concerns regarding the reliability of these channels for sensitive financial information.

SAMA's action is anchored in its regulatory authority, aimed at improving the quality of practices within the financial sector while minimizing associated risks.

In light of this prohibition, SAMA has advised financial institutions to explore alternative secure communication channels, recommending the use of integrated services like Live Chat or ChatBots on banking applications and websites.

Institutions are required to adhere to personal data protection requirements while implementing these alternatives.

Following this directive, local banks must ensure that employees in branches, customer service, and marketing are adequately trained on new protocols.

SAMA has mandated compliance assessments to verify adherence to these instructions.

In a related public awareness initiative, the Media and Awareness Committee at Saudi Banks has issued warnings regarding rising fraud cases involving impersonation scams that exploit charitable organizations and public figures.

Fraudsters often use social media to mislead victims into believing they are affiliated with legitimate entities, soliciting payments under false pretenses.

The committee clarified that no official institutions solicit donations through instant messaging platforms or social media.

Rima Al-Qahtani, the head of the fraud control department at the Arab National Bank, emphasized that legitimate organizations do not request fees to distribute donations.

Rabah Al-Shemaisi, Secretary General of the Media and Awareness Committee, reiterated the importance of avoiding any engagement with parties demanding monetary fees for donations or services, noting a significant rise in fraudulent activities using these tactics.

Customers are encouraged to utilize the SADAD system, a secure platform available in all Saudi banks and banking applications, for bill payments and service fees.

In case of a fraud incident, immediate notification to the respective bank is advised to take necessary recovery measures.

This prohibition on WhatsApp alongside continuous awareness campaigns reflects Saudi banks' commitment to combatting financial fraud and enhancing customer security through education and preventive measures.