Protectt.ai issues advisory for fraud risk during live mobile banking sessions

Cybersecurity company urges financial institutions to assess application, device and transaction risk continuously after login

Protectt.ai, a mobile application security, fraud prevention and digital trust company, has warned banks that a successful customer login does not necessarily mean a mobile banking session remains safe.

Fraudsters increasingly work around authentication by manipulating customers or compromising their devices after access has been granted. A customer may use the bank’s genuine application on a registered phone and authenticate with valid credentials while a remote-access tool, screen-sharing application, overlay or other form of compromise allows another party to observe, influence or control activity during the live session.

The warning comes as financial institutions across the UAE expand mobile-first services, instant payments and connected financial experiences. Protectt.ai says banks need the ability to reassess trust continuously across the application, device and transaction, particularly before funds or sensitive data move.

Recent research highlights both the scale of the fraud challenge and the need for stronger application security. In a survey of 1,000 UAE residents, one in three respondents reported losing money to scams in the preceding year, across digital and communication channels. Additional research points to the need for protection inside applications while they are running, alongside testing and frontline controls.

Manish Mimani, Founder and CEO of Protectt.ai, said: “Authentication confirms that a recognised customer has entered the application. It cannot, on its own, confirm that the device and the session remain safe throughout the transaction.

“Banks need visibility into what is happening while the application is running so they can recognise risky conditions and intervene before fraud is completed.”

Common warning signals can include remote-control or screen-sharing tools operating during a banking session, rooted or jailbroken devices, screen overlays, application cloning, runtime hooking and attempts to tamper with application behaviour. These conditions may emerge or change after authentication, which makes a single security decision at login less reliable as the session continues.

Continuous assessment during the session
Protectt.ai recommends that financial institutions treat device integrity as part of transaction risk. A high-value transfer initiated from a device showing signs of remote control, tampering or abnormal execution should carry a different risk profile from the same transfer on a healthy device. Banks should also connect application-level security signals with fraud and transaction-monitoring systems. Technical indicators identified inside the application can become more useful when assessed alongside behavioural and transactional anomalies, helping institutions decide whether to allow an action, request further verification, pause a transaction or suspend a session.

Pushkar Singh, Country Head, Middle East and Africa at Protectt.ai, said: “Mobile applications are now the primary financial front door for many customers in the UAE. The challenge is to protect that experience without adding unnecessary friction.

“A risk-based response allows banks to intervene proportionately when the application or device shows signs of compromise while keeping routine journeys smooth for genuine customers.”

Runtime visibility complements existing investment in secure development, identity, network defence, APIs and transaction monitoring. When an application can identify manipulation or unsafe device conditions during use, the institution has an opportunity to influence the outcome while the session is still active, rather than investigating only after a fraudulent payment has been completed.

Protectt.ai reports that it covers more than 350 sensitive mobile applications and over one billion unique devices, has safeguarded more than 100 billion sessions and has prevented over eight billion threats. Its Mobile App Security Platform combines Runtime Application Self-Protection, threat intelligence, device intelligence and identity-led controls to help organisations detect and respond to threats affecting applications, users and transactions.