Over 60% of Filipinos targeted by financial scams, report says

OVER 60% of Filipino adults experience financial scams each year, with attempts happening nearly every other day and average losses per person amounting to nearly P12,000, according to a survey.

The State of Scams in the Philippines 2025 Report, which is based on a survey conducted by the Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA) in collaboration with Mastercard and Whoscall, said 65% of the 1,000 respondents claimed to have been scammed from February 2024 to February 2025, with each victim experiencing an average of 2.3 scams.

Meanwhile, 77% said they encountered a scam in the period for an average of 239 scam attempts per year.

Some 31% of the respondents said they lost an average of P11,896.30 per person to scams, with a total of P280.5 billion stolen for the period.

The GASA said that e-wallets (74%) are typically used by fraudsters to receive illicit proceeds of fraudulent activities, followed by wire or bank transfers (14%).

“When nearly one in three Filipinos loses money to a scam, it’s not just a digital safety issue. It’s a household stability issue. People are cutting back on daily needs, doubting the tools they rely on, and carrying the emotional weight long after the scam is over. Solving this requires partners working together instead of fighting the problem in silos,” GASA Asia-Pacific Director Brian D. Hanley said in a statement on Tuesday.

The report showed that scams involving investments (65%), unexpected money (64%), and shopping (58%) were the most prevalent type of attacks experienced by Filipino adults.

The GASA said 85% of scam attempts in the Philippines in the period occurred on platforms that have a direct message function, with the top channels being used by scammers being text/SMS message (75%), instant messaging apps (50%), and social media (50%).

“Facebook and Telegram were identified as the top platforms where scams occur, while TikTok and Instagram were the hardest places for victims to immediately recognize fraudulent activity,” it added.

“The study also highlighted who is most vulnerable. Gen Z consumers were found to be the least confident in spotting scams, while Millennials lost the most money on average, at over P14,000 each. Seniors in the Silent Generation (76%) and residents in suburban areas (72%) reported the highest prevalence of scam exposure.”

However, even as they encountered several scams, only 73% of victims said they report these attempts, with 59% of these people saying that either no action was taken (40%) or they aren’t sure what the outcome was (19%).

“No loss of money is the main reason scam encounters don’t get reported,” the GASA said. “Being unsure whom to report scams to was the main reason for not reporting encounters.”

“Almost three quarters reported their scam to the payment service, and one tenth said their money was at least partially recovered,” it added.

Almost half of those scammed said it impacted their well-being (48%), and the majority said it made them feel stressed (88%).

While this resulted in increased vigilance for about half (57%), others had to reduce normal spending behavior (23%) or take on additional debt or loans (20%).

In a sign of improving financial literacy, the survey found that 98% of Filipinos said they take at least one step to check if an offer is real or a scam by checking a brand or seller’s social media page, reading online reviews, or confirming activity on official accounts.

“However, experts warn that these surface-level checks can only go so far, as scammers are increasingly able to clone profiles, fabricate engagement metrics, and mimic verified pages to appear credible. Hence, combatting scammers is not an issue that should fall on consumers alone, but should be supported by the ecosystem at large,” the GASA said. “This calls for an effort among banks, digital platforms, telecom operators, and regulators to improve protections for ordinary consumers.”

It said that to empower consumers, authorities should launch permanent national campaigns to raise scam awareness, establish national helplines for scam victims, and create integrated victim support systems offering financial, legal, and psychological help.

They should also take steps to create a safer digital world by building infrastructural protections with telecoms and tech providers to block scams before they reach consumers and  improving fraud traceability across borders by requiring transparency from sellers, platforms, and payment providers.

“As scams grow more sophisticated, they are no longer isolated incidents — they are a perpetual digital threat, inflicting both financial loss and social trauma. Protecting Filipinos requires systemic cooperation between industries and government to restore trust in the digital economy,” Mastercard Philippines Country Manager Jason Crasto said. — AMCS