Filipinos are among the most targeted consumers in Asia when it comes to scams, with adults in the country facing an average of 239 scam attempts each year, nearly one every other day. This was revealed in the latest State of Scams in the Philippines 2025 Report, conducted by the Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA) in collaboration with Mastercard and Whoscall.
The report shows that survey participants lost an average of ₱11,896 from February 2024 to February 2025[1]. Despite these losses, only 73% of victims report scam attempts, and even then, 40% said no action was taken, underscoring gaps in both reporting and resolution.
A growing fraud landscape
Scams have become an everyday occurrence, most commonly happening through text messages (75%), messaging apps (50%), and social media (50%) which are the most commonly used apps by Filipinos. 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.
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 ₱14,000 each. Seniors in the Silent Generation (76%) and residents in suburban areas (72%) reported the highest prevalence of scam exposure.
Lasting impacts on households
The consequences of scams extend beyond financial loss. While 88% of victims said they felt stressed, nearly half (48%) reported a significant impact on their mental well-being, including anxiety, distrust of digital tools, and self-doubt.
At the household level, scams forced 23% to cut spending, 23% to endure heightened family tensions, and 20% to take on additional debt. Despite this, more than half of Filipinos (57%) said the experience made them more vigilant in their digital lives.
Barriers to protection
Although most victims attempt to report scams, many find the process ineffective. 40% admitted they did not know who to contact, while a third found the reporting system too complicated. Just 11% of those who lost money were able to recover it, highlighting systemic weaknesses in consumer protection. The government has recently taken steps to address this, notably passing the Anti-Financial Account Scamming Act (AFASA, RA No. 12010) to strengthen legal safeguards and empower regulators. Under this law, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has issued circulars implementing guidelines for account inquiry, fund freezing, and information sharing[2]. The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) has also demonstrated commendable leadership in driving public awareness and rapid response — inspiring examples of how cross-sector collaboration can strengthen the country’s defenses against scams and cyber-enabled fraud.
Call for joint action
Ninety-eight percent of Filipinos claim they are already taking steps to verify if the offer or outreach they are encountering is legitimate, most commonly 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.
This calls for an effort among banks, digital platforms, telecom operators, and regulators to improve protections for ordinary consumers. GASA and Mastercard recommend convenient and present reporting channels, concrete measures of enforcement, support systems for victims, and shared responsibility for reimbursing scam losses. Mastercard has previously expanded its TRACE financial crime detection tool in the Philippines’ real-time payments network as part of its commitment to security and fraud prevention in the region[3].
“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,” said Brian D. Hanley, GASA APAC Director.
“The collaborative efforts of various stakeholders across different sectors is precisely what needs to happen in order to bring back the sense of security and peace of mind to Filipinos,” Mel Migriño, Philippines Country Head and General Manager of Gogolook, developer of Whoscall stated. “Over the years that Gogolook has monitored scam trends through Whoscall, we’ve seen them grow and evolve alongside current technological advancements. Presently, we’ve seen a surge of scammers using Al technology and social media to take advantage of the Filipinos, making it harder for them to recognize scams and easier to fall victim. That is why Whoscall aims to keep up with these evolving tactics through the introduction of features like Content Checker and Scam Alerts, which aim to provide users with more information to help combat newer scam methods. These necessary features of the app are free for all users, and we hope to strengthen our collaboration with various institutions to help provide awareness of and access to the app to strengthen community protection.”
“As scams grow more sophisticated, they are no longer isolated incidents – they are a perpetual digital threat, inflicting both financial loss and social trauma,” said Jason Crasto, Country Manager, Philippines, Mastercard. “Protecting Filipinos requires systemic cooperation between industries and government to restore trust in the digital economy. Mastercard is proud to collaborate with GASA and Whoscall on this report to shed further light on how scammers are impacting the payments landscape, and continues to invest in smarter, safer technologies and cross-industry collaboration to protect Filipinos and ensure that digital progress benefits everyone.”
