A new study revealed that more than half of all Filipinos have been tricked by an online scam at some point. This troubling finding comes from research by the GSMA, a leading organization for mobile network operators.
The data was presented on November 12, 2025 at a technology conference in Manila. It showed that 52% of adults in the Philippines have experienced a scam. This number is 7 points higher than the regional average for Southeast Asia.
The problem is getting worse quickly. The report indicates that 8% of people were scammed just in the last year. GSMA notes that this rapid growth in fraud cases is among the fastest in the region.
Most victims, 68% of them, lost money. 11% described their financial loss as major. Beyond the monetary hit, 45% said the experience caused them emotional stress. Another 28% had to spend a great deal of time fixing the problems the scam created.
Public worry is extremely high. The study also found that 96% of Filipinos are concerned about being scammed or hacked. Social media platforms have now become the most common method scammers use to target people.
In response, the mobile industry is launching new initiatives. A pilot program will let telecommunications companies share approved, anonymous data about scam threats with banks and tech firms. The aim is to build better detection systems, with a test run planned for early 2026.