Trust is the foundation of modern digital life. It allows people to shop online, manage finances, communicate with loved ones, and share personal information with confidence. But as scams become more widespread and sophisticated, that trust is increasingly under threat.
The Philippines remains one of the most heavily targeted countries in the region. The ASEAN Consumer Scam study found that 52% of Filipinos have been scammed at least once in their lifetime, a higher rate than many of its ASEAN neighbors.
Meanwhile, the Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA) estimates that Filipinos encounter scam attempts almost every two days—around 239 attempts a year—and lose an average of P11,896.30 to fraud.
Despite increased public awareness, scammers continue to find new ways to deceive victims. According to Rakuten Viber, scammers are no longer relying on obvious phishing emails or generic messages. Instead, they are using artificial intelligence (AI) and social engineering tactics to create more convincing attacks.
One growing threat is hyper-personalized phishing, where scammers use AI to gather publicly available information and craft messages that appear to come from trusted organizations such as banks, telecom providers, or government agencies.
Fraudsters are also using SMS blasters, or IMSI catchers, to intercept legitimate message threads and insert fake messages that can look almost identical to official communications.
Other schemes include multichannel phishing attacks, where victims are contacted on trusted platforms before being redirected to less secure channels, often through urgent warnings about deliveries or banking issues.
AI-generated impersonation scams are also becoming more convincing. Using deepfake technology, scammers can mimic a person’s voice, speech patterns, and even emotional cues to trick family members and friends.
Online shoppers are likewise at risk from fake e-commerce websites that mimic legitimate retailers, while QR phishing—or “quishing”—uses malicious QR codes to redirect victims to fake login pages or malware downloads.
To help protect users from scams, Rakuten Viber combines AI-powered detection tools with human oversight to spot and block suspicious activity before it spreads. The app also gives users several built-in safety features, including message filtering for unknown contacts, caller identification, easy reporting and blocking tools, and controls over who can add them to groups. All private and group chats are protected by end-to-end encryption, helping keep conversations secure and private.
“Fraudsters have become more devious and ruthless. They are constantly changing their tactics through AI and new technologies and emotional and psychological manipulation that make fraud harder to spot.” says Liad Shnell, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at Rakuten Viber.
“But security experts everywhere, including us from Rakuten Viber, are on their tail. We are constantly studying their schemes and improving our proactive systems to help users protect their personal and financial information. Through these efforts, we have seen real impact in reducing users’ exposure to fraudulent activity,” he adds.
To stay safe, Rakuten Viber encourages users to pause before clicking links or scanning QR codes, verify senders, avoid opening unsolicited attachments, and be cautious when sharing personal information.
“It’s also good practice to keep yourself aware and updated on how scammers are evolving, so you can be one step ahead of them and be prepared if you encounter them. In the end, their main goal is to get your money. If any transaction or conversation involves sharing personal and financial information, it’s better to be skeptical than sorry. Don’t give your details right away,” reminds Shnell.
