Scam Calls Surge 78% in the Philippines: A New Wave of Cyber Threats Demands Vigilance

Scam calls in the Philippines have surged dramatically by over 78 percent in the third quarter of 2025, according to the latest Whoscall Scam Report by Gogolook. The alarming rise in fraudulent calls, now numbering over 62,000 from July to September, signals a strategic shift in cybercriminal behavior one that could catch even the most cautious consumers off guard.

While scam text messages continue to decline due to greater public awareness and government crackdowns, the rise in call-based frauds highlights how threat actors are evolving. Gogolook Philippines Country Head Mel Migriño noted that scammers are increasingly exploiting telemarketing channels of legitimate financial institutions, imitating promotional or service calls such as credit card limit upgrades. This makes scams more believable and harder to detect.

The good news is that collaborative efforts among government agencies, the private sector, and advocacy groups like Scam Watch Pilipinas have significantly reduced text-based scams down an impressive 97 percent year-on-year. But the bad news is clear: scammers are adapting, leveraging more sophisticated and human-centered tactics to bypass traditional defenses.

This shift underscores a critical truth cybersecurity isn’t just about blocking links or deleting suspicious texts anymore. It’s about building a layered, intelligent defense that can recognize and respond to emerging patterns of deception in real time.

Organizations, especially in finance, telecommunications, and customer service sectors, need to act fast. With the rise of social engineering and AI-driven call scams, human error is becoming the new entry point for cybercriminals. Investing in advanced security solutions and continuous monitoring can help organizations stay one step ahead.

This is where Directpath Global Technologies (DGT) can help. As a trusted Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP), DGT offers a range of proactive cybersecurity solutions including Mobile Threat Defense (MTD), Extended Detection and Response (XDR), Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing (VAPT), System Organization Controls Type 2 (SOC2), Vulnerability Risk Management as a Service (VRMaaS), Web Application Firewall (WAF), and Virtual CISO (vCISO) support. What makes DGT unique is its Artificial Intelligence Division, which enables organizations to implement smarter, adaptive defense systems tailored to their operational realities not just for cybersecurity, but for broader digital resilience.

As scams continue to evolve, vigilance and adaptability must go hand in hand. Whether through call, text, or AI-generated schemes, threat actors are constantly looking for the next weak spot. The lesson is clear: security is not a one-time setup, but a continuous effort to protect what matters most your data, your operations, and your trust.

Source: Malaya Business Insight