The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) reported a sharp rise in cybercrime complaints in the Philippines to 3,251 cases in the first quarter of 2025, signaling a worsening trend in online threats that continue to impact consumers and businesses.
The CICC reported at the annual business seminar hosted by the Economic Journalists Association of the Philippines (EJAP) in collaboration with San Miguel Corp. (SMC) a steady month-on-month increase in cybercrime complaints including 990 in January, 1,064 in February and a peak of 1,195 in March, averaging 36 daily complaints—up from 27 per day in the second half of 2024.
“The sheer volume of complaints, particularly in consumer fraud, underscores the urgent need for heightened cybersecurity awareness and preventive measures,” said CICC chief cybercrime agent Marco Reyes during the seminar on April 5, 2025 in Tagaytay City.
The most reported incident in the first quarter was consumer fraud, which accounted for 1,245 cases, or nearly 40 percent of the total, followed by online fraud with 1,000 complaints, while unsolicited communications ranked third with 358 cases.
The CICC also received 236 reports related to digital asset issues. Other reported offenses included 92 cases of sexual cybercrimes, 89 incidents of identity theft, 55 phishing attacks and 176 other miscellaneous cybercrime complaints.
The cybercrime center said the continuous surge in reports, particularly involving scams and fraudulent activities, reflects an urgent need for enhanced digital vigilance and cybersecurity measures across all sectors.
For comparison, some 10,004 complaints were recorded by the CICC in the second half of 2024, from July to December.
Consumer fraud also topped that list with 3,534 cases, followed closely by 3,243 cases of online fraud. Other types included 925 unsolicited communication cases, 776 identity theft complaints, 629 sexual cybercrimes, 415 digital asset-related issues, 64 phishing incidents and 418 others.
The CICC, in coordination with ScamWatch Pilipinas, conducts year-round information caravans across the country to educate citizens about various types of scams.
Reyes urged the public to stay alert and continue reporting suspicious online behavior through CICC’s central complaint platform 1326.
