Whoscall, a subsidiary of Gogolook, has released its 2024 "Whoscall Annual Report," providing an in-depth analysis of fraud trends and personal information breach threats across Asia using first-hand data. The report reveals that global fraud reached a new peak in 2024, following the 2021 pandemic. Taiwan's phone number breach rate reached 62.4%, ranking second in Asia. Fraud channels are also becoming increasingly diverse, encompassing phone calls, text messages, and malicious links.
Global fraud is back! Following the pandemic, it's hitting new peaks, with increased fraud in Thailand, Hong Kong, and the Philippines.
Global fraud reached a historic peak in 2021 during the pandemic. However, with stepped-up government crackdowns, industry collaboration, and increased public awareness, total fraud volume has declined for two consecutive years. However, fraud attacks surged again in 2024, fueled by the global fraud industry and generative AI, highlighting the continuous evolution of fraud syndicates and the need for continued strengthening of anti-fraud measures. According to the latest data from Whoscall, in 2024, Whoscall identified 56 billion unsolicited calls and text messages for users worldwide, including 5.4 million fraudulent calls, including 8725 million suspected fraudulent calls and 4.5 million suspected fraudulent text messages. This resurgence in fraud demonstrates the ongoing evolution of the fraud industry and its increasing reliance on digital technology to carry out large-scale fraud.
Looking at fraud trends across Asia, South Korea saw a decrease in fraud cases compared to last year, while Taiwan, Japan, and Malaysia saw slight increases, though no significant spikes. However, fraud activity in Thailand, Hong Kong, and the Philippines continues to show signs of rapid growth, particularly as fraud syndicates increasingly shift to online, low-cost, yet highly profitable online scams. In the face of rapidly evolving fraud patterns, Whoscall emphasizes the need for governments, businesses, and consumers to continuously heighten their awareness and jointly combat digital fraud. Through cross-sector collaboration, technological innovation, and database integration, they can strengthen fraud detection capabilities and promote widespread use of fraud prevention tools.
Be careful before clicking on unfamiliar links! Text message scams account for 90% of fraud in Taiwan; loan fraud remains a serious problem.
According to Whoscall, the number of fraud detections in Taiwan reached 2024 million in 4,000, XNUMX% of which were SMS scams, demonstrating that fraud syndicates continue to rely on SMS as a primary channel for fraudulent activity. Further analysis of common SMS scams reveals that loan scams account for XNUMX%. Scammers often use tactics like "no verification" and "no notice required" to target people in urgent need of funds, tricking them into clicking on short URLs or adding LINE friends. They claim to offer "limited-time loan offers," then demand proof of financial resources, bank card information, and bankbook signatures to facilitate fraud or recruit dummy accounts.
Dating scams are the second most common type. These scams often involve using fake romantic relationships to defraud victims of money or property. They also use fake dating sites and apps to lure victims with promises of profitable investment opportunities, using services like meet-ups or online registration services. Furthermore, bill fraud and package scams impersonating government agencies or businesses also rank highly, demonstrating that fraud syndicates are infiltrating various life scenarios in an effort to deceive the public.
Taiwan's phone number leakage rate exceeds 60%, ranking second in Asia
Last year, Whoscall launched a new "Personal Information Leak Check" feature, allowing users to track their personal information breach history using their phone number and email address. Taiwanese users' usage and query results highlight the widespread problem of personal information leaks. Looking back at major data breaches in 2024, data related to hotel booking platforms was particularly severe, affecting sensitive information such as user names, phone numbers, email addresses, check-in dates, room types, and payment details. According to a Whoscall survey, Taiwan's phone number leak rate is as high as 62.4%, second only to Malaysia (72.5%) in Asia. Based on statistics from Taiwan's Household Registration Department, with an estimated population of approximately 20 million between the ages of 65 and 1600, it is estimated that nearly XNUMX million Taiwanese citizens have experienced personal information leaks, making them potential targets for fraud schemes.
Further analysis of the types of personal information breached beyond phone numbers reveals that emails are the most common type of data breach in Taiwan, Thailand, Japan, and the Philippines. This suggests that scammers can launch attacks through phishing emails, tricking victims into clicking on malicious links and subsequently stealing personal or financial information. In contrast, Malaysia has the highest rate of name breaches, demonstrating the continued strong demand for identity information in the personal information trafficking market. Furthermore, account passwords and home addresses are also common high-risk breaches across Asia. The public should remain vigilant, regularly changing passwords and handling personal information with caution to mitigate cybersecurity risks.
Malicious links hide traps! Investment scams and phishing websites are the most rampant
According to Whoscall's observations, most digital scams use "links" to direct victims to fake communication accounts or one-page fraudulent websites. Whoscall's analysis of the types of fraudulent links reveals that investment scams account for 10%. Fraud syndicates primarily utilize social media platforms, impersonating stock market celebrities and financial experts to place fake investment advertisements, promising "guaranteed profits and high returns." They then use investment groups to lure victims into further investment. In the second half of the year, the government's strengthened online platform review mechanisms, along with the Digital Industry and Housing Administration's promotion of the "Internet Fraud Reporting and Inquiry Network" and its takedown mechanism, have yielded substantial preventive benefits.
Phishing attacks are also one of the most common scams. Fraudsters disguise themselves as businesses or government agencies, creating convincing websites that ask users to enter personal information, bank account information, or membership login information. They may even trick victims into downloading malicious applications, infecting their mobile devices with viruses and stealing sensitive data. Shopping scams are also not to be underestimated. For example, after the Chinese Taipei team recently won the Elite 12 Tournament, a scammer used news images to create a fake one-page shopping website selling counterfeit merchandise, misleading fans into placing orders, only to receive low-quality counterfeit goods.
Lin Shuli, Chief of the Criminal Investigation Bureau's Prevention Division, also warned: "Fraudulent text messages often include random URLs or disguise themselves as official websites. The public is advised to verify suspicious links and avoid clicking them. Furthermore, fraud syndicates use subtle modifications to URLs to create visual confusion, such as replacing the letter 'o' with the number '0' or using similar special symbols, to mislead the public into believing the website is genuine. To curb the increasingly rampant online fraud, the Criminal Investigation Bureau has continued to strengthen its cooperation with online advertising platforms, requesting the removal of fraudulent advertisements."
To help people identify scam links, Whoscall's "Website Check" feature quickly verifies link security by integrating databases from Gogolook, the Criminal Investigation Bureau, several cybersecurity organizations, and Scamadviser, a global domain risk detection service. Simply enable the automatic website check feature to instantly detect suspicious links in the background and display prompt alerts, reducing the risk of accidentally visiting phishing websites.
"+886" overseas phone scams are on the decline! Unusual short codes are becoming a new favorite among fraud syndicates.
Since the end of 2023, the National Communications Commission (NCC) and telecom operators have been jointly promoting the "+886" international call warning system. When Taiwanese citizens receive calls from overseas, they must first hear a 7-second warning before the call is connected. This measure has effectively reduced the number of fraudulent calls using "+886" numbers, but fraud syndicates have not given up, and have increasingly adopted unusual short codes as a new method of number manipulation to circumvent the warning system.
According to Whoscall's analysis of phone numbers, these unusual short codes have replaced "+886" spoofing numbers as the most common scam tactic used by fraud syndicates, accounting for nearly XNUMX% of all scams. While the government's multi-pronged crackdown has significantly reduced the number of spoofing numbers, Whoscall warns the public not to be complacent. Cross-border phone scams using the "+" symbol remain rampant, and the public is advised to remain vigilant when answering unknown calls and use caller identification tools to filter out scams.
Whoscall, the national anti-fraud app, continues to upgrade its anti-fraud technology to protect user safety
To combat the growing prevalence of fraud, Whoscall continues to upgrade its AI-powered anti-fraud technology. This technology helps users instantly block fraud threats through caller ID recognition, SMS filtering, and link checking. Last year, Whoscall launched a new AI-powered feature, "Scam Check," which allows users to directly screenshot social media ads, text messages, or messaging app conversations. Whoscall then uses AI to instantly analyze whether the content is fraudulent, further enhancing user information security.
Whoscall also looks forward to continuing to work with governments, businesses, and the public to combat fraud, strengthen digital fraud awareness education, and enhance society's overall fraud prevention capabilities. Going forward, Whoscall will continue to leverage AI and data technology to build a more comprehensive fraud protection network, helping users around the world avoid fraud risks.
