According to Trend Micro, Philippine organizations are facing a greater risk of scams driven by artificial intelligence (AI) this year and should strengthen intelligence-based cybersecurity and employee awareness to limit the risk.
“In 2026, cybercriminal tactics will increasingly be driven by AI and automation,” Ian V. Felipe, country manager of Trend Micro Philippines, said in an e-mailed response to questions.
According to the cybersecurity software firm's 2026 Scam Prediction Report, autonomous or agentic AI systems are expected to make fraud campaigns more targeted, persuasive, and scalable. Mr. Felipe said these tools let attackers automate scam creation, social engineering and fraud execution with limited human oversight.
Trend Micro expects phishing, impersonation scams and payment-related fraud to continue to increase, often paired with malware infections or account takeover attempts.
Organizations with digital customer touchpoints such as online payment systems, customer service platforms and cloud-based applications may face the greatest risk.
“Although the Philippines shares many of the same risk factors as other Asia-Pacific countries, including hybrid environments and reliance on digital platforms, its growth in digital adoption has made proactive cybersecurity a strategic imperative,” Mr. Felipe said.
The company also warned that Philippine organizations will continue to be the target of advanced persistent threats this year, especially those handling sensitive data or linked to national and economic infrastructure.
“Any organization with a significant digital footprint, reliance on cloud or hybrid environments, or exposure to regional and global networks should consider themselves a potential target and take a proactive, intelligence-driven approach to security,” he said.
According to Trend Micro, other types of scams that are expected to continue include multi-channel fraud, relationship and investment scams, instant payment fraud and delivery and billing-related schemes.
Scammers are also expected to time attacks around major events such as natural disasters, layoffs, and elections to increase credibility and success rates.
Trend Micro estimates global losses from scams could reach $442 billion in 2024, underscoring the scale of the threat as AI-powered technology becomes more accessible and sophisticated.
The firm said organizations that combine technical security with employee awareness programs will be better positioned to limit risk as scam tactics continue to evolve. , Beatriz Marie D. Cruz