THE Department of Justice (DOJ) is intensifying its fight against online fraud, noting that 84 percent of Filipino adults were exposed to internet scams in the past year.
In a message delivered during the campaign’s launch, Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida said fighting financial fraud must be a national priority, as online scams threaten the livelihood and personal security of Filipinos.Citing the 2026 State of Scams in the Philippines report of the Global Anti-Scam Alliance, Vida said 84 percent of Filipino adults encountered a scam attempt in the past year, up from 77 percent in 2025.
Of those surveyed, 15 percent reported suffering financial losses, including through the theft of personal data.Vida said behind the figures are victims who have lost their lifetime savings to investment scams, overseas Filipino workers tricked into sending money to fraudsters posing as relatives, and young professionals deceived by fake job offers.
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“These are not merely financial losses. They represent broken trust, lost opportunities and, in many cases, years of hard work taken away in a matter of minutes,” he said.The DOJ outlined two major strategies to strengthen the country’s response to cyber-enabled financial fraud.
First, it is moving beyond investigation and prosecution toward an “upstream” approach that prioritizes prevention, public awareness and early intervention.Through the National Prosecution Service and the DOJ Office of Cybercrime, the department will continue strengthening cybercrime case build-up, prosecution, electronic evidence preservation and international cooperation.
But Vida said catching and punishing scammers after the crime is committed is no longer enough, particularly as stolen funds can be transferred across borders within seconds and perpetrators can operate anonymously from anywhere in the world.
Under the newly launched campaign, the DOJ aims to equip Filipinos with practical knowledge to recognize phishing, romance scams, fraudulent investment schemes and banking fraud.
The initiative promotes the S.U.R.E. approach, encouraging the public to Spot scam warning signs, Understand how fraudulent schemes work, Report suspicious activities and Empower others to protect themselves.Second, the DOJ is pushing a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach, recognizing that online fraud often involves several players, including telecommunications networks, social media platforms, financial institutions and criminal operators based overseas.
Vida said no single government agency could effectively combat the increasingly complex schemes without cooperation from other institutions and the private sector.The DOJ vowed to continue pursuing cybercriminals and holding accountable those who exploit technology to defraud the public as it acknowledged the participation of the Department of Trade and Industry, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and National Telecommunications Commission in the initiative.
Private sector partners include the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas, Smart Communications, Globe Telecom, Maya, DITO and the Bank of the Philippine Islands.
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