Filipino Business Leaders Report Fraud Costs Their Businesses 6% of Their Equivalent Revenue, TransUnion Reports
- The surveyed Filipino business leaders indicated a total of ₱4 trillion in fraud losses for their companies over the past year
- Filipino business leaders reported first-party fraud losses the most among all countries and markets surveyed, with one in four (25%) leaders citing it as the leading cause of losses
- Fraud exposure among consumers also remained high, with 65% of Filipinos reporting being targeted by online, email, phone call or text message fraud attempts from February to May 2025, well above the 48% global average
Manila, Philippines, November 4, 2025 – Fraud continues to take a heavy toll on businesses and consumers in the Philippines. According to TransUnion’s (NYSE: TRU) newly released H2 2025 Update to the Top Fraud Trends Report, Philippine business leaders said their companies lost the equivalent of 6% of their annual revenues to fraud in the past year, representing an estimated PHP 4 trillion among the 200 business leaders surveyed.
Although slightly below the global average of 7.7%, this figure highlights the significant financial and operational strain fraud continues to impose on organizations of all sizes. The scale of this challenge is reflected in the level of concern among business leaders surveyed in the Philippines. Seven in every 10 (70%) of Filipinos reported being very or extremely concerned about the impact of fraud on their business – placing the country third highest among markets surveyed, behind only the United States (89%) and India (82%).
“Fraudsters are becoming more sophisticated, exploiting every channel and digital interaction to bypass traditional defenses,” said Yogesh Daware, chief commercial officer of TransUnion Philippines. “The financial impact revealed in TransUnion’s latest Top Fraud Trends Report is staggering. Organizations must rethink their approach to fraud prevention, moving from reactive and fragmented controls to proactive, data-driven strategies that can adapt to evolving threats and protect trust at every stage of the consumer lifecycle.”
The report, which draws on proprietary data from TransUnion’s global intelligence network and surveys of business leaders in six countries and markets, and consumers across 18 regions, reveals that as monetary losses grow in scale, fraud is growing in sophistication and diversity.
When business leaders in the Philippines were asked which type of fraud was the predominant cause of business loss in the past year, first-party fraud and scam/authorized fraud were tied at 25% each, reflecting a dual threat from identity misrepresentation and deception. The percentage of Filipinos who claimed first-party fraud was the highest among all countries and markets surveyed, outpacing the global average of 16%.
First-Party Fraud and Scam/Authorized Fraud Most Prominent Cause of Fraud Losses in the Philippines, Both Surpassing Global Rates
| Fraud Type | Percentage of Total | Percentage of Total |
| First-party fraud – identity misrepresentation or falsifying information for the purpose of financial gain | 25% | 16% |
| Scam/Authorized fraud – a dishonest scheme intended to trick a person into giving up something of value (e.g., account access, money, information) | 25% | 24% |
| Synthetic identity fraud – the use of a combination of personally identifiable information to fabricate a person or entity to commit a dishonest act for financial or personal gain | 19% | 20% |
| Account takeover – unauthorized individuals taking over someone’s online account (e.g., bank, social media, email) without their permission | 17% | 20% |
| Third-party fraud – the use of stolen identity to open an account | 13% | 16% |
| Other | 3% | 2% |
Source: TransUnion business survey
“Reported first-party fraud losses in the Philippines emerging significantly higher than the global average points to a distinct local challenge. Detection requires deeper, data-driven insights into identity and behavior,” added Daware. “The good news is that we are seeing businesses take more proactive steps to close these gaps. More than two-thirds of Philippine business leaders we surveyed said their companies optimize their fraud detection models at least quarterly to enhance performance and effectiveness. While more can still be done, this kind of vigilance is key to staying ahead of emerging threats and sustaining trust in the digital economy.”
Fraud Exposure Remains High Across Philippine Consumers and Industries
Besides the impact on businesses, fraud continues to affect Filipino consumers at a notable rate. TransUnion’s consumer survey found that 65% of Filipinos said they had been targeted by online, email, phone call or text messaging fraud attempts from February to May 2025 — significantly higher than the 48% global average across 18 countries and regions.
Among those who said they were targeted, the most common scheme reported in the Philippines was phishing (45%) — fraudulent emails, websites, social media posts, QR codes and other methods designed to trick individuals into sharing personal data. This was followed closely by money or gift card scams (40.4%) and smishing (39.7%) — fraudulent text messages meant to deceive people into revealing sensitive information.
TransUnion’s latest findings also revealed that the suspected digital fraud rate for transactions where the consumer was in the Philippines was 4.4% in the first half (H1, Jan. 1 to June 30) of 2025, exceeding the global average of 3.8%[1]. Communities — which include social media sites, online forums, and dating sites — continued to record the highest suspected digital fraud rate among industries analyzed when the consumer was transacting in the Philippines at 6.5% in H1 2025 after topping the list during the same period in 2024. The amount of time Filipinos spend online and on social media[2] could be creating more opportunities for fraudsters to exploit trust-based or personal exchanges, underscoring the importance of user awareness and robust security measures.
“As fraudsters continue to exploit the country’s high levels of digital activity, the impact extends beyond businesses and individuals to the wider economy,” added Daware. “Protecting both consumers and businesses is non-negotiable. Continued progress will require an end-to-end approach that closes vulnerabilities before they can be exploited. By investing in smarter prevention tools and supporting ongoing fraud education, we not only help protect businesses but also build the consumer trust that underpins a safer, more inclusive digital economy.”
In 2024, TransUnion Philippines launched the Fraud Industry Council to foster an industry-wide effort to combat fraud and create a safer environment for both businesses and consumers.
TransUnion came to its conclusions based on intelligence from its array of fraud prevention solutions. Visit TransUnion’s website to learn more.
Specific country and regional data in the report includes the Philippines, Botswana, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, India, Kenya, Mexico, Namibia, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico, Rwanda, South Africa, Spain, the United Kingdom and United States, and Zambia. Download the TransUnion H2 2025 Update to the Top Fraud Trends Report for more information and insights about the global fraud trends.
1 The rate or percentage of suspected digital fraud attempts reflects those which TransUnion customers determined to meet one of the following conditions: 1) denial in real time due to fraudulent indicators, 2) denial in real time for corporate policy violations, 3) fraudulent upon customer investigation, or 4) a corporate policy violation upon customer investigation — compared to all transactions assessed. The country and regional analyses examined transactions in which the consumer or suspected fraudster was located in a select country or region when conducting a transaction. Global statistics represent every country worldwide and not just the select countries and regions.
