LexisNexis Risk Solutions APAC Cybercrime Report highlights APAC’s growing fraud threat, driven by scams and regulatory fragmentation.
The LexisNexis® Risk Solutions APAC Cybercrime Report 2025 Edition reveals a sharp contrast between global digital fraud trends and developments in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. While global attack rates rose just 1% in 2024, APAC saw a 37% year-on-year surge in human-initiated attacks, positioning the region as a new epicentre for cybercrime.
The report analyses fraud data from January to December 2024. It found that, despite a 16% growth in digital transactions, human-initiated attacks across APAC increased by 61%. Unlike global patterns where mobile channels dominate both transactions and fraud, APAC showed an even 50/50 split between mobile and desktop-based human attacks. Mobile still accounted for 86% of transactions, but desktop fraud grew rapidly, particularly in high-risk sectors.
The communications, mobile, and media (CMM) sector saw an 87% increase in fraud, while financial services recorded a 54% rise. Automated bot attacks also grew significantly in these sectors, yet the APAC Cybercrime Report emphasises that human-led activity remains the principal driver of fraud in the region.
A major contributor to this trend is the proliferation of “scam centres” across Southeast Asia. These operations typically coerce individuals into executing global scams, often through fake job postings. Malicious content is spread via social media, messaging platforms, and SMS. The financial services industry, including banks and crypto exchanges, is frequently targeted, with money mules used to launder stolen funds.
The report also highlights how fragmented regulation is impeding fraud prevention across APAC. Countries have taken divergent approaches: Australia has introduced cross-industry scam prevention legislation, Singapore has a “shared responsibility” model focused on third-party fraud, and Malaysia mandates behavioural biometrics for banks. However, inconsistent frameworks and limited cross-border data sharing undermine the region’s collective ability to counter threats effectively.
Country-specific highlights include:
Japan: 77% rise in human-led attacks, driven by phone-based scams, including investment and romance fraud.
Hong Kong: Highest per capita fraud losses; 24% increase in human-initiated attacks, with financial services heavily affected.
Singapore: 30% increase in human-led attacks; notable shift toward authorised push payment fraud, crypto, and job scams.
Australia: 43% rise in human-led fraud, particularly in financial services, despite lower overall attack rates than the global average.
To counter these evolving threats, the APAC Cybercrime Report recommends adopting AI-powered fraud detection, enhancing data collaboration, and implementing multilayered security strategies. A global digital intelligence network, paired with cohesive regulatory frameworks, is essential to protecting users and organisations in an increasingly interconnected threat landscape.
While the global outlook may suggest calm, APAC is facing a rising tide of cybercrime that demands immediate, coordinated action.
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