A new study by the Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA), titled The State of Scams in the Philippines 2024, underscored the need to encourage the public to report scams, as many Filipinos are hesitant to report such incidents to authorities.

GASA, a pioneering non-profit organization dedicated to combating scams worldwide, polled 1,000 Filipino respondents. The results showed that 67 percent did not report scams to law enforcement, while only 31 percent did, or roughly seven out of 10 victims.

The survey highlighted the top reasons for not reporting scams: the complexity of the reporting process, a belief that reporting would not make a difference, and uncertainty about whom to report the scam to.

Respondents also cited other reasons for not reporting scams, including fear of not being believed, not considering the incident important enough to report, and fear of retaliation.

The study indicated that local police departments were the most common choice for scam reporting, followed by the national police agency, anti-scam apps or websites, and family members or friends.

On the other hand, data from the GASA report could serve as a foundation for initiatives aimed at encouraging the public to report online scams.

Scam data

The information could also support the government and advocacy groups in crafting campaigns that raise public awareness and foster a greater willingness to report scams.

Of all the respondents who took part in the State of Scam Survey, 73 percent expressed confidence in spotting scams — an increase of five percent from 2023 (only five percent admitted they were not very confident about identifying scams).

Meanwhile, 67 percent of Filipinos encounter scams at least once a month, an eight-percent rise from last year. Nearly half (49 percent) reported facing more scams over the past 12 months, a five-percent increase compared to 2023.