Philippines records 16,619 phishing attacks as AI-driven fraud rises

Cybercriminals are no longer relying on simple phishing messages alone. A new Viettel Cyber Security report found 16,619 phishing attacks, 255 data breaches, and more than 19.2 million compromised credentials in the Philippines during the first half of 2026, as generative AI enables increasingly personalized and convincing scams.