Interpol reports a sharp increase in cybercrime across Asia and the South Pacific, citing its 2025/2026 Asia and South Pacific Cyberthreat Assessment Report. The agency says illegal cyber activity makes up around one-third of all crime recorded in more than half of the jurisdictions surveyed, reframing online scams and related offences as persistent, cross-border challenges. Sources describe scams as the most widespread and financially damaging component of the activity, with phishing also identified as a prominent threat.
Interpol attributes the growth to rapid digitalization and expanding internet penetration, alongside newer technologies and uneven cybersecurity maturity across countries. The report also points to the role of organized criminal networks, which operate across multiple jurisdictions. Several outlets note concerns about AI-enabled techniques being used by attackers, including to improve scam and phishing effectiveness.
Overall, the coverage converges on the same central finding: cybercrime is increasing and represents a growing share of recorded crime in the region, with scams leading and AI and other modern tools contributing to the escalation.
