Whoscall flags 37% surge in risky URLs distributed via social media in PH – Q2 2025 report

Reports of risky URLs distributed on social media platforms like Facebook and messaging apps such as Viber and Telegram in the Philippines surged by 37.74 percent in the second quarter of 2025, rising from 13,602 in first quarter to 18,735, according to Whoscall’s latest scam report.

The data showed notable increases in several categories of scams.

Loan-related URLs rose by 19.68 percent. There was a 57.46 percent spike in links related to promotions, rewards, and incentives, while adult gambling-related links jumped by 75.91 percent.

Mel Migriño, Country Head and General Manager of Gogolook in the Philippines, said this trend may be due to scammers shifting their tactics as authorities and the private sector continue to tighten measures against traditional SMS and call-based scams.

“The joint effort of the government and private sectors minimized scam calls and SMS scams. However, scamactors are now shifting to other platforms, such as social media and messaging apps, to continue their operations,” Migriño explained.

She said that many of these scams now involve luring users into clicking suspicious links, which may explain the sharp rise in reports involving URLs.

In specific figures, loan-related URLs rose from 8,297 in the first quarter to 9,930 in the second. Promotion and incentive scams links went up from 2,856 to 4,497. Reports of adult gambling links jumped from 2,449 to 4,308 over the same period.

Risky URLs are web addresses (Uniform Resource Locators) that pose a potential threat to users’ security, privacy, or finances when clicked or visited, distributed in social media like Facebook and messaging apps Viber orTelegram.

These links often lead to malicious, deceptive, or unauthorized websites and are commonly used in online scams, phishing attacks, and malware distribution.

“The challenge lies in cracking down on deceptive content embedded in apps where Filipinos spend most of their screen time. This partnership with platforms, public education, and real-time takedown coordinator remain key priorities moving into quarter three,” Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) Deputy Director Asec. Aboy Paraiso said during the press conference at the CICC Building in Quezon City.

SMS, Call Scams Drop in PH

While URL-based scams are on the rise, traditional text scams in the Philippines saw a dramatic drop in the second quarter of 2025.

Based on Whoscall’s Q2 2025 Scam Report, the number of SMS scam incidents dropped by 94.95 percent year-on-year. From over 1.28 million reports in the same quarter last year, only 65,035 cases were recorded this year.

The quarterly comparison also showed a sharp 89.97 percent drop from 648,239 incidents in the first quarter of 2025.

Migriño credited the decline to combined efforts between authorities, the private sector, and the public.

“This significant drop is the result of collective action — from government and private-sector innovations to increased awareness and reporting by ordinary Filipinos,” she said. “It shows that strong collaboration works.”

The number of scam calls also saw a steep decline.

From 135,535 incidents in the second quarter of 2024, scam call reports dropped to 34,964 in the same period this year — a 74.20 percent year-on-year decrease.

Compared to the first quarter of 2025, when scam calls reached 351,699, the drop is even sharper at 90.05 percent.

Whoscall and its community initiative, Scam Vault PH, continue to monitor and collect user reports to help authorities stay ahead of emerging scam trends.

“We can’t let our guard down,” Migriño said. “Every report and every effort helps make the digital space safer for everyone.”