INTERPOL Warns Phishing, Ransomware, and AI Scams Are Rising Across Asia-Pacific

INTERPOL's Jan 2024–Mar 2025 Asia‑Pacific cybercrime report documents a marked regional escalation in cyber threats — high-volume phishing (5.5 per 1,000 monthly), over 135,000 ransomware incidents in 2024, a 92% year-over-year increase in DDoS, and system intrusions causing ~80% of data breaches — while highlighting the professionalization of transnational criminal networks, the rise of AI-powered deepfakes for romance and executive-impersonation scams, an estimated $37 billion in losses, and recommendations for cross-border operations, collaborative investigations, specialized training, and improved cyber-resilience.