Filipino users leave apps due to AI-powered scams

FILIPINO CONSUMERS are growing more anxious about artificial intelligence (AI)-driven mobile fraud as holiday spending accelerates, pushing many to delete or avoid apps that fail to show strong security, according to mobile cybersecurity firm Appdome, Inc.

About 74.7% of Philippine users say they have abandoned an app over fraud or security concerns, Appdome said in its Consumer Expectations of Mobile App Security report. Identity theft is the top fear for mobile shoppers, with 43.4% citing it as their biggest risk, while more than a third said they or someone they know had fallen victim to social engineering scams.

“Consumers want proof that their apps can stop fraud before a holiday purchase is made — not after the damage is done,” Appdome Co-creator and Chief Executive Officer Tom Tovar said in a statement.

Banks, retailers, delivery platforms and travel apps face heightened pressure as scammers deploy more sophisticated AI tools, according to the report.

Fraudsters now use deepfake payment approvals, AI-generated voice scams and bot-driven account takeovers to mimic users, hijack sessions and trigger unauthorized transactions, Chief Customer Officer Jamie Bertasi noted.

While 67.2% of Filipino users think AI can improve mobile security, 32.8% view it as a threat. Expectations are rising: 84.1% say apps should be able to stop AI-driven threats such as bots, deepfakes and account takeovers. Yet only 60% are confident apps can actually do so.

Privacy remains a dealbreaker, with 15.2% refusing to use apps lacking clear safeguards. Strong security can also boost commercial outcomes, as 27.6% of users say they’d leave positive reviews for apps that protect them, and almost a quarter would promote them on social media.

Almost half of users — 45.9% — say responsibility for stopping fraud lies squarely with app developers, not device makers or telecommunication carriers.

“Stopping these attacks inside the app is essential to protecting customers and revenue during the busiest shopping seasons of the year,” Appdome said. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz