Mobile threat activity across Asia-Pacific is becoming more concentrated, with attackers targeting a smaller pool of users far more persistently, according to new data from Kaspersky. Across eight APAC markets, the average number of mobile threat detections per affected user rose 49% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2026, climbing from 4.9 to 7.3.

The increase was recorded in every market analysed, even as the total number of users encountering mobile threats declined — a pattern Kaspersky says points to attackers adapting campaigns to local user behaviour, popular digital services and rapidly expanding mobile-first economies.

Southeast Asia sees sharpest concentration of attacks

Thailand recorded the sharpest concentration in Southeast Asia, with detections more than doubling to 2,494 even as the number of affected users fell, lifting detections per user from 3.0 to 11.9. The Philippines saw detections rise 28% to 2,011.

• Sri Lanka recorded 922 detections, up 132% year-on-year, with detections per user rising from 5.5 to 17.4
• Bangladesh detections rose 108% to 1,859, one of only two markets where both detections and affected users increased
• China recorded 6,797 detections, almost double the same period in 2025
• India and Indonesia remain the region’s largest markets by volume, at 18,187 and 15,163 detections respectively

Phishing links remain one of the most common tools in mobile scams, increasingly distributed through text messages, messaging apps, social media, fake job offers, cryptocurrency giveaways and digital promotions rather than email alone. Compromised messaging accounts are increasingly abused to spread malicious links that appear to come from trusted contacts.

AI making scams harder to detect

Separate global Kaspersky consumer research into messaging-app fraud found that two-thirds of victims believe AI was used against them, most commonly through AI-written messages, followed by cloned voices and deepfake images or video. More than half of successful scams run their course in under 30 minutes from first contact to the point money or data changes hands.

“Mobile threats are becoming increasingly sophisticated, with cybercriminals combining stealthy attack techniques, persistent malware and AI-powered deception to target consumers,” said Choon Hong Chee, Head of Consumer Channel for APAC at Kaspersky.

India continues to face the Rewardsteal Trojan, which disguises itself as reward or giveaway apps to steal sensitive data, alongside a resurgence of the Thamera Trojan, which hijacks devices to create fraudulent social media accounts at scale.

Chee said staying protected requires security that can detect threats proactively, before users even realise they are under attack.

Kaspersky advises users to verify app legitimacy before downloading, be cautious of “free reward” offers, review app permissions carefully, enable multi-factor authentication wherever possible, and use trusted mobile cybersecurity solutions for continuous protection.