Tobila Systems Report on Special Fraud and Phishing (April 2026)
Tobila Systems released its fraud trend report for April 2026, highlighting a surge in automated voice scams using international numbers and phishing SMS impersonating financial and delivery services. Notably, 'PayPay remittance fraud' has increased 19-fold compared to February, prompting warnings against scams impersonating public institutions.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 27, 2026 at 15:33
- 🔍 Collected: June 1, 2026 at 00:39 (105h 6m after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: June 2, 2026 at 00:34 (23h 54m after Collected)
Tobila Systems, Inc. (Headquarters: Nagoya, Aichi; President: Atsushi Akita; Securities Code: 4441), a provider of anti-fraud and anti-phishing services, has released its independent survey report on fraudulent calls and SMS confirmed in April 2026. (Survey period: April 1–April 30, 2026). We also report on recent trends identified by our research. ◉ Increase in suspicious calls abusing international phone numbers; automated voice scams impersonating public institutions and businesses. ◉ Increase in SMS impersonating financial and delivery services. ◉ Continued frequent SMS impersonating 'TEPCO' and multiple credit card companies. ◉ Rapid increase in 'PayPay remittance fraud' disguised as mobile phone or tax payments. 1. Fraudulent Call Report. ○ Increase in suspicious calls using international numbers. In April 2026, international numbers accounted for 61.9% of new entries in Tobila Systems' database (+11.4% MoM). Mobile numbers decreased significantly to 17.3% (-17.2% MoM). ○ Automated voice scams abusing international numbers. Top country codes for incoming international calls in April 2026 included North America, Russia, Kazakhstan, Australia, and the UK. Calls starting with '+1' included 'fake police scams' and impersonations of financial, telecommunications, and delivery services. Many cases involve automated voice guidance leading to potential 'fake police' scams. 2. Fraudulent SMS Report. ○ Increase in SMS impersonating financial and delivery services. SMS impersonating financial/payment services rose to 26.3%. Delivery service impersonations rose to 16.8%. ○ Frequent SMS impersonating 'TEPCO' and credit card companies. In April 2026, 'TEPCO' and 'WhatsApp' impersonations continued. Localized spikes were observed for 'PayPay Card,' 'Rakuten Card,' 'Saison Card,' and 'American Express.' 3. Rapid increase in 'PayPay remittance fraud'. From April to May 2026, scams inducing victims to the 'PayPay' remittance screen via SMS have surged. Victims are prompted to pay fake charges for mobile, credit card, or utility bills. Accessing the URL leads to a one-click remittance screen or a fake site threatening legal action. As of May 20, 2026, such SMS cases have increased 19-fold compared to February 2026. ◉ Do not access URLs in suspicious emails/SMS. ◉ Do not send money to unknown parties. ◉ Use official apps or bookmarked sites. ◉ Stop operations if suspicious. ◉ Use anti-spam apps. 4. About Tobila Systems. We provide services to eliminate special fraud and phishing. Our 'Nuisance Information Filter Service' is used by approximately 15 million people monthly.
FAQ
Are similar scams occurring in Taiwan?
Yes, SMS phishing impersonating delivery services and government agencies is prevalent in Taiwan, making Tobila Systems' insights highly relevant.