Most consumers across Asia-Pacific expect their households to fall victim to cybercrime within the year, yet many continue to overestimate how safely they behave online, according to a new report released by global insurtech bolttech.
The Asia-Pacific Cyber Safety Landscape 2026 report, conducted in partnership with independent research firm Blackbox Research, surveyed 3,850 consumers across 11 Asia-Pacific markets. It found that 64% of respondents anticipate a cyber threat targeting someone in their household within the next 12 months, while 39% have already been victims of a scam, hack, or cybercrime – more than two in three of those incidents resulting in financial damage.
Despite that exposure, 85% of respondents rated their online safety habits as “good” or “very good.” However, only 44% consistently practiced strong cyber hygiene, leaving a 41-percentage-point gap between perception and reality.
Nearly 70% of consumers admitted to reusing passwords across multiple accounts, with younger users identified as the most frequent offenders.
“Scams have become an inescapable friction in the regional digital economy,” said David Black, founder and CEO of Blackbox Research, Singapore. “Yet even with the vast majority facing scam threats (90%), there is a stark disconnect between public anxiety and personal action, as most consumers declare their own safety protocols are failing to keep pace.”
The report noted that 89% of respondents had already encountered cyber threats or scam attempts. While 58% said they understood how to respond in theory, only 24% felt fully confident doing so in practice.
Concern over artificial intelligence–enabled fraud was widespread, with 92% of respondents saying they worried AI would make scams faster and harder to identify. Cybercriminals primarily targeted consumers through calls, SMS, email, and social media platforms. Scam calls were most prevalent in emerging markets, while suspicious SMS messages were more common in developed markets.
The financial toll varied by region. Half of respondents in emerging markets – including Vietnam, the Philippines, Thailand, and Indonesia – reported falling victim to cybercrime, and 71% of those victims also suffered financial losses. Incidents were less frequent in developed markets such as South Korea and Japan but costlier, with roughly one in four victims losing more than US$500 per incident.
Nearly one in two respondents viewed cybersecurity as a shared responsibility among government agencies, banks, telecommunications companies, technology platforms, and individual users. Only 14% believed individuals alone should serve as the primary line of defense.
Despite the gaps, 71% of respondents across Asia-Pacific said they were open to investing in cyber protection services. Financially secure consumers expressed a preference for comprehensive solutions, including monitoring and alerts, family-focused protection, round-the-clock incident support, and financial loss coverage. Price-sensitive consumers leaned toward basic tools such as monitoring alerts or scam-blocking services.
“The time for collaboration is now. Insurers, banks, technology providers, telcos, and government institutions all have a role to play,” said Philip Weiner, CEO of APAC at bolttech.
The study used a quantitative survey with 350 respondents per market, spanning ages 18 to 55, balanced gender quotas, varied education levels and employment statuses. All participants were regular internet users with smartphone access. Blackbox Research managed fieldwork and data collection independently. bolttech assessed results using five indexes – experience, habits, response, trends, and trust — each scored on a 0–100 scale.
