Phishing is getting harder to spot as criminals increasingly use AI to make their scams look legitimate. In the first three months of 2026, Kaspersky said its anti-phishing technology blocked more than 140 million phishing and fraud attempts worldwide.
The scale of that figure shows how aggressively digital attacks are targeting internet users across many countries, including Indonesia. A global Kaspersky survey conducted in March 2026 also found that more than half of respondents had faced an online scam in the previous year.
Scams are becoming more targeted
According to Kaspersky, cybercriminals are quick to exploit whatever is trending. In March 2026, one notable wave of scams used the FIFA World Cup 2026 as bait through fake websites that imitated official tournament channels.
Another reason these attacks are harder to detect is the use of personal data leaked in earlier breaches or collected by infostealer malware. That information helps attackers craft more personalized messages that appear far more believable to victims.
| Key Data | Detail | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-phishing blocks | More than 140 million attempts | Worldwide, Q1 2026 |
| Survey respondents | 7,200 people | 18 countries, including Indonesia |
| Experienced online scams | More than half of respondents | Within the last year |
| Victims of cyberattacks | 45% | Including account hacks, data leaks, and malware |
AI is also being used on defense
To respond to the rising threat, Kaspersky has strengthened Kaspersky Premium with AI and Machine Learning-based detection. On Windows and macOS, those protections are now combined into a single module called AI-powered Scam Protection.
The package includes Data Leak Checker, Identity Theft Protection, Kaspersky Password Manager, and behavioral defense tools such as System Watcher, which monitors suspicious activity in real time. On mobile versions, the protection continues to run automatically in the background.
Marina Titova, Vice President of Consumer Business at Kaspersky, said AI-based scams have become a new reality that is difficult for the human eye to identify. She argued that personal caution alone is no longer enough to deal with attacks that are becoming more subtle.
By integrating AI and ML into its consumer security tools, Kaspersky aims to provide proactive protection across multiple digital touchpoints. The situation underscores how the fight against phishing is no longer just about spotting dangerous links, but also about countering scam systems that are becoming increasingly automated and intelligent.
