TOKYO: More than 80 per cent of scam emails with identifiable senders targeted Japanese recipients in May, according to a US cybersecurity firm. The rise in sophisticated fraud is attributed to generative AI, which helps scammers craft more natural-sounding messages.
Proofpoint analysed 240 million scam emails out of a record 770 million sent globally in May. The firm found that 81.4 per cent of these emails were aimed at Japanese speakers. “Previously, fraudulent emails were easy to spot due to unnatural wording, but generative AI now helps create convincing messages,“ said Yukimi Sota of Proofpoint Japan.
The surge in malicious emails began around February 2022, coinciding with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Before 2025, monthly scam emails ranged between 100 million and 200 million, but this year, the figure exceeded 500 million per month.
Many of these emails impersonate securities firms, directing victims to fake websites to steal login credentials. If corporate emails are compromised, attackers can infiltrate internal systems and launch further phishing attacks.
Sota noted that most scams targeting Japan used a Chinese-language cybercrime tool, with a noticeable drop during Lunar New Year. “The scale suggests possible state-backed involvement,“ he warned, urging businesses to adopt multi-factor authentication for better security. – Bernama-Kyodo
