- Patterns for APP scams are consistent globally. The highest volume of scams comes from e-commerce scams, while investment scams have the greatest financial impact.
- 51% of surveyed banks report that they block transactions potentially linked to scams.
- Centralized data on mule accounts or sharing information, both internally and externally, are rated by the banks as effective measures for scam prevention.
- 59% of surveyed banks have integrated data to support investigation of cyber incidents.
- Raising customer awareness is a key part of the communication strategy, but banks should strike a balance between message fatigue and long-term effectiveness.
As financial fraud becomes increasingly sophisticated, Authorized Push Payment (APP) scams are now one of the fastest-growing threats to global banking systems. According to the KPMG Global Banking Scam Survey 2025, which gathered insights from 48 banks across 16 countries, APP scams are rising sharply in both scale and impact.
The survey findings highlight a persistent threat from traditional scams, such as phishing, identity theft, and unauthorized transactions, as well as the emergence of more sophisticated and technologically advanced scamming methods.
Patterns for APP scams are consistent globally. e-commerce scams account for the highest volume of APP fraud globally, while investment scams result in the most significant financial losses, often involving victims’ life savings. This consistency across regions underscores a significant challenge for financial institutions to address by proactively detecting and preventing fraudulent activities.
“APP scam cases are generally managed by the Fraud Operations Team within banks in Thailand. However, with the rising frequency of these scams globally, consistent with evolving industry practice, we would recommend the establishment of a dedicated Scam Operations Teams to specifically address and mitigate APP scam activities.” said Nuttanich Chanitthikul, Director, Enterprise Risk, KPMG in Thailand.
In response to the escalating threat of banking scams, global banks are deploying a range of prevention strategies including investing in robust cybersecurity systems, leveraging advanced fraud detection tools, and empowering customers through education and awareness campaigns. It is found that 91% of survey respondents rated pausing or blocking transactions as the most effective scam prevention method, and 51% of banks take proactive steps to block payments clearly linked to scams.
In Thailand, many banks have adopted similar practices such as transaction pausing and account freezing. However, a critical gap remains; most still lack an orchestration system—an integrated platform that connects transaction, behavioral, and risk data in real time. Implementing such systems requires significant investment and executive commitment. According to the global survey, this challenge is not unique to Thailand, as only 59% of global banks have adopted orchestration layers, making it difficult to make rapid and informed decisions during cyber incidents.
The survey also emphasizes the role of customer engagement and communication. While most banks recognize the importance of awareness, 60% reported a rise in scam-related complaints, largely driven by dissatisfaction with reimbursement, transaction friction, or perceived lack of protection. Meanwhile, only 40% of surveyed banks believe education alone is sufficient, underscoring the need for smarter, real-time engagement methods.
Besides raising customer awareness in the long term, collaboration among banks, regulators, and customers is a key to reducing APP scams. Likewise, in Thailand, the Bank of Thailand is considering fostering and strengthening collaboration among stakeholders through notifications or policies.
“Thailand’s initiative of the Central Fraud Registry System is in line with global practices to support scam detection with 79% of survey respondents rating the method of sharing data with law enforcement, a consortium of peers, or industry bodies, as the most effective measure of scam detection.” said Chanikarn Srithundorn, Associate Director, Enterprise Risk, KPMG in Thailand.
As APP scams continue to evolve—often using advanced impersonation techniques and digital deception, the KPMG Global Banking Scam Survey 2025 serves as a clear call for action that financial institutions prioritize cybersecurity and fraud prevention. By embracing innovation, adopting robust, proactive measures to enhance internal systems and coordinate across the ecosystem, these institutions can strengthen their defenses and uphold trust in the face of increasingly sophisticated scamming tactics.
For more information and download the full report, please visit KPMG Global Banking Scam Survey | APP fraud – KPMG Australia.
