The Information Processing Promotion Agency (IPA) has reported that personal security consultations received through its Information Security Relief Consultation Window reached 3,832 cases in the second quarter of 2026. This represents an approximate 8.5 percent increase compared to the 3,533 cases recorded in the previous quarter, continuing an upward trend that began in the third quarter of 2025.
Among the consultation topics, fake warning incidents stood out with a significant rise. These scams involve fraudulent pop-up screens claiming to detect malware on a user's device, designed to create panic and prompt victims to call supposed support numbers. In Q2 2026, such consultations totaled 1,428 cases, up 23.7 percent from 1,154 in the prior quarter and marking the highest volume in the last two years.
Victims of these fake warning schemes face risks of financial extortion or device infection when they engage with the criminals posing as technical support staff. Although consultations temporarily declined following arrests in a major support fraud case in May 2025, the numbers have rebounded and now exceed the 1,084 cases seen in the first quarter of 2025, before those arrests occurred.
Separately, phishing consultations increased modestly to 146 cases, a 5.0 percent rise from 139 in the previous quarter. Various tactics were observed, including schemes impersonating the National Tax Agency and other trusted organizations to steal personal or financial information.
The IPA continues to emphasize the importance of remaining alert to these evolving social engineering threats, as the upward trend in fake warning reports shows no signs of abating after three consecutive quarters of growth.
