Gogolook 2022 Annual Fraud Report : Personal Information Leak

Gogolook estimates that phone numbers of up to 10.4 million people in Taiwan have been leaked to scammers, disclosing the upstream reality in the scam industry

Private information leaks are often the first step for scammers to access contact details before attacks. Leaks can happen when enterprise or government databases are hacked or users fill out questionable surveys, psychological tests, or forms on phishing sites. To minimize threats from the start, Gogolook, the developer behind Whoscall, collaborates with Constella Intelligence, an international digital risk protection service provider, to analyze phone number leaks in several major markets, including Taiwan. Results show that 75% of phone numbers in Malaysia are leaked, followed by 65% in Taiwan. Up to 56% of phone numbers in Japan are leaked. Out of an estimated 16 million people aged 20 to 65 in Taiwan, according to Department of Household Registration data, this means that the phone numbers of 10.4 million people are leaked or sold. These figures underline the importance of anti-fraud and Whoscall installation.

Which category of personal data leak was the worst? Gogolook: Login passwords, phone numbers, and names are most leaked private information in Taiwan

The Personal Data Protection Act protects personal information like name, date of birth, fingerprint, sex life, healthcare history, criminal record, and other directly or indirectly identifiable data. Private data stored in public and private sectors may be mismanaged and accessed by third parties, producingleaks. Gogolook has looked into which personal information is leaked most often in each market, offering a reminder to pay close attention to potential breaches.

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In Taiwan, Thailand, and Malaysia, top three leaked items are all login passwords, phone number, and name. For 4th to 8th places (nationality, email, address, birthday, and ID number), three markets are slightly different in order. In Japan and Korea, name, login password, and phone number are the top three in the list. Each piece of leaked information will lead to different risk scenarios. For example, after  passwords are leaked, online banking or social network accounts can be stolen. Scammers can easily initiate call and message attacks when they access names, phone numbers, and even payment and shopping records. If names and addresses are leaked, people may soon receive “unsolicited packages with payment request on arrival”. People are encouraged to choose two-step authentication in online services, change strong passwords regularly, and identify phone calls and messages with Whoscall.

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About Gogolook

Gogolook is a leading TrustTech company established in 2012. With “Build for Trust” as its core value, it aims to create an AI- and data-driven global anti-fraud network as well as Risk Management as a Service. From multi-communication to fintech, SaaS and Web3, Gogolook creates trustworthy empowerment with the use of technology in various fields.

Gogolook has also teamed up with a number of institutes such as the Taiwan National Police Agency Criminal Investigation Bureau, the Financial Supervisory Service of South Korea, Thai Police Cyber Taskforce, the Fukuoka city government, and the Malaysia police and Selangor state government to fight fraud and ultimately, to build a trustworthy communication network with the largest number database in East Asia and Southeast Asia.