Wire transfer BEC attacks increased by 33 percent compared from Q4 to Q1 2025
Cambridge, Massachusetts / Access to Newswire / 2 July 2025 / The APWGs Q1 2025 Phishing Activity Trends report Offers a new dimension in cyber crime -captivation statistics on how criminals use QR codes to victim to consumers, used strategically to avoid e -mail filtering and to abuse users’ trust.

Industries most focused on QR code phishing, 4q 2024-q 2025
APWG member Mimecast detected more than 1.7 million unique malignant QR codes in e-mails that the company processes over a period of six months (1 October 2024 to 31 March 2025). These QR codes were included in millions of e -mails that were sent to internet users all over the world. On an average day during the sampled period, Mimecast found 2.7 million e -mails with QR codes.
Mimecast identified advanced regional targeting patterns. Consumers in the Asia-Pacific region usually received e-mails that focus on banks. Those in Europe saw more attacks on payment processors and government services. E -mail recipients in North America saw more attacks on Enterprise Cloudservices and financial platforms.
The common implementation scenario of Cybergangen is to place QR codes in e -mails, to seduce people to scan them using their mobile phones. The QR codes then lead the victims to phishing sites or on malware-dropping websites. QR codes are not caught by traditional e -mail filtering and are a way to delete people in a false sense of security.
Criminals used QR codes to occur as companies in multiple industries, including banks and financial institutions, and shipping companies. Retail and wholesaler, production and construction sectors were remarkably focused, because consumers have regular access to retail services via mobile apps, and those sectors have many adopted QR codes to provide information about their products and services.
The amount of phishing that was reported to APWG Trend upwards. In the first quarter of 2025, APWG observed 1,003,924 phishing attacks, the largest three -month total since 1.07 million in Q4 2023.
APWG contributing member Opsec Security has noticed scammers to attach more types of companies and industries, including public utilities, parking meters systems and bridge collection systems.
Matthew Harris, senior product manager, fraud at Opsec Security, reported that Opsec Security saw an increase in Vishing/Smishing volumes in the first quarter and saw more unique brands-“This can be an indication that scammers continue to look for better ROIs by expanding the companies they focus on and timulate.” “
APWG -contributing member Fortra discovered that the total number of transfer transfer BEC attacks increased by 33 percent compared to 4Q 2024. Fortra discovered that the average amount requested for wire transfer was BEC attacks in Q1 2025 $ 42.236, a decrease of 67 percent compared to the previous quarterly of $ 128.980.
The full text of the report is available here:
https://docs.apwg.org/rports/apwg_trends_report_q1_2025.pdf
About the APWG
The Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG), founded in 2003, is the global industry, law enforcement and government coalition aimed at uniting the global response to electronic crime: https://apwg.org/about-us//
For media questions regarding the APWG, contact Peter Cassidy (([email protected]+1.617.669.1123). Or for company -specific content with regard to this release, contact: Stefanie Wood Ellis of Opsec Security (([email protected]); Jessica Ryan van Fortra ([email protected]); Tim Hamilton from Mimecast ([email protected]).
SOURCE: Anti-Phishing Working Group