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Japan’s 2025 Cybercrime: Ransomware Remains High as Online-Banking Losses Reach Record ¥103.97 Billion

Police attribute the unprecedented banking losses to phishing increasingly scaled with generative AI.

Overview

  • Ransomware cases totaled 226 in 2025, up four from 2024 and the second-highest annual count since statistics began in 2021.
  • Small and mid-sized enterprises accounted for 143 cases, and manufacturing made up about 40% of incidents, with major firms Asahi Group and Askul also hit.
  • Victim surveys show rising recovery burdens, with 46 of 89 valid responses reporting at least ¥10 million in investigation and restoration costs and five at ¥100 million or more.
  • Operational recovery stretched for many organizations, with about 40% taking more than a month, and longer downtime correlating with higher expenses.
  • Internet-banking fraud reached 4,747 cases and a record ¥103.97 billion in losses, driven largely by phishing that the NPA says is eased by generative AI, with corporate losses surging to about ¥47 billion—over four times the prior year.