---
title: "Digital Fraud Emerges as a Growing Security Warning for Panama"
date: 2026-04-10
author: ""
url: https://panamadaily.news/online-scams-panama-crime-threat/
categories:
  - "Crime"
  - "News"
tags:
  - "AI fraud"
  - "digital fraud"
  - "financial security"
  - "online scams"
  - "Panama cybercrime"
  - "phishing"
---

# Digital Fraud Emerges as a Growing Security Warning for Panama

## What Happened

Online scams are emerging as a serious public safety concern in Panama as criminals increasingly move from street crime to digital fraud. The warning reflects a broader shift in how theft is carried out: instead of targeting people in person, scammers now use phones, emails, social media, and fake websites to steal money and personal information.

The trend is being driven by the rapid growth of cybercrime in neighboring Costa Rica, where authorities recorded 10,027 cases of online fraud in 2025, a 41% increase from the year before. That surge has become a reference point for officials and security experts in the region as they assess how quickly similar schemes can spread across Central America.

## Why Cybercrime Is Rising

Experts say the pandemic accelerated the shift. As more people began handling banking, shopping, and communication online, criminals adapted to exploit those habits. Traditional robberies still exist, but phishing emails, fraudulent calls, and social media scams now offer offenders a lower-risk way to reach victims without ever being physically present.

In Costa Rica, complaints of online fraud rose from 19 to 27 per day between 2024 and 2025. More than 40,000 cybercrimes were recorded from 2018 through August 2025, with annual cases climbing from about 1,600 in 2018 to more than 10,000 per year. Computer fraud made up 62.1% of cases, while identity theft accounted for 21.7%.

## How Criminals Are Operating

Authorities and cybersecurity specialists say the threat has become more organized and more sophisticated. Many common street offenders have moved into digital scams because the method is easier, faster, and less personal. In 2024, roughly $8.3 million was stolen from bank accounts in Costa Rica, and losses in the first half of 2025 already topped $4.8 million.

Artificial intelligence has made the problem harder to detect. AI tools can create convincing phishing messages, fake identities, and even voice simulations that make fraud attempts look legitimate. Cybersecurity experts warn that behind many of these scams are criminal networks with specialized roles, including groups that steal personal data and others that use that information to carry out the fraud.

## What It Means for Panama

For Panama, the regional rise in cybercrime is a warning that digital safety now belongs alongside physical security. As more financial transactions and everyday services move online, residents face greater exposure to scams that can drain bank accounts or compromise personal information in seconds.

Security guidance is increasingly focused on basic prevention: do not click suspicious links, avoid downloading unknown attachments, skip public Wi-Fi for banking, use strong and unique passwords, enable two-factor authentication, verify requests for personal data, and report suspicious activity immediately to the bank and authorities. The message for Panama is clear: online vigilance is now part of everyday safety.