How we’re strengthening our fight against online scams in APAC with a $5M fund from Google.org

Scams and fraud continue to impact millions across Southeast Asia, accounting for an estimated $23.6 billion across the region in 2024.

At the GASA Anti-Scam Summit 2025 in Singapore, we announced $5 million in funding from Google.org to The ASEAN Foundation to expand online scam prevention resources to 3 million people in Southeast Asia. This includes scaling “Be Scam Ready” (formerly known as ShieldUp!), an educational game that helps build resilience against online threats by exposing players to common scam tactics in a safe environment.

We also welcomed GovTech Singapore as the first government agency to join the Global Signal Exchange (GSE). Tracking over 400 million threat signals in real-time, member organizations can rapidly share information to disrupt fraud.

As a foundational member of GASA, we look forward to sharing our best practices with our newest local chapters in Indonesia and the Philippines.