The ASEAN Foundation, with support from Google.org, has launched the Scam Ready ASEAN Resource Hub, a free digital learning platform designed to help communities across Southeast Asia recognize, report, and prevent online scams.
Unveiled during the first Scam Ready ASEAN Public-Private Partnership Dialogue in Manila, the platform is available at ScamReadyASEAN.org and provides educational resources, interactive learning tools, and scam reporting contacts across all 11 ASEAN member states.
The Resource Hub features a Scam Ready ASEAN curriculum developed with insights from internet safety organizations Internet Society (ISOC) and Global Cyber Alliance (GCA), alongside local implementing partners. It also incorporates Google’s Be Scam Ready educational game, which allows users to learn how to identify common scam tactics and make safer decisions through interactive activities.
The initiative addresses growing cybersecurity threats as artificial intelligence-enabled deception, instant payment systems, and borderless digital platforms make scams increasingly sophisticated.
According to the Global Anti-Scam Alliance, scams across Southeast Asia resulted in an estimated US$23.6 billion in losses in 2024.
The State of Scams Philippines 2026 Report also found that 84% of Filipino adults encountered scam attempts in the past year, up from 77% in 2025. Despite 58% expressing confidence in identifying scams, 60% of those who encountered one still interacted with a scammer, while only 4% reported the incident to authorities.
The Resource Hub is part of the Scam Ready ASEAN programme, a regional initiative implemented by the ASEAN Foundation from 2025 to 2027 with US$5 million in support from Google.org. It aims to reach three million people through structured training, gamified learning, awareness campaigns, and public-private partnerships.
Since its launch in Malaysia in April 2026, the programme has engaged 20 local implementing partners across ASEAN’s 11 member states and recruited 2,332 Master Trainers, exceeding its initial target of 2,000. It also aims to train at least 550,000 learners and raise scam awareness among older adults through its ASEAN Digital GrandPals initiative.
ASEAN Foundation Executive Director Dr. Piti Srisangnam said the platform will help extend scam prevention education beyond formal discussions by providing communities with continued access to practical learning resources.
Google Senior Director for Global Affairs, APAC, David Weller emphasized that stronger public-private cooperation is essential to building digital resilience and protecting communities against increasingly complex scam networks.
The Manila dialogue is the first in a planned series of at least nine regional and national public-private partnership discussions across Southeast Asia.
The public can access the free learning modules, educational resources, and scam reporting directory at ScamReadyASEAN.org.
