Be Scam Ready: Empowering Southeast Asia Against Online Fraud

In a significant move to combat the rising tide of online scams in the Asia-Pacific region, Google.org has announced a $5 million funding initiative aimed at enhancing online scam prevention resources. This funding will be directed to The ASEAN Foundation, with the goal of reaching 3 million individuals across Southeast Asia. Key features of this initiative include the scaling of the educational game "Be Scam Ready" (formerly known as ShieldUp!), which is designed to build resilience against online threats by familiarizing players with common scam tactics in a safe environment. Additionally, the initiative welcomes GovTech Singapore as the first government agency to join the Global Signal Exchange (GSE), which tracks over 400 million threat signals in real-time, enabling member organizations to share information swiftly to disrupt fraudulent activities. As a foundational member of the Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA), Google is committed to sharing best practices with its local chapters in Indonesia and the Philippines, further strengthening the fight against online scams.