Google.org Disburses IDR 82 Billion for the Scam Ready ASEAN Initiative

JAKARTA - The ASEAN Foundation together with Google.org has officially launched Scam Ready ASEAN, a regional initiative to strengthen digital resilience and improve online fraud prevention in Southeast Asia.

Scam Ready ASEAN comes in the midst of increasing digital scam threats that have harmed the region up to 23.6 billion US dollars (Rp413 trillion) in the past year.

The program with funding support of 5 million US dollars (Rp88 billion at a rate of Rp17,600) is targeted to reach 3 million people in 11 ASEAN countries.

In Indonesia itself, throughout 2025, more than 411,000 reports of online fraud cases were recorded with an estimated financial loss of around US$550 million or equivalent to Rp9 trillion, based on data from the Financial Services Authority (OJK) through the Indonesia Anti-Scam Center (IASC).

The most reported forms of fraud include phishing, social engineering, impersonation, online investment fraud, to QR-based payment fraud. These modes are evolving as artificial intelligence (AI) is used.

The Executive Director of the ASEAN Foundation, Piti Srisangnam, emphasized that fraud today is no longer an isolated incident, but a growing shared challenge that affects people across countries, sectors, and communities.

"Scam Ready ASEAN is here to change our approach, from reacting to fraud, to preventing and being better prepared to deal with it," Piti said in a statement quoted on Sunday, May 17.

Scam Ready ASEAN adopts a large-scale Train-the-Trainer model, an approach that has proven effective in reaching communities that have been left out of conventional digital literacy campaigns.

By equipping 2,000 Master Trainers through 20 local partner organizations across the region, this program ensures that fraud prevention education can reach even the most vulnerable layers of society.

Around 550,000 beneficiaries will receive structured modules and interactive tools, including the Be Scam Ready game, which is designed to build not only knowledge, but also digital confidence and critical thinking skills in recognizing fraud in an increasingly complex online environment.

This program is strengthened through six national policy dialogues and three regional dialogues, ensuring community resilience goes hand in hand with strengthening regulations and cross-sectoral coordination at the government level.

"More than just awareness, it's also about investing in a holistic ecosystem approach where governments, industry, and civil society work together to protect the region," added Sapna Chadha, Vice President, Southeast Asia.

This initiative was officially launched through a high-level policy dialogue that brought together representatives from the digital, financial, consumer protection, banking, and technology sectors from across ASEAN to share best practices and strengthen cross-sector collaboration going forward.

"We hope to build a safer digital environment where people feel more confident and protected as ASEAN continues its digital journey," concluded Piti.