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Google says it is expanding anti-scam work across Asia Pacific through device protections, industry partnerships and a new $6 million grant to The Asia Foundation and the Tech for Good Institute. The company cited a UN report estimating scam losses in East Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand at up to $114.1 billion in 2025.
Google announced $6 million in funding for The Asia Foundation and the Tech for Good Institute to support scam-resilience work across Asia Pacific, alongside plans to expand consumer protections and collaboration with industry and local organizations. The company says the initiative responds to increasingly organized scams affecting the region, where a UN report it cited estimated losses of up to $114.1 billion in 2025.
Google said the grant will support training for local communities, the development of AI-powered defense prototypes, and work to give policymakers information that can strengthen responses to scams. The announcement does not specify how the $6 million will be divided between the two organizations, which countries will receive funding first, or the program’s schedule.
The company also outlined product measures. It said Android launched Fake Call Detection this year to identify possible AI-driven phone impersonation, and that Pixel devices can flag potential scams in several popular messaging apps. Google plans to bring that messaging protection to additional Android users later this year. It is also expanding Android developer verification for apps distributed outside Google Play.
On coordination, Google said it joined other companies in signing the Industry Accord Against Online Scams and Fraud earlier this year. It also helped establish the Japan Anti-Scam Alliance, which is intended to align defenses among public and private institutions, and said Google.org helped launch a global philanthropy collaboration on anti-scam efforts.
Funding Local Scam Defenses
The announcement links consumer-facing technology with community training and cross-sector coordination. That matters because scams may reach people through calls, messaging apps and software downloads, while efforts to detect and limit them can involve technology companies, governments, nonprofits and local groups. A single product safeguard cannot address every channel or replace reporting and public education.
Google’s cited regional figures give a sense of the scale it says the work is meant to address. The company attributed to a recent UN report an estimate of up to $114.1 billion in scam losses across East Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand in 2025. It also said more than 40% of ASEAN consumers were reported to have experienced scams. These are regional estimates and reported experiences, not a measure of the effect of Google’s programs.
The grant’s potential reach will depend on how the organizations deploy the money and whether training and tools are accessible to groups most exposed to fraud. Google has not published targets for how many people the new work will train or how it will measure changes in scam losses.
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A Broader Regional Response
Google described the new funding as part of a wider effort that includes work already underway with local organizations. It said it has supported Bamboo Builders in Singapore and the Taiwan FactCheck Center to provide locally tailored training. It also pointed to the ASEAN Foundation’s Scam Ready ASEAN initiative, which provides online scam-prevention resources in the region.
Google said it will expand Be Scam Ready, an educational game that simulates common scams, to Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. According to the company, the game is already available in Singapore, Thailand and Taiwan. The announcement did not provide details on when each new version will launch or how many users the program has reached so far.
The company’s product and partnership plans are presented as complementary parts of its response: safeguards on devices and platforms, shared action among institutions, and prevention education at community level. The report describes Google’s plans and activities; it does not provide an independent evaluation of their effectiveness.
“Tackling these highly organized networks requires a unified effort.”
Unpublished Grant and Rollout Details
The report does not state the grant’s allocation, the start and end dates for funded projects, or which communities will be served first. It also does not give measurable targets or an evaluation plan for the training, prototypes or policy work.
For product protections, Google did not specify which additional Android devices or markets will receive messaging scam detection, or give a firm release date beyond saying expansion is planned later this year. It also provided no performance figures for Fake Call Detection or the Pixel feature, such as detection rates or false alerts.
The regional estimates are attributed to a UN report, but Google’s post does not identify the report by title or provide its methodology. The basis for the figure on ASEAN consumers is also not detailed. The scale of any change in scam activity attributable to these initiatives remains unknown.
Upcoming Tools and Training
Google says messaging scam alerts will reach additional Android users later this year and that Be Scam Ready will expand to five more countries. The company did not provide rollout dates. The Asia Foundation and the Tech for Good Institute are expected to carry out the newly funded community and policy work, but their project plans and timelines were not included in the announcement.
Further details on funding distribution, participating communities, product availability and results will show how broad the effort becomes. Until those details are available, the announcement establishes Google’s planned commitments rather than evidence of a measured reduction in regional scams.
Key Questions
What did Google announce?
Google announced $6 million in funding for The Asia Foundation and the Tech for Good Institute to support scam-resilience work in Asia Pacific, as well as product protections and industry partnerships.
What will the funding support?
Google says the work will include community training, development of AI-powered defense prototypes and information for policymakers. It has not disclosed how the grant will be divided or the project schedule.
Which countries will get the Be Scam Ready game?
Google says it plans to expand the game to Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. It is already available in Singapore, Thailand and Taiwan, according to the company.
When will more Android users get messaging scam detection?
Google said it plans to bring the Pixel messaging protection to additional Android users later this year, but did not give a date or list the devices and markets involved.
Do the announced programs show that scam losses are falling?
No. The announcement describes planned and existing efforts but provides no outcome data showing that they have reduced scam incidents or financial losses.
Source: blog.google
