Google Expands Scam-Awareness Training Across Asia

Students and families in five more countries will gain access to the Be Scam Ready game as regional scam losses reach up to US$114.1 billion.

Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Scholarships

Google Expands Scam-Awareness Training Across Asia

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Google.org announced US$6 million in funding for The Asia Foundation and the Tech for Good Institute to fight scams across Asia Pacific, and Google will expand its Be Scam Ready educational game to Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam.

Why it matters

For students and families in the region, scams can drain savings that would otherwise go toward tuition, textbooks, and living costs, so scam-awareness training is directly tied to protecting education budgets. The announcement comes as scam losses across East Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand reached up to US$114.1 billion in 2025.

Scam losses across the region reached up to US$114.1 billion in 2025, and more than 40% of ASEAN consumers said they had been scammed. Google.org's new US$6 million grant supports training local communities, developing AI-powered defense prototypes, and informing policymakers, but the source does not state a timeline for measuring results.

The players

Google.org

The philanthropic arm of Google that funds nonprofit programs, including the US$6 million grant for anti-scam work in Asia Pacific.

The Asia Foundation

A nonprofit organization that works on development programs across Asia, receiving the new Google.org funding to train local communities against scams.

Tech for Good Institute

An organization that receives Google.org funding to develop AI-powered scam-defense prototypes and inform policymakers.

The details

Google.org's US$6 million grant goes to The Asia Foundation and the Tech for Good Institute, which will use it to train local communities, build AI-powered scam-defense prototypes, and give policymakers insight into the problem. Scam-awareness content is delivered through the Be Scam Ready game, which simulates common scams, and is one of the resources offered through the Scam Ready ASEAN initiative. Google will extend the game to Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam, joining Singapore and Taiwan, where it is already available.

Earlier this year (2026): Android introduced Fake Call Detection to identify AI-driven phone call impersonation.
Earlier this year (2026): Google joined the Industry Accord Against Online Scams and Fraud.
2025: Scam losses across the region reached up to US$114.1 billion.
Later this year (2026): Pixel scam detection is expected to reach additional Android users.

Education Landscape

Google's regional anti-scam push follows its earlier signing of the Industry Accord Against Online Scams and Fraud and its help in establishing the Japan Anti-Scam Alliance (JASA). The effort is part of a broader multi-party response to scam losses that the source puts at up to US$114.1 billion across the region in 2025.

Students and families across the region may see more scam-awareness training through the Be Scam Ready game and related community programs, which can help protect education savings from fraud. Because scam calls and messages increasingly impersonate institutions, it is worth confirming any tuition or aid request directly with your school's financial-aid office before sending money.

The takeaway

Scam losses are large enough to affect education budgets across the region, so scam awareness is a practical part of financial preparation. Before paying any fee or sharing account details tied to tuition or aid, verify the request through your school's official financial-aid office.

What happens next

Google is expected to bring Pixel's built-in scam detection to additional Android users later this year, and the expansion of the Be Scam Ready game to five additional countries is planned.