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Free Scam-Prevention Courses Launch for Southeast Asia

Students and families across the region can now learn to identify, prevent and report online scams through a free digital hub.

Updated on Nov. 11, 2026 in Scholarships

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ASEAN Foundation launched a free Scam Ready ASEAN Resource Hub this week to teach Southeast Asian students and families how to spot, prevent and report online scams. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Do you feel safer from online scams than you did a year ago?

ASEAN Foundation launched the Scam Ready ASEAN Resource Hub, a free digital platform with educational materials on online scams, built with support from Google.org. The hub targets learners across Southeast Asia, where scam losses reached roughly US$23.6 billion in 2024.

Why it matters

Scams are becoming harder to spot as technologies such as generative AI improve, and the hub gives students and families a free place to learn how to identify, prevent and respond to them. Regional losses of this size make scam literacy a practical safeguard for anyone handling tuition payments, scholarship funds or student accounts.

Scam losses across Southeast Asia reached about US$23.6 billion in 2024, with Malaysia alone reporting RM2.97 billion in losses last year. The hub itself is free to use, though learning modules require an account, and the programme aims to reach three million people through 20 local implementing partners.

The players

ASEAN Foundation

The foundation behind the Scam Ready ASEAN initiative, which runs regional education programmes across the 11 ASEAN Member States.

Google.org

Google's philanthropic arm, which provided support and funding for the Scam Ready ASEAN Resource Hub.

Internet Society (ISOC)

A global nonprofit that helped develop the Scam Ready ASEAN curriculum.

Global Cyber Alliance (GCA)

A cybersecurity nonprofit that helped develop the Scam Ready ASEAN curriculum.

The details

The Scam Ready ASEAN Resource Hub brings together the Scam Ready ASEAN curriculum, which was developed with experts from the Internet Society (ISOC) and the Global Cyber Alliance (GCA). Courses are tailored to specific age groups and cover how to identify scams, how to prevent them, and how to respond, while modules also address supporting scam victims. The platform features Google's Be Scam Ready game, which received Bahasa Malaysia support through a collaboration with the #JanganKenaScam campaign, and includes a directory of scam reporting hotlines and help centres across all 11 ASEAN Member States.

Timeline

  1. 2024: Scam losses across Southeast Asia reached about US$23.6 billion.

  2. 2025: The Scam Ready ASEAN initiative was established.

  3. November 11, 2026: The Scam Ready ASEAN Resource Hub launched.

  4. 2027: The Scam Ready ASEAN programme is scheduled to end.

Education Landscape

Scam education in the region is now being delivered through free digital tools rather than only classroom instruction, a shift that tracks the rising losses reported for 2024. The launch sits alongside a multi-year programme running to 2027, which places it within a sustained regional push rather than a one-off campaign.

Students and families can use the free hub to learn scam-spotting skills, though learning modules require creating an account. Anyone who has been targeted can also find the regional directory of reporting hotlines and help centres for their country.

The takeaway

Free scam-awareness resources are now available across Southeast Asia, so students and families can build these skills before a costly scam reaches them. Check the regional reporting directory for your country so you know where to turn if you are targeted.

Further reading

For more on the education and funding side of this initiative, browse our Scholarships section.

Live Poll

Do you feel safer from online scams than you did a year ago?