Google Commits $6 Million to Fight Asia Pacific Scams
Google.org is funding The Asia Foundation and the Tech for Good Institute while expanding its Be Scam Ready game to five more countries.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Scholarships
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Google.org announced $6 million in funding for The Asia Foundation and the Tech for Good Institute to fight scams across Asia Pacific. Google will also expand its Be Scam Ready educational game to Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam.
Why it matters
Scam losses across East Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand reached up to US$114.1 billion in 2025, and over 40% of ASEAN consumers have experienced scams. The initiative responds to that scale of financial harm across the region.
Google.org committed US$6 million to The Asia Foundation and the Tech for Good Institute, with the funds supporting community training, AI-powered defense prototypes, and policy insights. The breakdown of spending among these three areas has not been disclosed.
The players
Google.org
Google.org is the philanthropic arm of Google that funds social impact initiatives worldwide.
The Asia Foundation
The Asia Foundation is a nonprofit organization that works on development programs across Asia.
Tech for Good Institute
The Tech for Good Institute is a research and policy organization focused on technology's social benefits.
The details
The US$6 million will support training local communities, developing AI-powered defense prototypes, and providing policymakers with insights. The effort sits alongside Be Scam Ready, an educational game that simulates common scams and is offered through the Scam Ready ASEAN initiative.
Timeline
Earlier this year: Android introduced Fake Call Detection to identify AI-driven phone call impersonation.
Earlier this year: 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: Pixel scam detection will extend to additional Android users.
Industry Context
Google signed the Industry Accord Against Online Scams and Fraud earlier this year alongside industry peers, and it helped establish the Japan Anti-Scam Alliance. The new funding moves those coalition commitments into regional community programs.
Readers in the expansion countries will be able to access the Be Scam Ready game, which simulates common scams to build awareness. Android users may gain Pixel's built-in scam detection, which alerts them to potential scams across several popular messaging apps.
The takeaway
Scam protection increasingly depends on coordinated efforts between companies, nonprofits, and local communities rather than individual vigilance alone. Readers can use built-in device alerts and educational tools to spot impersonation and fraud before losing money.
What happens next
Google plans to expand the Be Scam Ready game to five additional countries and to bring Pixel's built-in scam detection to more Android users later this year.
Further reading
Explore related education resources in the Scholarships section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by FoneArena.
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