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Google announced $6 million in Google.org funding for The Asia Foundation and the Tech for Good Institute to support scam resilience in Asia Pacific. The company also described product protections, industry partnerships and plans to expand its Be Scam Ready educational game. The initiatives are Google’s announced efforts; their outcomes and measurable effect on scam losses are not yet clear.
Google has announced $6 million in funding for The Asia Foundation and the Tech for Good Institute to support scam-prevention work in Asia Pacific, as the company also outlined product protections and partnerships intended to coordinate defenses against fraud. The announcement matters in a region where a UN report cited by Google estimated scam losses of up to $114.1 billion in 2025 across East Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand.
Google said the grants will support training for local communities, development of AI-powered defense prototypes, and research to give policymakers information for strengthening measures against scams. The company described the funding as part of a broader effort to improve online resilience among individuals and small businesses. The post did not state how the $6 million will be divided between the two recipients or give a schedule for the funded work.
The company also listed protections across its products. It said Android launched Fake Call Detection this year to identify possible AI-driven phone-call impersonation. Pixel devices have scam detection for messages from several popular messaging apps, and Google said it plans to bring that protection to more Android users later this year. Google also said it is expanding developer verification for Android apps distributed outside Google Play.
On coordination, Google said it signed the Industry Accord Against Online Scams and Fraud with other industry participants earlier this year. It also said it helped establish the Japan Anti-Scam Alliance and that Google.org helped launch a global philanthropy collaboration. The company plans to extend its Be Scam Ready educational game, which simulates common scams, to Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam; Google said it is already available in Singapore, Thailand and Taiwan.
A Regional Response Beyond Product Tools
The announcement combines consumer-facing technology with training, funding and coordination among organizations. That approach reflects the challenge described by Google: scams can involve organized networks and cross-border activity, while individuals may encounter fraudulent calls, messages or apps on different services and devices.
For residents and small businesses, the practical value will depend on whether protections reach the platforms and communities they use, and whether training helps people recognize changing tactics. Shared threat information and aligned responses could help organizations act across service boundaries, but Google’s announcement does not report results showing that these programs have reduced losses or prevented a particular number of scams.
The funding also puts private-sector support behind local education and policy work. Its impact will depend on how the two recipients deploy the money, which communities receive support, and whether the announced prototypes and training become available at meaningful scale.
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Products, Alliances and Local Training
Google’s post cites a UN report estimating that scam losses across East Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand reached up to $114.1 billion in 2025. It also says more than 40% of ASEAN consumers were reported to experience scams. These are figures as presented by Google from the report; the company post does not supply further detail about the calculation methods or the precise meaning of “experience scams.”
The new funding builds on Google.org support for organizations including Bamboo Builders in Singapore and the Taiwan FactCheck Center, which the company says provide locally tailored training. Google also points to the ASEAN Foundation’s Scam Ready ASEAN initiative, which provides scam-prevention resources in the region. The newly announced expansion of Be Scam Ready adds five named markets to the three where Google says the game is already available.
The post presents the efforts as a combination of platform safeguards and work with public, private and nonprofit groups. It does not say that the measures operate as a single shared system or specify which partners will exchange threat data, under what rules, or on what timetable.
““Tackling these highly organized networks requires a unified effort.””
Funding Details and Results Pending
The announcement does not specify the allocation of the $6 million, grant timelines, participant targets or evaluation measures. It also provides no evidence yet on whether the listed protections or community programs have reduced scam incidents or financial losses.
Further details remain unavailable about the Android rollout schedule beyond Google’s statement that it expects to extend messaging scam detection to additional users later this year. The post does not identify every supported app or market, nor explain how developer verification will work across app-distribution channels. The underlying UN report’s methods and the basis for the ASEAN consumer figure are also not detailed in the company post.
Rollouts and Grant Work Ahead
Google says it plans to expand Be Scam Ready to Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam, and bring Pixel’s messaging scam detection to more Android users later this year. The company did not provide specific launch dates in the post.
The next indications of progress will be details from The Asia Foundation and the Tech for Good Institute on how they use the funding, alongside information on community training, prototype development and policy work. Further reporting would be needed to establish participation, geographic reach and any measurable change in scam exposure or losses.
Key Questions
What did Google announce?
Google announced $6 million in Google.org funding for The Asia Foundation and the Tech for Good Institute to support scam resilience in Asia Pacific. It also described product protections, industry partnerships and educational programs.
What will the $6 million support?
Google says the work will include local scam-resilience training, AI-powered defense prototypes and information for policymakers. The company did not provide a budget breakdown or project timetable.
Where will Be Scam Ready expand?
Google says the educational game will expand to Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. The company says it is already available in Singapore, Thailand and Taiwan.
Has Google shown that these efforts reduce scam losses?
No results demonstrating reduced losses were included in the announcement. It describes planned and existing measures, but their impact has not been established in the post.
Source: blog.google
