High-Level Panel: Uplifting Public-Private Partnership to Combat Scams in Southeast Asia

Digital scams continue to threaten and severely harm individuals, businesses, and governments across Southeast Asia and beyond. Scam syndicates exploit technological advancements and societal digitalisation to enhance and scale their capabilities to effectively contact and scam victims – whose losses, which can be life-changing, are further used by scammers to perpetuate the vicious scam-cycle. Governments have invested significant resources and efforts into protective measures, operational enforcement, and public education; while the telecoms, banking/financial and digital industries have similarly leaned forward to implement technical and scam awareness measures to help protect and educate their consumers.

However, the scam situation remains challenging; and it is critical that governments and industry come together to combat the scam scourge through stronger collaboration and collective action by creating and advancing multi-lateral eco-system defences against scammers.

This high-level panel convenes leaders and decision makers in the government and industry to jointly examine the scams problem and discuss actionable areas for public-private partnership against scams. Together, the panel aims to map out practical pathways to advance and uplift protection against scams in Southeast Asia.