Google says it is putting $6 million through Google.org into scam training across Asia Pacific, while Android adds Fake Call Detection and the company joins industry groups that share threat data. The plan was set out in a post from Google’s Trust & Safety team on November 3, 2026.

The announcement covers three areas: protections built into devices and apps, cooperation with other companies, and local partnerships meant to help people and small businesses spot fraud before it costs them money.

Why is Google focusing on scams in Asia Pacific?

Google points to a recent UN report on the scale of the problem. According to that report, as Google cites it, scam losses across East Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand reached up to $114.1 billion USD in 2025, and over 40% of ASEAN consumers are said to be experiencing scams.

Google says transnational crime groups are using increasingly sophisticated tactics, and that beating them takes a unified effort rather than one company’s tools.

What protections are built into Android and Pixel?

Google lists three device-level steps:

  • Fake Call Detection. Android launched it this year to spot phone call impersonation driven by AI. Google says it is built on open RCS technology, so other platforms can adopt the same protections.
  • Pixel scam detection. The built-in feature now alerts you to potential scams from many popular messaging apps. Google says it is partnering to bring this to additional Android users later this year.
  • Android developer verification. Google is expanding it to protect people from malicious apps outside Google Play, wherever those apps are distributed.

The post does not list which countries, phone models or Android versions get each feature, and it gives no exact dates beyond “later this year” for the messaging alerts.

Who is Google working with?

Earlier this year Google signed the Industry Accord Against Online Scams and Fraud with industry peers, a pact built around sharing threat intelligence and coordinating defenses. Building on it, Google says it recently helped establish the Japan Anti-Scam Alliance (JASA), which lets public and private institutions deploy aligned defenses.

Google.org also helped launch the Global Anti-Scams Philanthropy Collaborative, which coordinates charitable action against scams worldwide.

An earlier Google post, from September 2, 2025, gives useful background. It describes the Global Signal Exchange as tracking over 400 million threat signals in real time so members can share information and disrupt fraud, and it says GovTech Singapore was the first government agency to join.

What does the $6 million pay for?

Google.org announced $6 million in funding to The Asia Foundation and the Tech for Good Institute to help small businesses and individuals in Asia Pacific stay safe online. The money will go toward:

  • training local communities to build scam resilience
  • incubating prototypes of AI-powered defenses
  • giving policymakers insights to strengthen measures against threats

This sits on top of existing support for local groups such as Bamboo Builders in Singapore and the Taiwan FactCheck Center, which run hyper-local training for citizens. It also expands the ASEAN Foundation’s Scam Ready ASEAN initiative, which brings scam prevention resources to millions of people in the region.

Google is also taking its Be Scam Ready game to Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. The game simulates common scams so players can practise recognising them, and it is already available in Singapore, Thailand and Taiwan.

Prices

No price is attached to the announcement. The $6 million is a grant to organizations, not a consumer product, and the post does not say that Fake Call Detection, Pixel scam detection or developer verification carry any separate charge. Check the Google Safety Center, which the post names as the place for scam prevention resources, for current details in your country.

Who it suits

Android and Pixel owners. Fake Call Detection and the messaging alerts are aimed at the calls and texts where impersonation scams usually start. Whether your phone gets them depends on details Google has not published in this post.

Small business owners. The Asia Foundation and Tech for Good Institute funding targets small businesses as well as individuals, so local training programs are the thing to look for.

Families and students in the Be Scam Ready countries. If you live in Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines or Vietnam, the game is the new resource. Readers in Singapore, Thailand and Taiwan can already use it.

Who should wait. If you are outside Asia Pacific, this plan is regional. Google does not say which protections reach other markets or when.

What is still unknown?

Google has not said when the funded training starts, how many people it expects to reach, or when the expanded developer verification takes effect. Those details will matter more than the headline figure.

For next steps, open the Google Safety Center for the scam prevention guides Google points to, and watch your phone’s update notes for the new call and message protections.