Nearly half of reported scam incidents go unresolved across Southeast Asia, undermining digital trust, new GSMA Findings reveal on Wednesday.
The GSMA ASEAN Consumer Scam Report 2026 found that 45 percent of reported scam cases across Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam remain unresolved despite consumers taking more steps to protect themselves.
Consumers with unresolved cases report lower levels of trust in communications channels, digital platforms and data sharing, while many have changed how they engage with digital services and inbound communications.
As the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) accelerates its digital economy, artificial intelligence (AI) and digital government ambitions, the report noted digital trust is becoming a critical factor in whether citizens, businesses and governments can confidently embrace digital services.
The report also found that nearly one in ten (8 percent) consumers surveyed reported being scammed in the previous 12 months.
Among scam victims, 68 percent lost money and, of those, 82 percent recovered none of their losses. Only 10 percent recovered all losses.
Consumers who have experienced scams are more than twice as likely to switch accounts or service providers than those who have not been affected, said the report.
Meanwhile, the second report, Digital Nations 2026: Building Trusted Digital Ecosystems in ASEAN, argues that trust has become a strategic enabler of ASEAN’s digital future.
As countries across the region advance digital economy strategies, AI adoption, digital government programs and cross-border digital integration, the report highlights that confidence in digital infrastructure, services and institutions increasingly determines whether digitalization translates into adoption, innovation, investment and socioeconomic impact.
The report notes that emerging technologies are transforming the nature of digital trust itself. AI is enabling increasingly sophisticated phishing attacks, deepfakes, voice cloning and digital impersonation, making it harder for individuals and organizations to distinguish legitimate interactions from fraudulent ones.
As a result, digital trust increasingly depends on the ability of the ecosystem to verify identities, authenticate communications, strengthen resilience and share trusted intelligence to prevent harm before it occurs.
Speaking during the Digital Trust Summit at M360 ASEAN, Julian Gorman, Head of Asia Pacific at the GSMA, said access alone is no longer enough. As ASEAN’s digital economies become more sophisticated, people must have confidence that digital services are secure, reliable and accountable.
“The findings from these reports show that digital trust is increasingly becoming a prerequisite for digital participation, innovation and growth. Countries that build confidence in digital infrastructure, services and institutions will be better placed to realize their digital ambitions,
“This will require governments, mobile operators, digital platforms, financial institutions and other stakeholders to work together to verify identities, authenticate communications and prevent fraud before harm occurs,” he added.
Other key findings from the GSMA ASEAN Consumer Scam Report 2026 included 96 percent of consumers worry about being scammed or hacked.
Nearly nine in ten consumers recognized at least one form of AI being used in scams.
While 69 percent of victims reported scams, nearly half (45 percent) of reported cases remain unresolved.
Messaging apps are now the most common channel through which consumers encounter scams, accounting for 41 percent of scam experiences.
Consumer association of major digital platforms with scams has increased across the region.
Scam activity is increasingly shifting towards investment, cryptocurrency, online shopping and job scams where consumers are persuaded to send money themselves.
Meanwhile, the Digital Nations 2026 report has identified four interconnected foundations of digital trust.
These are identity (the ability to verify people and organizations in digital environments); communications (confidence in the authenticity and integrity of digital interactions); resilient networks (the infrastructure and cybersecurity capabilities that keep digital services available and secure); collective intelligence (the creation, sharing and use of trusted information to strengthen the security, resilience and integrity of digital systems).
The report argues that strengthening these foundations requires coordination across governments, regulators, mobile operators, financial institutions, digital platforms and other ecosystem participants.
While traditionally viewed as connectivity providers, mobile operators increasingly contribute to all four trust foundations through identity verification, network security, fraud prevention, authentication services and trusted intelligence-sharing initiatives.
Across ASEAN, operators are helping governments, businesses and citizens participate more safely and confidently in the digital economy.
Importantly, deeper regional collaboration can amplify the impact of national initiatives, helping countries learn from one another, strengthen resilience and build greater confidence in ASEAN’s digital transformation, said the report.
Mobile technologies and services to contribute $1.4T to Asia Pacific economy by 2030 – GSMA