45% of ASEAN scam cases remain unresolved, GSMA says

GSMA has published two reports on digital trust in Southeast Asia, finding that 45% of reported scam cases across six ASEAN markets remain unresolved.

The findings highlight growing pressure on consumer confidence as governments and businesses across the region push ahead with digital economy, artificial intelligence and digital government programmes.

The first study, the GSMA ASEAN Consumer Scam Report 2026, covered Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. It found that 8% of surveyed consumers had been scammed in the previous 12 months, while 96% said they worry about being scammed or hacked.

Among those who said they had been scammed, 68% lost money. Of that group, 82% recovered none of it, while only 10% recovered all their losses.

Victims are also changing their behaviour. Consumers who have experienced scams are more than twice as likely to switch accounts or service providers as those who have not.

Messaging apps were the most common channel for scam encounters, accounting for 41% of cases. Consumers' association of major digital platforms with scams has also risen across the region.

The research also identified a shift towards investment, cryptocurrency, online shopping and job scams. In these cases, consumers are persuaded to send money themselves rather than having funds taken directly.

AI is adding to the problem. Nearly nine in 10 consumers recognised at least one form of AI being used in scams, including deepfakes, voice cloning, phishing and digital impersonation.

Trust foundations

The second study, Digital Nations 2026: Building Trusted Digital Ecosystems in ASEAN, argued that trust is becoming a central condition for wider digital adoption. Confidence in infrastructure, services and institutions will increasingly shape whether digitalisation leads to use, investment and broader economic impact.

The report set out four foundations of digital trust: identity, communications, resilient networks and collective intelligence. It defined these as the ability to verify people and organisations, confidence in the authenticity of digital interactions, secure and available infrastructure, and the sharing of trusted information to reduce harm.

It also said mobile operators are taking on a broader role through identity verification, network security, fraud prevention, authentication services and intelligence sharing. Stronger coordination is needed between governments, regulators, operators, financial institutions and digital platforms.

The consumer data suggests unresolved fraud cases directly affect trust in digital services. People whose scam reports were not resolved expressed lower levels of trust in communications channels, digital platforms and data sharing, and many changed how they engaged with digital services and inbound communications.

Julian Gorman, Head of Asia Pacific, GSMA, linked that decline in confidence to wider digital policy goals in the region.

"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 realise 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."

The reports place scam prevention in a wider regional context. ASEAN countries have been expanding digital public services, promoting electronic payments and backing cross-border digital integration, but the research suggests consumer confidence may not keep pace if fraud complaints continue to go unresolved.

For operators and platform groups, the findings also carry a commercial warning. Consumers who lose trust after scam incidents may reduce their use of digital channels or switch to rival providers, increasing pressure on companies to improve verification, authentication and fraud response.

The studies suggest the challenge is no longer limited to access or connectivity. In Southeast Asia's next phase of digital growth, the ability to prove identity, secure communications and respond effectively when scams occur is emerging as a basic test of whether users continue to trust the system.