As ASEAN advances its digital economy, artificial intelligence, and digital government ambitions, digital trust is becoming increasingly important to ensuring that citizens, businesses, and governments can confidently embrace digital services.
Two new reports from the GSMA, launched during the Digital Trust Summit at M360 ASEAN in Kuala Lumpur, highlight how online scams, fraud, and digital deception are putting that trust at risk.
The GSMA ASEAN Consumer Scam Report 2026 found that nearly half (45%) of reported scam cases across Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam remain unresolved, even as consumers take more precautions to protect themselves.
The report also found that 8% of consumers surveyed had been scammed in the previous 12 months. Among victims, 68% lost money, with 82% of those victims recovering none of their losses. Only 10% recovered all their losses. Consumers who experienced scams were also more than twice as likely to switch accounts or service providers.
Messaging apps have emerged as the most common channel for scams, accounting for 41% of reported scam experiences, while investment, cryptocurrency, online shopping, and job scams are increasingly persuading victims to send money themselves. Meanwhile, 96% of consumers said they worry about being scammed or hacked, and nearly nine in 10 recognized at least one form of AI being used in scams.
Building Trust Across The Digital Ecosystem
The second report, Digital Nations 2026: Building Trusted Digital Ecosystems in ASEAN, identifies digital trust as a strategic foundation for the region’s digital future.
It highlights four interconnected pillars: identity, communications, resilient networks, and collective intelligence. Together, these foundations support stronger identity verification, secure digital interactions, resilient infrastructure, and the sharing of trusted intelligence to prevent fraud.
Emerging technologies such as AI are also making phishing, deepfakes, voice cloning, and digital impersonation increasingly sophisticated, making it harder to distinguish legitimate interactions from fraudulent ones.
“Access alone is no longer enough,” said Julian Gorman, Head of Asia Pacific at the GSMA. “People must have confidence that digital services are secure, reliable and accountable.”
The GSMA emphasized that governments, regulators, mobile operators, financial institutions, digital platforms, and technology companies must work together to strengthen digital trust and prevent harm before it occurs.
As ASEAN continues its digital transformation, stronger regional collaboration and trusted digital ecosystems will be essential to turning digital ambition into safe, inclusive, and sustainable growth.
