The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has thrown its support behind a regional anti-scam education program that aims to train three million people across Southeast Asia to recognize, avoid, and respond to online fraud.
The Philippine leg of the Scam Ready Asean Program was launched on Monday, Oct. 12, at the BSP headquarters in Manila, bringing together financial regulators, banks, technology companies, telecommunications firms, law enforcement agencies, and consumer groups.
Led by the Asean Foundation, the initiative seeks to develop 2,000 Master Trainers who will conduct scam awareness and prevention training in their respective communities and organizations.
The program also features an interactive learning tool called the Scam Ready game, which teaches users how to identify fraudulent schemes and make safer decisions when conducting transactions online.
The Philippine rollout was organized by the Bank Marketing Association of the Philippines (BMAP), together with the Asean Foundation and Google.org, in collaboration with the BSP.
BSP governor Eli Remolona Jr. said the expansion of digital financial services should be accompanied by stronger consumer protection measures.
“At the BSP, we believe that as digital finance becomes more accessible, it must also become safer. We are proud to do our part in building a more vigilant, more resilient, and truly Scam Ready Asean,” Remolona said in a recorded video message.
BSP deputy governor Bernadette Romulo-Puyat, meanwhile, emphasized the need for coordinated action among financial institutions, regulators, and other stakeholders to address online scams.
“Fighting scams requires more than awareness. It requires action and collaboration. Protecting consumers is a shared responsibility, and by working together, we can build stronger safeguards to protect Filipinos, their hard-earned savings, and the trust they place in our financial system,” she said.
During the launch, BMAP also introduced an industry-wide anti-fraud campaign dubbed “Ang Mahal ma-Scam, i-scamcheck.ph Mo Muna.”
The campaign encourages consumers to verify information before clicking suspicious links, responding to unsolicited messages, transferring money, or disclosing personal information online.
The initiative comes as financial transactions increasingly move to digital platforms, exposing consumers to online scams involving fraudulent messages, deceptive links, and other forms of cyber-enabled fraud.
The BSP said it would continue coordinating with public and private sector organizations on fraud prevention and consumer protection initiatives.
The launch, formally called the Scam Ready Asean National Public-Private Partnership Dialogue and Philippine Launch, also featured discussions on cybersecurity, digital trust, and scam prevention, as well as a collective pledge by participating organizations to combat digital fraud.
Among those who attended were BMAP president Catherine P. Santamaria, Asean Foundation executive director Dr. Piti Srisangnam, Google.org country manager Prep Palacios, and Romulo-Puyat.
Participants were also introduced to ScamCheck.ph, an online tool designed to help users identify potentially fraudulent messages and transactions.
The platform allows consumers to check suspicious text messages or emails, particularly those containing links, requests for money transfers, or demands for personal information, for possible warning signs before taking action.
