KUALA LUMPUR — Scammers are increasingly taking advantage of weaknesses between telecommunications companies, financial institutions, digital platforms and governments, as the borderless nature of online fraud makes it increasingly difficult for any single sector to combat the threat alone.
Global trade organisation GSMA Asia Pacific Head of Public Policy Jeanette Whyte, said digital scams often cut across multiple platforms and systems, allowing fraudsters to exploit gaps between industries and regulatory frameworks.
“So there are gaps along the way, and I think Malaysia’s doing a lot to try and bring that together.”
“But also we need to remember that scams are borderless,” she told Scoop, stressing that stronger cooperation among Asean countries was needed, particularly in areas such as information sharing and developing common strategies to tackle digital fraud.
Whyte said the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) was adding another layer of complexity, with tools such as voice cloning, deepfakes and highly personalised phishing attempts making scam communications increasingly convincing.
As AI technology becomes more sophisticated, she warned that consumers may find it harder to differentiate between legitimate and fraudulent messages.
“You know you just cannot tell; you could be easily scammed,” she added.
However, Whyte said AI could also be used as part of the solution by helping industries detect suspicious behaviour and strengthen online security measures.
“AI is both a positive and a negative really because we can also use AI in the system to detect,” she said.
She added that technologies such as Open Gateway APIs could enable telcos, banks and other stakeholders to use background signals to identify potential scams, including verifying phone numbers and detecting unusual patterns linked to fraudulent SMS activity.
“There are a number of things….there’s never one size fits all,” she said.
Despite the growing reliance on technology, Whyte said public awareness and digital literacy remained crucial in reducing the impact of scams.
She said efforts to educate users should begin at an early age, with young people taught how to identify suspicious online activity, while older users should also receive targeted guidance as they may face different forms of digital fraud.
“I would say one of the things is about starting very early with young people to you know make sure that they understand what to look for,” she explained.
At the same time, Whyte cautioned that regulation alone should not be viewed as the only solution to address the risks posed by AI-enabled scams.
“I would never just first of all look for regulation as a solution,” she said.
Instead, she called for collaboration between governments, technology companies, telcos and other stakeholders to develop practical measures that protect consumers while allowing society to continue benefiting from digital innovation.
The need for greater coordination is being explored through GSMA’s Asia Pacific Anti-Scam Task Force, also known as ACAST.
The initiative comprises 39 members from 17 countries, including mobile operators and major technology companies such as Meta, Google, TikTok and Amazon.
Whyte said the task force had focused on sharing industry experiences and best practices, alongside developing a data-sharing proof of concept to explore how scam-related information could be exchanged among different stakeholders.
GSMA is now examining whether similar cooperation models could be expanded across Asean, including Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia and Cambodia.
Whyte said the increasing sophistication of scams meant industries could no longer operate independently, particularly as criminals continued to move across platforms, sectors and international borders.
“Trust is invisible when you’ve lost it; you know it’s very hard to” rebuild,” she stressed. – September 10, 2026