2025 High–Level Panel: Uplifting Public–Private Partnership to Combat Scams in Southeast Asia

22 OCT 2025

2025 High-Level Panel: Uplifting Public-Private Partnership to Combat Scams in Southeast Asia

Digital scams continue to threaten and severely harm individuals, businesses, and governments across Southeast Asia and beyond. Scam syndicates exploit technological advancements and societal digitalisation to enhance and scale their capabilities to effectively contact and scam victims – whose losses, which can be life-changing, are further used by scammers to perpetuate the vicious scam-cycle. Governments have invested significant resources and efforts into protective measures, operational enforcement, and public education; while the telecoms, banking/financial and digital industries have similarly leaned forward to implement technical and scam awareness measures to help protect and educate their consumers.

However, the scam situation remains challenging; and it is critical that governments and industry come together to combat the scam scourge through stronger collaboration and collective action by creating and advancing multi-lateral eco-system defences against scammers.

This high-level panel convened leaders and decision makers in the government and industry to jointly examine the scams problem and discuss actionable areas for public-private partnership against scams. Together, the panel mapped out practical pathways to advance and uplift protection against scams in Southeast Asia.

Opening Remarks
Mr Goh Pei Ming, Minister of State, Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Social and Family Development, Singapore

Panellists

  • Mr Zhang Weihan, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Investigations and Intelligence), Singapore Police Force, Singapore
  • Dr Rafael Frankel, Director of Public Policy for Southeast and South Asia, Meta, Singapore
  • Ms Loretta Yuen, MD & Head, Legal and Compliance, OCBC, Chair of Standing Committee on Fraud (SCF), Association of Banks in Singapore (ABS), Singapore
  • Mr Norman Ng, Head, Trust & Safety Global Engagement (APAC), Google, Singapore
  • Mr James Babbage, Director General Threats, National Crime Agency, United Kingdom
  • Dr Ekapong Rimcharone, Director, National Statistical Office, Director, Anti-Online Scam Operation Center (AOC), Thailand

Moderator
Mr Ed Ratcliffe, Executive Director, Southeast Asia Public Policy Institute, Singapore