Philippine carriers advance anti-scam work across three layers

By Amara Osei

76% of surveyed Filipino consumers said they “absolutely worry” about being scammed, while 62% were avoiding contact or transactions because of scam concerns, according to the GSMA ASEAN Consumer Scam Report 2026. At 76%, the finding is closer to four in five consumers than a minority complaint, making scam anxiety an operating risk for mobile operators.

The timing carries some irony. The Philippines ranked joint third among 11 ASEAN markets in the GSMA’s Digital Nations Index 2026, but operators and their trade body must now protect that momentum from fraud crossing communications channels, platforms and payment systems.

Julian Gorman, Head of Asia Pacific at the GSMA, said: “The Philippines has real digital momentum, but sustaining that progress depends on trust. Scams move across communications channels, digital platforms and payment systems, so protecting consumers requires action across the digital ecosystem.”

Gorman said mobile operators can make “a real difference” through stronger network protection and safer digital transactions. He also said: “The priority now is to turn these capabilities into practical solutions that better protect consumers.” Across ASEAN, GSMA is examining whether network data and signals can identify scam activity early enough for action elsewhere before consumers are harmed.

Globe Telecom, PLDT/Smart and DITO Telecommunity set out their anti-scam work at the GSMA Digital Nation Summit Manila on 4 November 2026. The event’s theme was “Building the Philippines’ Digital Future: Anchoring Trust to Accelerate Value.”

Policymakers, mobile operators and technology leaders gathered to discuss digital trust, connectivity and partnerships for the next phase of Philippine digital development. The stated aim was to turn ambition into practical action and identify value for consumers, businesses and the wider economy.

What are the three protection layers?

• Network protection: Operators are working through the GSMA United Against Scams Playbook on scam prevention, detection and response. This is the programme’s first defensive layer.
• Transaction protection: Globe, Smart and DITO support GSMA Open Gateway capabilities for identity verification and authentication during digital transactions. The next step is practical use cases and adoption among enterprises and government.
• Earlier warning: GSMA and operators across ASEAN are exploring whether network data and signals can identify potential scam activity before consumers are harmed. A GSMA Foundry proof of concept with Globe advances that work in the Philippines.

What has actually been deployed?

Here, the announcement is candid by omission. It names the operators and workstreams but provides no subscriber totals, coverage figures, throughput, fraud-loss reductions, transaction volumes or operator-specific launch dates. It describes a programme in progress, not a measured national rollout.

The Globe proof of concept is the most concrete Philippine implementation item disclosed. Open Gateway support and the United Against Scams Playbook show standards work, while use-case development and adoption remain ahead.

On this evidence, shared standards are not yet service delivery. For Globe, Smart and DITO, the commercial case rests on safer transactions and stronger customer trust, but the announcement does not claim lower scam incidence, avoided losses or new revenue.

GSMA describes itself as a global organisation representing mobile operators and adjacent industries, with work across Connectivity for Good, Industry Services and Solutions, and Outreach. Its remit includes policy, societal challenges, interoperability and the MWC and M360 event series, which it calls the world’s largest platform for convening the mobile ecosystem. That is institutional reach, not deployment evidence.

What happens next?

GSMA’s practical next steps are to develop Open Gateway use cases, build enterprise and government adoption and test whether early-warning signals can prompt action elsewhere in the digital ecosystem. The ASEAN work remains exploratory, while the Philippine Foundry project is a proof of concept rather than a scaled service.

No Philippine regulatory deadline, funding commitment or compulsory reporting rule appears in the announcement. Bringing policymakers into the discussion does not, by itself, create an enforceable obligation.

The summit has produced a work plan, not a performance report. The next evidence should show which use cases work, who adopts them and whether they reduce consumer harm.

For Globe, Smart and DITO, rollout now depends on enterprise and government adoption of Open Gateway and on the Globe proof of concept yielding usable early-warning signals. No firm deployment, investment or policy timetable is attached, so shared intent remains the most honest measure.