ASEANAPOL Secretariat Hosts the First Working Group Meeting on Anti-Scam Operations

On March 14, 2025, the ASEANAPOL Secretariat convened the 1st Working Group Meeting on Eliminating Scam Centres in the ASEAN Region via Zoom, bringing together 63 participants from ASEANAPOL Member Countries (AMCs). Executive Director David Martinez Vinluan, delivered the opening remarks, highlighting ASEANAPOL’s role and the Secretariat’s core functions. The meeting was in line with Paragraph 14.1 of the 42nd ASEANAPOL Conference Joint Communiqué, which endorsed the establishment of national Anti-Scam Centres (ASCs) across AMCs, modelled after successful initiatives in Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand. This initiative aims to dismantle scam centres linked to human trafficking and forced criminality through enhanced information exchange, a shared regional database, public-private partnerships, and capacity-building efforts. AMCs were encouraged to provide timely feedback on the draft Plan of Action to ensure a coordinated response to cyber scams linked to trafficking in persons (TIP).

The meeting facilitated discussions on best practices in combating scams and cybercrime, with expert presentations from the Royal Malaysia Police (RMP), Singapore Police Force (SPF), and Royal Thai Police (RTP). Three distinguished subject-matter experts shared insights: Superintendent Madhavan Nair Unnikrishnan (RMP, Assistant Director, Computer/Internet Crime Investigation), ACP Aileen Yap (SPF, Assistant Director, Anti-Scam Command), and Police Colonel Piboonsook Ratinerotkun (RTP). Police Senior Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Huu Ngoc, Director for Plans and Programs, presented the draft Plan of Action, which outlined key initiatives such as setting up a dedicated working group, conducting specialized training courses, and developing a shared database for scam-related intelligence.

The Secretariat also laid out key action points for AMCs, including submitting feedback on the draft Plan of Action by March 31, 2025, forwarding inquiries regarding the ASC framework and country presentations by March 21, 2025, coordinating logistics for a Joint Study Visit to Anti-Scam Centres in Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand in Q2 2025, and participating in the 2nd Working Group Meeting on Eliminating Scam Centres in April 2025.

During the session, representatives from RMP, SPF and RTP shared their respective anti-scam efforts. Superintendent Madhavan Nair Unnikrishnan from RMP highlighted the rising cybercrime cases in Malaysia, where 85% of Commercial Crime Investigation Department cases in 2024 were scam-related. The National Scam Response Centre (NSRC), serving as a centralized hub for scam reporting and response, collaborates with law enforcement, financial institutions, and key stakeholders to support victims and enhance public awareness. The NSRC is set to transition under the RMP and expand its operations to a 24/7 structure, improve data-sharing with AMCs, and establish a regional scam account database.

In Singapore, ACP Aileen Yap from SPF reported a 10.6% rise in scam cases and a 68.8% increase in scam-related losses in 2024. She attributed this to Singapore’s digital infrastructure, widespread use of English and Mandarin, and evolving scam tactics. The SPF has implemented robust anti-scam measures, including the Anti-Scam Centre (ASC), which has frozen 81,000 bank accounts and recovered $182 million for victims. She also highlighted Project Frontier, an initiative to enhance cross-border intelligence-sharing and scam intervention. ACP Yap emphasized the importance of international cooperation, citing a successful joint operation with Malaysia’s NSRC that led to the recovery of $370,000 from a scam syndicate.

Thailand’s anti-scam strategies were presented by Police Colonel Piboonsook Ratinerotkun, who discussed the country’s multi-agency approach to cybercrime, led by the Royal Thai Police (RTP) and the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society. The Anti-Online Scam Operation Centre (AOC 1441) provides 24/7 national scam prevention and victim support services. Thai authorities also conduct extensive public awareness campaigns through social media, television, and the "Cyber Vaccine" online test. Additionally, the "Cyber Shake" mobile application was introduced to help users identify fraudulent phone numbers, websites, and accounts.

In his closing remarks, Executive Director Vinluan reaffirmed ASEANAPOL’s commitment to enhancing cooperation, intelligence-sharing, and collective law enforcement efforts to combat scam-related crimes. The ASEANAPOL Secretariat looks forward to continued collaboration among AMCs to strengthen the region’s response to transnational scams and cyber-enabled crimes.