Media OutReach
The Global Anti-Scam Summit (GASS) Asia 2025 returns to Singapore with a strong regional coalition against scams
“Scams are no longer isolated incidents, they are a systemic, cross-border threat. GASA’s role is to connect the dots, not just across sectors, but across borders, creating the shared infrastructure needed to act faster and smarter,” said Jorij Abraham, Managing Director, GASA. “Over the past year, we’ve scaled our membership, launched new national chapters in high-priority markets, and strengthened data-sharing through the Global Signal Exchange. The summit is where these efforts come together into concrete action.”
Exponential growth in partnerships
GASA’s membership has doubled globally, with the Singapore Chapter now exceeding 100 members, including major organisations such as Amazon, Google, MasterCard, Meta and Microsoft, alongside government, enforcement, and civil society stakeholders. Singapore’s role as a strategic testbed for anti-scam policy frameworks, technology pilots, and cross-sector coordination has made it a hub for regional collaboration.
In the past year, GASA has deepened its presence across the Southeast Asia region, having established chapters in two of the region’s important markets: the Philippines and Indonesia. These economies are heavily mobile-first, with widespread use of digital finance tools, making scams a significant consumer and economic threat. .
In Indonesia, the chapter is chaired by Reski Damayanti, Chief Legal & Regulatory Officer, at Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison, one of the country’s leading telecom providers. According to GASA’s 2024 Asia Scam Report, 65% of Indonesians experience scam attempts every week, from phishing texts and fake job offers to investment fraud. With telcos increasingly targeted through phishing, SMS spoofing, and fake service alerts, the chapter will focus on industry-wide intelligence sharing, public awareness campaigns, and closer alignment with national authorities.
In the Philippines, the chapter is co-chaired by Irish Salandanan-Almeida, Chief Privacy Officer and Vice-President for Governance, Risk, and Compliance and Derick Ohmar Adil, Head, AI and Privacy Governance, at Globe Telecom. As one of the nation’s largest digital service providers, Globe has been at the forefront of consumer protection initiatives, from blocking malicious SMS at scale to launching awareness campaigns.
“These chapters are more than local extensions. They are strategic footholds in markets where digitalisation is instrumental in raising standards of living, yet scams threaten to undermine this. By bringing in national champions like Indosat and Globe, we’re embedding GASA’s model into the heart of each market’s digital ecosystem. It is heartening to see this community of scam fighters assembling a short 2 years after we led the establishment of GASA in this region.” said Rajat Maheshwari, Chair, GASA Singapore Chapter.
A stronger data backbone: Global Signal Exchange (GSE)
More than 35 organisations are now contributing scam signals to the Global Signal Exchange (GSE), supported among others by GASA, Google, GSMA, Meta, Microsoft and other key players. The GSE is a global clearinghouse for the real-time sharing of scam and fraud threat signals – URLs, domains, IP addresses, emails and more. Since its launch in January 2025, GSE has grown from 40 million to 370 million signals. More than 230 organisations are now onboarded or in the pipeline to join. During the summit, GSE will also announce an important milestone and honoured addition to its program.
Other key highlights at the summit include:
- Fireside chat featuring Mr. Tan Kiat How, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Digital Development, Ministry of Health, and Patron of the GASA Singapore Chapter
- Launch of the Southeast Asia Scam Report, presented by Rajat Maheshwari, Chair of the GASA Singapore Chapter
- Panel deep dives on regional scam typologies, enforcement strategies, and cross-border disruption tactics
- INTERPOL session on cybercrime operations and challenges in Asia
- United Nations (UN) on trafficking networks linked to scam centres in Asia
- Researcher and investigator Paul Raffile, on cyber extortion, impersonation scams, and blind spots in digital victim protection
- The Anti-scam pitch room, showcasing real-world tools and early-stage innovation in scam prevention and detection
- Launch of Anti-Scam resources by various GASA Members (e.g. Tech for Good Institute)
To register for GASS Asia 2025, please visit https://events.gasa.org/gass-asia2025/home
For media registration, interview opportunities, or to attend the media lunch briefing on 2nd September, please contact [email protected].
Hashtag: #GASS #GASA
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About GASA
The Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA) is an international non-profit organisation dedicated to protecting consumers worldwide from scams and online fraud. Working across the globe, GASA brings together governments, law enforcement agencies, consumer protection bodies, financial institutions, technology companies, academia, and civil society to share intelligence, coordinate responses, and develop joint strategies.
Through initiatives such as the Global Signal Exchange, a secure platform for real-time scam data sharing, and the Global Anti-Scam Summit series, GASA drives collaboration that enables faster detection, disruption and prevention of scams. Its work is guided by a mission to reduce the financial and emotional harm caused by scams, and to create a safer digital environment for all.
For more information, visit https://www.gasa.org/
Signals Plan to Make Malaysia Regional Compliance Hub
KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA – Media OutReach Newswire – 11 February 2026 – XTransfer, the world’s leading B2B cross-border financial platform, was honoured to be invited to join the Malaysia Economic Forum (Forum Ekonomi Malaysia 2026). Bill Deng, Founder and CEO of XTransfer, shared insights on how Malaysia can accelerate technology application and innovation to help micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) scale exports under the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP), during FEM 2026’s panel discussion, “Made by Malaysia: Accelerating Technology Applications & Innovation”.
Bill was honoured to join YB Tuan Liew Chin Tong, Deputy Minister of Finance of Malaysia, and Mr Ooi Ching Liang, Senior Director of Engineering at SkyeChip, for a discussion focused on strengthening high-growth, high-value industries, advancing R&D commercialisation, increasing productivity and competitiveness, and supporting MSMEs in global value chains.
Drawing on XTransfer’s work with MSMEs across markets, Bill noted that many Malaysian businesses are “able to export,” but face persistent barriers to scaling exports. The most common issues are trust, compliance, and scale, which often surface as payment delays, repeated documentation requests, FX uncertainty, and working capital pressure as orders grow.
“For B2B SMEs in foreign trade, the biggest constraint isn’t demand. It’s the operational complexity behind cross-border payments, foreign exchange, and compliance,” Bill said. “In particular, AML requirements can be difficult for both traditional banks and SMEs to manage efficiently, creating friction that slows down legitimate trade.”
Bill highlighted a structural shift in global trade flows from a single dominant corridor to non-U.S., intra-Asia, and broader South–South routes. This trend is increasingly clear in real SME transaction patterns. Bill shared, “In 2025, XTransfer’s average collection amount from Asia, Africa, and Latin America grew by 106% year-on-year, with Africa exceeding 270%, Latin America reaching 94%, and ASEAN reaching 82%.” YB Liew noted the trend and thinks it is a direction Malaysia should pursue.
XTransfer also said it plans to establish Malaysia as its regional compliance centre, citing Malaysia’s strong geographic and time-zone advantages, a mature regulatory environment, availability of talent in compliance and risk operations, and cost efficiency. “Malaysia gives us the talent, governance environment, and regional proximity to scale compliance as intra-Asia and emerging-market trade accelerates,” Bill added.
Hashtag: #XTransfer #Malaysia #SMEs #13MP #FEM2026
https://www.xtransfer.com
https://www.linkedin.com/company/xtransfer.cn
https://x.com/xtransferglobal
https://www.facebook.com/XTransferGlobal/
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
As the lunar calendar turns its final pages, China enters a period of joyful anticipation known as Xiaonian, or Little Chinese New Year. Often celebrated as the Festival of the Kitchen God, it marks the official start of the “busy year” – a traditional term for the intense, joyful period of preparing food, cleaning homes, and shopping for the upcoming Spring Festival.
The Spring Festival is a deeply significant time for family reunion. In 2024, UNESCO inscribed the “Spring Festival, social practices of the Chinese people in celebration of the traditional Chinese New Year” onto the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
While daily routines continue to evolve, they remain anchored in rituals that provide a sense of normalcy and meaning. It is perhaps no wonder that in a climate of uncertainty, traditional Chinese lifestyles are finding a new audience beyond the country’s borders, with the Spring Festival chief among those unique traditions that are fast becoming a shared human experience.
Diverse traditions, shared aspirations
In a prelude to the broader celebrations, Xiaonian, observed on February 10 and 11 this year, kickstarts a focused period of preparation. According to ancient lore, families offer Zaotang, or sticky “Kitchen Candy,” to the Kitchen God to ensure he delivers a favorable report on the household’s conduct before he ascends to the heavens. This lighthearted tradition marks the beginning of several symbolic rituals aimed at welcoming a fresh start.
A key element of this transition is donning new clothes. In Chinese culture, the New Year represents a moment when “all things are renewed,” and wearing new garments symbolizes shedding the “dust” or misfortunes of the past to embrace auspicious energy for the year ahead. Alongside this personal renewal, families nationwide engage in “sweeping the dust,” a deep-cleaning ritual to purify the home and prepare it for new blessings.
Whereas these practices are universal, celebratory flavors vary by geography. In the north, families traditionally gather over steaming plates of dumplings, whereas in the south, the menu often features sweet rice cakes (Niangao) and glutinous rice balls (Tangyuan).
As Mao Qiaohui, a researcher at the Institute of Ethnic Literature at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, explains, these variations highlight the inclusive nature of Chinese civilization.
“Although folk customs differ between different regions across China, this diversity reflects the cultural pluralism within the Spring Festival tradition,” she notes. “Different regional identities contribute to a shared pursuit of harmony and reunion.”
The vitality of these traditions is also evident in local craftsmanship. In northern regions like Shandong and Henan, artisans are currently making Huamo, decorated steamed buns, featuring horse designs for the upcoming zodiac year. Meanwhile, in Shuozhou, Shanxi Province, intangible heritage inheritors are carving spirited stallions onto traditional gourds. These creations reflect the regional diversity of the festival and a collective desire for progress in the year ahead.
Cultural dialogue: From global stage to daily life
The festive atmosphere is reflected further in preparations for the Spring Festival Gala (Chunwan), produced by China Media Group.
Recent rehearsals show performances meshing traditional Chinese culture with international artistry. One performance piece combines the wooden clog dance of the Hani and Lisu ethnic groups with the rhythmic tap of Spanish Flamenco and Hungarian folk dance. And with global stars like Jackie Chan and Lionel Richie on the bill, the Gala’s stage is set to become a stage for the world to come together.
The reach of the gala has expanded far beyond a domestic audience. Through the “Spring Festival Gala Prelude” events held in the United States, Russia, France, Italy, and several African nations, the program has become a gateway to Chinese New Year customs and cultural exchange.
This interest extends beyond art and into the lives of people worldwide, as seen in the #BecomingChinese trend. This phenomenon features international social media users adopting elements of Chinese daily life – such as keeping a thermos of hot water handy, wearing quilted indoor slippers or practicing mindful movement with Baduanjin exercises.
The festival is no longer a distant event but a gateway to Chinese lifestyle, rooted in ancient wellness wisdom and constantly updated by modern convenience, and the first step to a journey of exploration into a culture that values ritual, safety and hospitality.
Whether through global broadcasts or shared daily habits, the Spring Festival increasingly strengthens a sense of cultural empathy between China and the rest of the world.
For more information, please click here:
Hashtag: #CGTN
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Media OutReach
De Beers Group and Assouline Celebrate the Launch of “A Diamond Is Forever: The Making of A Cultural Icon 1926-2026”
Hashtag: #DeBeersGroup #NaturalDiamonds #diamonds #ADiamondIsForever #Assouline
https://www.debeersgroup.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/debeersgroup/posts/?feedView=all
https://www.facebook.com/DeBeersGroupOfCompanies
https://www.instagram.com/debeersgroup/
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About De Beers Group
Established in 1888, De Beers Group is the world’s leading diamond company with expertise in the exploration, mining, marketing and retailing of diamonds. Together with its joint venture partners, De Beers Group employs more than 20,000 people across the diamond pipeline and is the world’s largest diamond producer by value, with diamond mining operations in Botswana, Canada, Namibia and South Africa. Innovation sits at the heart of De Beers Group’s strategy as it develops a portfolio of offers that span the diamond value chain, including its jewellery houses, De Beers Jewellers and Forevermark, and other pioneering solutions such as diamond sourcing and traceability initiatives Tracr and GemFair. De Beers Group also provides leading services and technology to the diamond industry in the form of education and laboratory services via De Beers Institute of Diamonds and a wide range of diamond sorting, detection and classification technology systems via De Beers Group Ignite. De Beers Group is committed to ‘Building Forever,’ a holistic and integrated approach for creating a better future – where safety, human rights and ethical integrity continue to be paramount; where communities thrive and the environment is protected; and where there are equal opportunities for all. De Beers Group is a member of the Anglo American plc group. For further information, visit www.debeersgroup.com.
-
Feature/OPED6 years agoDavos was Different this year
-
Travel/Tourism10 years ago
Lagos Seals Western Lodge Hotel In Ikorodu
-
Showbiz3 years agoEstranged Lover Releases Videos of Empress Njamah Bathing
-
Banking8 years agoSort Codes of GTBank Branches in Nigeria
-
Economy3 years agoSubsidy Removal: CNG at N130 Per Litre Cheaper Than Petrol—IPMAN
-
Banking3 years agoSort Codes of UBA Branches in Nigeria
-
Banking3 years agoFirst Bank Announces Planned Downtime
-
Sports3 years agoHighest Paid Nigerian Footballer – How Much Do Nigerian Footballers Earn