Scam or legit? Banks launch checker website, Google-backed game to learn

Even Google Philippines country manager Prep Palacios fell victim to a costly online scam: 'I'm a tech executive, and I was still fooled'

AT A GLANCE

• A new scam-checking website, ScamCheck.ph, allows users to assess suspicious messages and learn about common scams, developed by Metrobank and BetterGov.ph.
• Banks and organizations are collaborating to enhance scam detection tools, while Google’s Be Scam Ready game helps users practice identifying scams through interactive scenarios.
• Despite ongoing warnings, a significant percentage of Filipinos still fall victim to scams, with a report indicating that 84% encountered scams in the past year, leading to substantial financial losses.

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MANILA, Philippines – That urgent message asking you to transfer money for an emergency may look convincing, but before you open up your bank app, you can now use tools to get a second opinion or practice spotting scams.

A scam-checking website and an interactive game are among the tools being promoted as banks, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), and technology partners step up efforts to help Filipinos recognize fraud before sending money.

At ScamCheck.ph, users can paste suspicious text messages or upload screenshots for an AI-assisted assessment of whether they might be fraudulent. The website also provides information on common scams, allows victims to share their experiences, and offers guidance on reporting fraud.

The website was initially developed by Metrobank and civic technology group BetterGov.ph in late 2025, but is now being promoted more widely through the Bank Marketing Association of the Philippines’ (BMAP) campaign.

Jennifer Ng, BMAP director and program lead for the Scam Check Movement, said banks, government agencies, telecommunications companies, and other organizations are being encouraged to feed their legitimate messages, promotional materials, and communications to train the tool in better distinguishing authentic messages from those impersonating banks and government offices.

For those who want to practice, Google’s Be Scam Ready game puts players through scenarios based on scam tactics. Players follow a character’s story, making decisions and getting feedback on their ability to detect scams.

Not even Google PH’s boss was safe from scams

The initiatives come as regulators acknowledge that repeatedly warning Filipinos about scams has done little to stop people from falling victim.

“We keep coming up with the same messages over and over again and yet people are still scammed,” BSP Deputy Governor Bernadette Romulo-Puyat told reporters on Monday, October 12. “It’s not enough to come up with social media [posts that say] don’t share personal information, don’t press on links.”

She said the BSP is working with BMAP and behavioral science specialists to improve how scam warnings are communicated, with the goal of getting consumers to act on them before making transactions.

Even Google Philippines country manager Prep Palacios knows how easily someone can fall for a scam.

A couple of years ago, she was making an online purchase and had what seemed like a professional exchange with the seller. But after she sent her payment, the seller’s account disappeared, along with their messages. She lost P90,000.

“It wasn’t really just about the money. It was the realization of how easily I got manipulated,” Palacios said. “I’m a tech executive, and I was still fooled.”

A 2026 report by the Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA) found that 84% of Filipino adults surveyed encountered a scam attempt in the past year.

Some 15% reported losing money directly or through stolen personal information that resulted in financial losses, even as more than half of the respondents expressed confidence in their ability to recognize scams.

The study, based on a survey of 1,160 adults, estimated that Filipinos lost P121.8 billion to scams annually, averaging P10,427 per victim. 

Meanwhile, Google.org, Google’s philanthropic arm, has committed $5 million to the ASEAN Foundation’s Scam Ready ASEAN program, which runs from 2025 to 2027. The funding covers regional scam-prevention activities, including interactive learning tools and the training of 2,000 master trainers who are expected to educate at least 550,000 people across Southeast Asia.

Locally, BMAP programs director Catherine “Peewee” Villanueva said the training effort aims to reach one million Filipinos through schools and communities.

An initial 105 master trainers, mostly from banks and other financial institutions, have been mobilized. They will train others within their organizations, while banks plan to incorporate scam prevention into existing financial literacy programs. – Rappler.com