Global Signal Exchange unveiled version 2.6.0 of its fraud intelligence platform at the ScamReady ASEAN summit in Kuala Lumpur, as Oxford Information Labs presented new regional scam data drawn from about 28 million signals.
The update includes an upgraded GSE Compass tool with multi-country query functions, smart regions and new dashboard views. Oxford Information Labs, which runs the non-profit platform, said it enables accredited public and private sector members to share abuse data and threat signals in real time.
The summit brought together governments, internet platforms, financial institutions and civil society groups focused on online scams and fraud. Members of the platform include Google, Meta and Microsoft, while GovTech Singapore was the first government body to join.
Attention at the meeting also centred on new research from Oxford Information Labs that challenges common assumptions about who scammers target. The analysis suggests working-age adults are targeted most often, with attackers using broad approaches rather than focusing mainly on older people or other fixed demographic groups.
The research also found that situational pressures such as financial need, stress and bereavement appear to be exploited more often than permanent characteristics. It led the organisation to propose a safeguarding framework that would bring scam and fraud prevention further into the work of health, social care and other practitioners.
Regional patterns
Oxford Information Labs also presented an early-stage assessment of threat patterns across ASEAN using the exchange's ASN league tables and GSE Compass queries. It cautioned that the sample has limits and that further analysis is needed before firm conclusions can be drawn.
Even so, the initial data pointed to differences in infrastructure use across the region. In more mature markets such as Singapore, attackers appeared more likely to rely on global cloud infrastructure. In emerging markets, some operations seemed to be routed through neighbouring countries or registrars based in the United States.
Several ASEAN member states, including Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Timor-Leste, showed no large-scale ASNs in the exchange's data. Oxford Information Labs said this may indicate gaps in digital infrastructure rather than an absence of hostile activity.
Phishing emerged as the most common apparent threat across the region, although national patterns varied. Singapore appeared to face cloud-hosted phishing, the Philippines showed signs of a more targeted malware threat, and Vietnam and Indonesia appeared to face a mix of both.
The summit also featured support for the exchange from major technology groups involved in the initiative. Ram Papatla, Managing Director for APAC at Google, publicly backed the partnership, saying it helps the company respond quickly to scams and fraud.
Lucien Taylor, Chief Technology Officer at Oxford Information Labs and a co-founder of GSE, demonstrated the platform at the meeting, including its ranking tables and the updated Compass tool. He also appeared on a panel with Andre Ng of GovTech Singapore and Jean-Jacques Sahel of Google.
GSE Compass is designed to let analysts query threat data in natural language rather than through specialist technical processes. The latest version expands that function across countries and regions, reflecting demand for cross-border analysis as scam operations span multiple jurisdictions.
Cross-border focus
Policy discussions at the summit highlighted information sharing between sectors and across national borders as a central issue for ASEAN countries. That focus aligns closely with the exchange's structure, which is intended to let technology companies, public agencies and other organisations pool signals and act more quickly.
The backdrop is a broader shift in how authorities view organised fraud. The Financial Action Task Force has identified scam activity as more profitable for criminals than drug trafficking, adding urgency to efforts to improve intelligence sharing and disruption.
Emily Taylor, Chief Executive Officer of Oxford Information Labs, linked the regional findings to practical interventions. "ASEAN member states identified information sharing across borders and sectors as their top priority - which is precisely what the GSE is built to do," Taylor said. "The regional data we presented shows where some of the pressure points may be and the kind of targeted interventions that could make a difference at national level. There are weaknesses in the ecosystem that can be designed out, and we are working with partners to explore exactly that."
Lucien Taylor said the model used by Singapore's government could spread more widely. "GovTech Singapore joined GSE because they understand the value of shared intelligence at speed, and that model is now being replicated across the region," he said. "GSE Compass gives any analyst, regardless of technical background, the ability to interrogate over a billion data points in natural language. The barrier to deriving actionable insight has dropped significantly."