Everyone has received fraudulent text messages or phone calls, ranging from government impersonation to IT support texts to “wrong number” outreach that can evolve into elaborate investment scams. Americans receive an average of 377 scam attempts a year, and surveys from the Global Anti-Scam Alliance show that text/SMS is the most reported method of outreach, followed by email and phone calls. Artificial intelligence and automation allow for increasingly professionalized scam operations to rapidly scale and adapt outreach, increasing both the frequency and sophistication of attempts, as well as consumer fatigue and mistrust of SMS communications and unexpected phone calls.
Join us for a discussion about how telecommunications service providers can respond by blocking scam outreach before it reaches consumers, such as by using better technologies to improve the identification of spoofed calls, running AI analysis directly on the line to identify scams in action, and implementing security protocols such as enhanced due diligence.
This event is the first in a series of dialogues sponsored by Google on how innovative technical responses and improved industry best practices can help stem the scourge of online scams.
Featured Speakers
Allison Pytlak, Senior Fellow and Director, Cyber Program, Stimson Center
Pytlak is a cybersecurity expert whose work focuses on the intersection of cyber operations, international relations, and UN governance frameworks. She leverages extensive experience in arms control and disarmament to advance international law, norms, and strategies to reduce cyber harm, with a focus on accountability, deterrence, and cybercrime. Previously, she worked with the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, where she monitored UN cyber processes and advocated for civil society participation while highlighting gender and human rights dimensions. She has over 15 years of experience in international disarmament advocacy and holds degrees in International Relations from the University of Toronto and the City University of New York.
Nils Mueller, Director for the North America Chapter, Global Anti-Scam Alliance
Nils Mueller is Director of the North America Chapter of the Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA), where he leads cross-sector efforts to combat online scams in the U.S. and Canada. Previously, he spent over 20 years as a USAID Foreign Service Officer, working across Africa and Southeast Asia to counter transnational scamming networks. He also served as Senior Development Advisor to the House Democracy Partnership and holds degrees from Princeton University and Tufts University.
Hubert Han, Counsellor (Digital), Embassy of the Republic of Singapore in Washington DC and Senior Tech Policy Advisory for the Ministry of Digital Development and Innovation, Singapore
Hubert Han is Counsellor (Digital) at the Embassy of Singapore to the United States, the country’s first diplomatic post focused on digital technologies, and concurrently serves as Senior Tech Policy Advisor at the Ministry of Digital Development and Information. A Foreign Service Officer, he was previously posted to Beijing (2019–2021), where he led work on US-China relations, China’s political economy, and technology landscape. He also co-led Singapore’s National AI Strategy 2.0, served as lead speechwriter for online safety legislation, and is a 2024 Schmidt Futures Fellow with top honors from the University of Oxford in Diplomatic Studies and History.
Eugene Liderman, Director of Product for Android Security & Privacy at Google
Eugene Liderman is Director of Product for Android Security & Privacy at Google, where he leads platform security strategy, product management, and outreach efforts. He has over 25 years of experience in IT, with deep expertise in mobile security and identity across enterprise and consumer sectors. Previously, he held product leadership roles at VMware and Good Technology, working on major mobile security solutions.
Josh Bercu, Executive Director, Industry Traceback Group (ITG) and Senior Vice President, Policy at USTelecom – The Broadband Association
Josh Bercu is Executive Director of the Industry Traceback Group and Senior Vice President of Policy at USTelecom, where he leads efforts to identify and stop illegal calls and oversees policy on digital trust and consumer protection. Previously, he was a partner at Wilkinson Barker Knauer, a telecommunications law firm in Washington, D.C. He has also held leadership roles on national fraud and scam prevention initiatives, including with the Aspen FSP Task Force and the FTC advisory group on scams against older adults.
Courtney Weatherby, Fellow and Deputy Director, Stimson Center Southeast Asia Program (Moderator)
Courtney Weatherby is a Fellow in the Energy, Water, & Sustainability program and Deputy Director of the Stimson Center’s Southeast Asia program, focusing on sustainable infrastructure and energy challenges in the Indo-Pacific. Her work centers on the food-water-energy nexus in the Mekong region, where she has led major policy reports and supports platforms like the Mekong Dam Monitor and Mekong Infrastructure Tracker. She previously worked with the State Department, CSIS, and Human Rights Watch, and holds graduate and undergraduate degrees in Asian and East Asian Studies.
