The Consumer Lending Association of the Philippines has convened leaders from the government and financial technology sectors to address the growing crisis of financial scams and fraud.

The Decoding Deceit 2026 symposium highlighted the need for an offensive approach to combat cybercrime. This shift in strategy becomes crucial as digital transaction volumes continue to rise.

Regulators from the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas shared their concerns at the event. They underscored that lending scams in the Philippines have evolved into a national economic threat.

This trend is reportedly pushing vulnerable Filipinos out of the formal financial system and creating a widening trust deficit.

Stakeholders at the event called for stronger enforcement of the Anti-Financial Account Scamming Act.

They also advocated for a seamless digital public infrastructure focused on an integrated digital identity system and the accelerated establishment of a National Anti-Scam Hub.

As a co-organiser of the event, Tala Philippines actively pushed for the accreditation of debt collection agencies.

The company also highlighted the need to educate consumers regarding their rights and responsibilities.

“We need to find the right tools and strategies whether it is technological innovation operational change or targeted regulation to create friction for fraudsters and destroy their scam networks,” said Arianne Ferrer, External Affairs Director, Tala Philippines and President, CLAP.

Ferrer added that the goal of the initiative is to build a robust defence for consumers who have lost trust in the financial system.

Tala Philippines and Advance.AI organised the symposium in cooperation with Maya Philippines Inc.

Featured image by Consumer Lending Association of the Philippines Press Release.