Remitly joined financial institutions, regulators, and consumer advocates at the Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA) Europe Summit in Lisbon last week, part of a growing cross-industry effort to tackle one of the most pressing issues facing consumers globally: scams.

The Scale of the Problem. The numbers are sobering. According to GASA, globally, 13% of people encounter a scam every single day — rising to nearly one in four in South and North America. In Europe, three in four adults encountered a scam in the past year, with average losses for those who fall victim $2,735 USD and a total of $57 billion lost across the continent in 12 months alone. Beyond the financial toll, 45% of victims worldwide report a significant impact on their mental wellbeing.

For Remitly’s customers, many of whom are immigrants sending money internationally for housing, school fees, and medical care, the stakes are even higher. This community is disproportionately targeted by scammers who exploit the trust and urgency behind a transfer. These statistics represent real harm to the people we exist to serve.

What We’re Doing About It. Our response is built on three fronts. First, machine learning models evaluate thousands of transactions per hour in real time, detecting patterns associated with identity theft and payments fraud, and catching scams in the process. When a customer reports a scam, that report feeds directly back into this work, so every case we learn about makes us better at catching the next one.

Second, we’ve invested in real-time scam detection that operates within the send flow itself, giving customers the opportunity to pause before a transaction completes when an elevated risk is identified. Acting before funds move, rather than after, is where the most meaningful protection happens. These efforts have led to meaningful reductions in reported scam losses globally, with significant year-on-year improvements in countries with some of the highest scam exposure.

Third, and perhaps most critically, we invest in our customers. The summit made clear that when a customer has been scammed, how they are treated defines everything. At Remitly, 24/7 phone support is available in 18 languages — because no one who has just lost money to a scammer should have to navigate an automated system.

“Consumer protection has to be built by design into every interaction,” said Martyn Saville, Consumer Duty Expert at Remitly. “Our customers are navigating complex financial decisions often in a second language, in a new country, or in an emergency. The bar has to be high, not just because regulation demands it, but because it’s the right thing to do.”

Protect Yourself. We want to make sure our customers have what they need to help protect themselves. Some of our resources include:

• Remitly Trust & Safety Centre: Your go-to hub for understanding how to avoid scams and what to do if something doesn’t feel right. 
• Remitly Blog: Practical guides and advice on staying safe when sending money internationally. 
• Don’t Get Scammed FM: A dedicated radio station on the hidden risks of informal money transfers and why using trusted, regulated services matters.
• Quids English: Remitly’s plain-language glossary of 25 of the most common and confusing financial phrases, so our customers can navigate financial conversations with confidence.

 

Scammers operate as networks and so should those fighting against them. Remitly is committed to doing its part.