Singapore Tightens Anti-Scam Rules on Social Media, Messaging Platforms

Singapore tightens anti-scam rules on social media, messaging platforms

Singapore, the region's second-largest economy, lost over $2.8 billion to scams from 2020 through the first half of 2025, Home Affairs Minister Sim Ann told parliament last November. The new rules under the Online Criminal Harms Act target services deemed to "pose the highest risk of scams" in the country, Singapore's police said Tuesday.

Combatting scams: Messaging platforms must restrict unsolicited contact, prevent spoofing of govt officials

To curb the proliferation of online investment scams, messaging platforms must introduce measures that make it harder for an unknown person to contact another user.The seven designated messaging and conferencing services — WhatsApp, Telegram, WeChat, Apple iMessage and FaceTime, as well as Google Message and Google Meet — must also prevent the impersonation of Government officials by fake accounts taking...

WhatsApp, Telegram and other messaging services face new anti-scam rules in Singapore

The measures are part of a series of new and enhanced "codes of practice" issued by the Online Criminal Harms Act Office to guard against scams and malicious cyber activities, with the others covering social media platforms and e-commerce services.