MHA proposes giving police powers to order banks, telcos to share information, disable scam-linked accounts
Under the Bill, higher fines may also be imposed on designated service providers who do not comply with the Online Criminal Harms Act.
A woman with a mobile phone and a laptop. (File photo: iStock)
This audio is generated by an AI tool.
SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Tuesday (Aug 4) proposed to empower the police to issue orders to service providers to disclose information on scam-related activities and disable accounts that may be facilitating scam-related offences.
The ministry is also seeking increased financial penalties of up to S$10 million (US$7.8 million) for designated service providers who do not comply with the Online Criminal Harms Act (OCHA).
The Scams (Countermeasures) and Other Matters Bill was tabled on Tuesday.
"Scams are evolving rapidly, and Singapore’s laws must keep pace," MHA said, adding that the Bill will strengthen Singapore’s ability to detect scams earlier, disrupt operations more quickly, and hold accountable those who enable or facilitate scams.
"Together with industry and community partners, the government will continue to take firm, coordinated and proportionate action to protect the public and preserve trust in Singapore’s digital environment."
In 2025, the number of scam cases in Singapore fell by 27.6 per cent after increases in the past few years. But the police said the situation is still "very concerning".
More than 7,000 money mules and people suspected of being involved in scam cases were investigated last year.
NEW ORDERS
Scammers and mules often use accounts provided by different service providers, leaving behind indicators of scam activity that could help identify and disrupt their operations, MHA said.
Service providers include: financial institutions such as banks and digital payment token service providers; telcos; as well as those that offer online services including online accounts and related supporting services.
"However, without consistent information-sharing mechanisms, suspicious activity detected by one service provider may not be shared systematically with others. This can result in fragmented efforts to disrupt scams," said MHA.
The ministry announced during its Budget debate earlier this year that the Home Team Science and Technology Agency (HTX) and the police are developing a platform, known as the National Scams List, to facilitate such information exchange.
The list will provide partners with additional information on known scam enablers, such as bank accounts, phone lines, online accounts, as well as the identity of culprits behind the scam enablers. With this, banks can proactively uncover and suspend more potential scam accounts before they are used.
To enable and safeguard scam-related information exchange between the police and service providers, the Bill proposes to allow the police to issue two orders – a disclosure order and an account disabling order – to service providers.
A disclosure order will require a service provider to provide information on specified accounts and scam-related activities, including necessary information to prevent or disrupt scam-related offences.
A service provider issued an account disabling order must disable the specific account or any accounts that meet specified conditions prescribed by the police.
These conditions are scam-related indicators specified by the police to identify accounts that may be facilitating scam-related offences. These offences will be prescribed through the subsidiary legislation, said MHA.
The account subject to the order will be disabled for up to 30 days, and this may be extended once, for up to another 30 days.
Those whose accounts have been disabled can appeal to the commissioner of police – or a designated officer of or above the rank of superintendent, or the equivalent. The order will remain in effect while the appeal is being considered.
The Bill also seeks to strengthen how the facility restriction framework is applied. The framework was rolled out in October last year to restrict scam mules' access to facilities such as financial, telecommunications and Singpass services.
Under this framework, mules may face restrictions if they have been warned, fined, prosecuted or convicted of mule-related offences; or are under investigation for such offences and are assessed to be at risk of further facilitating scams.
As of Jun 30 this year, 1,423 money mules, 1,439 SIM card mules and 53 corporate mules have been placed under the framework, MHA said.
At present, complying with the framework has generally been voluntary or implemented through sector-specific levers.
To strengthen the application of the framework, the police will be empowered to issue a service limitation order to require a service provider to restrict the provision of services to a person to counter scam-related offences. The offences for which such an order can be issued will be prescribed through subsidiary legislation.
The restrictions may be imposed on a person for up to three years. Similar to the account disabling order, those who have been restricted can appeal against the decision.
MISUSE OF ONLINE ACCOUNTS
In 2024, the government introduced new offences to deter the misuse of SIM cards, Singpass and bank accounts.
To address the misuse of online accounts, the Bill is looking to introduce new offences.
These are:
- Unlawful provision of personal information for the registration of online accounts for criminal activity.
- Possession of online accounts registered using another person’s personal information for criminal activity.
- Supplying of online accounts for criminal activity.
- Receiving of online accounts for criminal activity.
These offences will apply only to accounts from designated online services under OCHA – Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Telegram, WeChat, TikTok, Carousell, Google and Apple.
HARSHER PENALTIES
Since OCHA came into force in 2024, the police have issued directions requiring online service providers to take down scam-related content.
They have also handed out codes of practice and implementation directives for designated online service providers to put in place anti-scam measures.
To bolster its effectiveness, the Bill proposes to amend OCHA to introduce stiffer penalties for non-compliance with codes of practice and implementation directives.
For every instance of non-compliance, designated online service providers may be issued a financial penalty of up to S$10 million – a jump from the current maximum fine of S$1 million – or they may be directed to rectify the non-compliance through a rectification notice or a compliance order.
Those who fail to comply with the rectification notice or compliance order may be fined up to S$10 million as well.
A further fine of up to S$300,000 can be imposed for every day or part of a day the offence continues after conviction – up from the current maximum of S$100,000.
Before any financial penalty is imposed, a written notice will be served to the online service provider, setting out the intended enforcement action and the timeframe within which the provider may submit representations, said MHA.
Authorities will consider these representations before deciding whether to impose a financial penalty. The online service provider may appeal any financial penalty to the home affairs minister.
OCHA DIRECTIONS
Another proposed amendment to the Bill is to allow OCHA directions to be issued using a computer programme.
This will allow authorities to issue directions at significantly greater speed and scale, said the ministry.
"Scammers can create large numbers of scam websites, accounts and advertisements within a short period, making it increasingly difficult for manual review processes to keep pace.
"Allowing directions to be issued through a computer programme will enable the police to act more swiftly against such content, and better protect the public from scams," MHA said.
Safeguards will be in place to ensure that the programme operates accurately, fairly and in accordance with the law, the ministry added.
The Bill will also make clear the person who is responsible for the use of such computer programmes.
Separately, the Bill also seeks to amend the Protection from Scams Act to provide specified officers with powers to request information on people who must be notified when a restriction order has been issued, including joint account holders.
"This will enable the police to obtain the information needed to notify persons affected by the restriction order," said MHA.
This is currently not possible due to confidentiality obligations under the Banking Act.
The ministry also proposes changes to the Police Force Act to allow civilian specialist officers to be appointed and given powers to perform their investigation duties.
The powers, which will be similar to those provided to commercial affairs officers, will allow the civilian officers to search, arrest, seize and request documents. The police may also recruit and deploy them in other domains in the future if operationally necessary, said MHA.
"With the launch of Cyber Command, the police intend to recruit civilians with the aptitude and skill sets to combat cybercrime," it added.
