SINGAPORE — The way Singaporeans use WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and online marketplaces could soon change significantly as Singapore rolls out tougher anti-scam requirements targeting the digital platforms most frequently exploited by criminals.
The Singapore Police Force (SPF) announced on Aug. 18 a new set of Online Criminal Harms Act (OCHA) codes of practice covering messaging services, social media platforms and e-commerce services, with major safeguards expected to be in place by Jan. 31, 2027.
The move comes as scammers increasingly use social media advertisements, messaging apps, fake identities and online marketplaces to approach potential victims.
WhatsApp, Telegram users to get stronger protection from unknown contacts
Under the new messaging code, seven services identified as posing the highest scam risk in Singapore will face new obligations.
These are WhatsApp, Telegram, WeChat, Apple iMessage, Apple FaceTime, Google Messages and Google Meet.
One of the most noticeable changes will involve unsolicited group and channel invitations.
Platforms will have to obtain a user’s consent before an unknown contact can add them to a chat group or channel. Users will also receive contextual warnings or risk indicators when communicating with suspicious or unfamiliar accounts.
Those warnings may include information such as an account’s creation date and country of origin.
Users will additionally have options to silence, filter or block calls and messages from people or numbers outside their contact lists.
The deadline for most of these messaging safeguards is Jan. 31, 2027.
But one measure is being fast-tracked.
Because of concerns surrounding impersonation scams, platforms must implement safeguards against the spoofing of Singapore Government identities through profile names or images by Sept. 30, 2026.
WhatsApp and Telegram already account for a major share of scams
The urgency is reflected in Singapore’s scam data.
According to SPF, WhatsApp and Telegram together accounted for about 23% of all scam cases in 2025.
Investment scams are particularly concerning on messaging platforms, where criminals can approach potential victims from previously unknown accounts and promote supposedly lucrative investment opportunities.
The problem is not limited to messaging apps.
Singapore’s 2025 Annual Scam and Cybercrime Brief found that online platforms were involved in 84.1% of all scam cases, while Meta platforms were involved in 35.4%. Facebook alone accounted for 18% of reported scam cases.
Facebook, Instagram and TikTok face tougher advertising rules
Singapore is also taking aim at scam advertisements.
A new social media code will apply to Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, which authorities assessed as the highest-risk social media services for scams in Singapore.
The platforms will be expected to stop suspicious advertisements from being shown to Singapore users when there is reason to believe those advertisements could facilitate scams.
Platforms will also need to examine suspicious practices such as URL cloaking, where the actual destination of a link can be concealed.
Suspected scam advertisements must be removed promptly, including advertisements flagged by users.
There is another major change: advertisers targeting Singapore users will have to undergo identity verification against government-issued records.
Financial advertisements will also face stricter requirements. Platforms must prevent advertisements promoting financial services or products from being shown to Singapore users unless the advertiser is properly licensed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore or another relevant authority.
These social-media requirements are also scheduled for implementation by Jan. 31, 2027.
Carousell and Facebook Marketplace also under tighter scrutiny
Online shopping is another major battleground.
The enhanced e-commerce code will cover Carousell, Facebook Marketplace and Facebook Business Pages.
The new safeguards build on existing seller-verification and payment-protection measures introduced in 2024.
The platforms will have to introduce stronger consent measures before allowing logins from new or unrecognised devices. They will also adopt safeguards from the new social-media code aimed at preventing scammers from exploiting online advertisements.
This is significant because e-commerce scams remain one of Singapore’s major scam categories.
ScamShield reported that victims lost at least S$16.7 million to e-commerce scams in 2025, with scammers commonly using attractive online listings to convince buyers to make payments before the promised goods or services are delivered.
Singapore’s scam problem is falling — but criminals are changing tactics
The new measures come despite an overall decline in reported scams.
Singapore recorded 37,308 scam cases in 2025, down 27.6% from 51,501 cases in 2024. Total losses also declined, although victims still lost hundreds of millions of dollars.
However, the police warned that the threat is evolving.
Government-official impersonation scams, for example, jumped 123.6% in 2025, reaching 3,363 cases compared with 1,504 the previous year.
Recent police advisories also show how scammers are exploiting compromised WhatsApp accounts to impersonate friends and acquaintances. Since April 2026, SPF recorded at least 52 such cases involving losses of at least S$46,000.
Another emerging tactic involves fake investment groups. In one variant reported by SPF in June, victims were drawn into WhatsApp groups after seeing fraudulent social-media advertisements promising free investment education. At least 48 cases involving more than S$3.6 million in losses were reported since May 2026.
Platforms could face multimillion-dollar penalties
The new rules also carry serious consequences for platforms that fail to comply.
Under the existing OCHA framework, failure to comply with a rectification notice without reasonable excuse can result in a fine of up to S$1 million, with additional penalties for continuing offences.
But Singapore is proposing to raise the stakes considerably.
Under legislative amendments proposed by the Ministry of Home Affairs, the OCHA Office could eventually impose a financial penalty of up to S$10 million for each instance of non-compliance with a code of practice or implementation directive.
A platform that fails to comply with a rectification notice or compliance order could also face a fine of up to S$10 million, while continuing offences could attract additional penalties of up to S$300,000 per day.
Further details are expected when the Scams (Countermeasures) and Other Matters Bill goes through its second reading in September.
What this means for ordinary users
For Singapore users, the changes could make unsolicited digital interactions more difficult for scammers.
An unfamiliar person attempting to add someone to a group could face an additional consent barrier. Suspicious accounts could trigger warnings. Users could have more control over communications from unknown numbers. Scam advertisements should face greater scrutiny before reaching Singapore audiences.
But authorities are making one point clear: the new platform safeguards do not eliminate the need for users to remain vigilant.
The police continue to advise users to verify unexpected requests, avoid clicking suspicious links, and independently confirm the identity of people or organisations asking for money or sensitive information.
Singapore’s latest approach effectively shifts more responsibility onto the platforms themselves — but the fight against scams will still depend on both technology and user behaviour.
Bottom line: Singapore is no longer relying solely on users to spot scams after they reach their phones. Under the new OCHA framework, messaging apps, social-media companies and online marketplaces will increasingly be expected to stop suspicious activity before it reaches potential victims.
And with penalties potentially reaching S$10 million per violation, the next phase of Singapore’s anti-scam campaign could put far more pressure on the technology companies themselves.
Leave a Reply