Committee of Supply 2026 debate, Day 2: Goh Pei Ming on new anti-scam measures
Calls from the police will soon bear a standard prefixed number so the public can tell legitimate calls from scams. Messaging platform WhatsApp will also have to implement measures to prevent spoofing of gov.sg and Singapore government agencies. This comes as - despite an overall drop in scam cases and losses last year - scams involving impersonation of government officials more than doubled from 2024, with the highest average amount lost per case. The Codes of Practice under the Online Criminal Harms Act will also be strengthened, requiring stricter user verification and imposing a response time for platforms to act on user reports about scams. A National Scams List platform is being developed for real-time information exchange between the government and partners to stop scam money flow, along with new laws targeting scam mules. Sentencing guidelines for misuse of SIM cards will be introduced to ensure that penalties for egregious cases are a sufficient deterrent. Minister of State for Home Affairs Goh Pei Ming announced these measures in parliament on Friday (Feb 27).
Calls from the police will soon bear a standard prefixed number so the public can tell legitimate calls from scams. Messaging platform WhatsApp will also have to implement measures to prevent spoofing of gov.sg and Singapore government agencies. This comes as - despite an overall drop in scam cases and losses last year - scams involving impersonation of government officials more than doubled from 2024, with the highest average amount lost per case. The Codes of Practice under the Online Criminal Harms Act will also be strengthened, requiring stricter user verification and imposing a response time for platforms to act on user reports about scams. A National Scams List platform is being developed for real-time information exchange between the government and partners to stop scam money flow, along with new laws targeting scam mules. Sentencing guidelines for misuse of SIM cards will be introduced to ensure that penalties for egregious cases are a sufficient deterrent. Minister of State for Home Affairs Goh Pei Ming announced these measures in parliament on Friday (Feb 27).
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