Sharael Taha on amendment bills for tougher laws to tackle money mules, Singpass abusers

With proposed new laws to hold people accountable for transactions taking place through their payment accounts, will this go beyond bank accounts to cover e-wallets such as Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, GrabPay, Google Pay and WeChat Pay? This question was asked by MP Sharael Taha in Parliament on Tuesday (May 9). Noting that scammers often impersonate trusted entities including officials and even family members, he asked what is the threshold required to prove that an account owner has acted negligently or recklessly. On selling or divulging Singpass details to scammers, Mr Sharael said the proposed penalties are similar to the penalties for theft. He questioned if this was a sufficient deterrent, given the bigger implications of Singpass abuse. He also asked if enough has been done to make the public aware of the ramifications of such offences. With over half of scam victims being digital natives aged 20 to 39, he said this shows the need for public education efforts that debunk misconceptions about victims and cater to the unique challenges faced by younger generations. Finally, Mr Sharael wanted to know how efforts have improved to recover victims’ monies.