As enacted

Commentary · As enacted

Scams (Countermeasures) and Other Matters Bill Passed

The text

DISCLAIMER: This update is intended for your general information only. It is not intended to be, nor should it be, regarded as or relied upon as legal advice. Court decisions referred to herein may be subject to further appeal at the time of publication, and subsequent developments in the law, including new legislation, amendments, court decisions or practice directions, may affect the accuracy or relevance of the matters discussed. We are under no duty to update this publication to reflect any such changes in the law. You should consult a qualified legal professional before taking any action or omitting to take action in relation to matters discussed herein.

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Partnerships Act 2005.

Scams (Countermeasures) and Other Matters Bill

Passed

On 9 September 2026, the Scams (Countermeasures) and Other Matters Bill (Bill) was read a second time in Parliament and passed.

The Bill advances the fight against scams in three ways:

(a)

It supports information exchange between the Singapore Police Force (Police) and various service providers for scam disruption;

(b)

It enhances the Government’s legal levers to combat scams on online platforms; and

(c)

It strengthens the Police’s ability to disrupt the supply of scam accounts and conduct anti-scam operations.

We set out below the Bill’s key features as highlighted in the opening and wrap-up speeches delivered by

Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs and Senior Minister of State for Social and Family Development

Goh Pei Ming at the second reading of the Bill.

Information Exchange Between the Police and Service Providers on Scam-Related

Information

Scammers rely on enablers such as phone lines, online accounts and bank accounts delivered by various service providers. The Police and the Home Team Science and Technology Agency are developing the

National Scams List, a platform to facilitate the exchange of information on suspicious scam accounts between the Government and service providers at speed and at scale.

The Bill provides legal powers to enable and safeguard such information exchange by introducing, among other measures, the following new orders in the Protection from Scams Act 2025 (PSA), which may be issued by a specified officer, being a police officer, a Commercial Affairs Officer or a Civilian Specialist

Officer (CSO):

(a)

Account Disabling Orders (ADOs): A service provider may be directed to disable an account if the Police suspect or have reason to believe that the account has been, or will be, used preparatory to or in furtherance of a scam-related offence. This threshold is lower than the existing threshold under the Criminal Procedure Code 2010. An ADO may identify the specific account or specify conditions for identifying suspicious accounts. Accounts may be disabled for up to 30 days, with one possible extension of up to another 30 days. Persons affected by an ADO may appeal to the Commissioner of Police, who may designate an officer not below the rank of Superintendent or its equivalent to hear and determine the appeal. Non-compliance with an ADO is an offence.

(b)

Disclosure Orders (DOs): A service provider may be directed to disclose information relating to an account where the Police are satisfied that the disclosure is necessary or expedient to prevent

Prevention of Scams

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a scam-related offence and believe on reasonable grounds that the service provider is capable of disclosing the information.1 Non-compliance with a DO and the wilful or reckless provision of false or misleading information pursuant to a DO are offences.

Further details on the appeal mechanism for ADOs, including the appeal timeline, will be shared before these orders are operationalised. The turnaround time for the orders will be determined in consultation with service providers.

Immunity

Service providers will be protected from criminal and civil liability for actions done, or omitted to be done, in good faith and with reasonable care to comply with an ADO or DO. Subject to the prescribed statutory conditions, prescribed service providers will also be protected when voluntarily disclosing information to a specified officer or prescribed public sector agency, despite confidentiality obligations, including under the

Personal Data Protection Act 2012 and the Banking Act 1970.

Data confidentiality

Unauthorised disclosure or use of information contained in an SLO (as described below), ADO or DO, or provided under a DO, will be an offence. Service providers issued with such orders, and persons receiving information under a DO, will be required to implement safeguards, prescribed through subsidiary legislation, to protect the confidentiality of such information. Failure to do so will be an offence.

Enhancements to the Online Criminal Harms Act 2023

Under the Online Criminal Harms Act 2023 (OCHA), the Police may issue:

(a)

Directions to online service providers to take down scam-related content; and

(b)

Codes of Practice (COPs) or Implementation Directives (IDs) to require designated online service providers to impose preventive anti-scam measures.

On 17 August 2026, the Police announced the issuance of three COPs for designated online services under OCHA. They comprise: (a) a new COP for Online Messaging and Conferencing Services (2026);

(b)

a new COP for Social Media Services (2026); and (c) an enhanced COP for E-Commerce Services

(2026)

. Designated online services must comply by 31 January 2027, except for requirements relating to spoofing of the Singapore Government, which must be complied with by 30 September 2026. For more on these COPs, please see our update “New and Enhanced Codes of Practice Issued Under the Online

Criminal Harms Act 2023”.

The OCHA will be further amended in three ways, as set out below. These relate to the penalty regime for

COPs and IDs, the issuance of OCHA directions by computer programs, and support for a more comprehensive approach to scam prevention.

Note, however, that a DO directing a bank to disclose customer information has no effect unless the Monetary Authority of

Singapore has issued a notice to that bank, or to a class of banks that includes it, requiring compliance with the DO or with such

DOs generally: see section 7 of the Bill, which inserts a new section 6G(4) into the PSA.

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Partnerships Act 2005.

Enhanced penalty regime for COPs and IDs

The Competent Authority2 will be empowered to impose financial penalties on designated online service providers for non-compliance with COPs or IDs. Where a designated online service provider has not complied with a COP, the Competent Authority may impose a penalty of not more than S$10 million in respect of each instance of non-compliance, or issue a Rectification Notice (RN) to rectify the non-compliance. Where the non-compliance relates to an ID, the Competent Authority may impose a penalty of not more than S$10 million or issue a compliance order. Failure to comply with an RN or compliance order will be a criminal offence, punishable with a fine not exceeding S$10 million and, in the case of a continuing offence, a further fine of not more than S$300,000 for every day or part of a day during which the offence continues after conviction.

Criminal prosecution will be retained alongside the new financial penalty regime, with safeguards to ensure due process. The Competent Authority must inform the provider of its intent to impose penalties and allow the provider to make written representations explaining why the penalty should not be imposed. The provider will have at least seven days to make these representations. The provider may appeal to the

Minister for Home Affairs, whose decision is final.

Issuance of OCHA directions via computer programs

OCHA directions may be issued by the operation of a computer program, including those leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) or machine learning technologies. The existing appeal mechanism will continue to apply. AI systems will be implemented with appropriate safeguards, such as human assessment for lower confidence decisions and regular audit checks.

A more comprehensive approach to scam prevention

The Competent Authority may impose requirements on designated online service providers which indirectly counter scams or malicious cyber activity, such as public education initiatives. Measures imposed by an ID are to be implemented until the ID is cancelled or substituted. The Competent Authority may also require a designated online service provider to provide information relevant to assessing its compliance with any COP or ID, or whether a COP or ID should be issued to it.

Increased Powers to Disrupt the Supply of Scam Accounts and Conduct Anti-Scam

Operations

Offences relating to the misuse of online accounts

New offences will be introduced under the Miscellaneous Offences (Public Order and Nuisance) Act 1906

against those who misuse accounts on designated online services to facilitate criminal activity. It will be an offence to:

(a)

Supply or offer to supply a designated online account if the person knew or had reasonable grounds to believe that it will be used for an unlawful purpose;

Presently, the Director (OCHA Office), Singapore Police Force.

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(b)

Receive, offer to receive, or retain control of such an account with the intention to use or supply it for an unlawful purpose; or

(c)

Provide or offer to provide the person’s personal information to another person, or consent or offer to consent to its use by another person, for the purpose of opening a designated online account, where the person knew or had reasonable grounds to believe that the account would be used for an unlawful purpose.

For the offences described in paragraphs (a) and (b), individuals will be liable for a fine not exceeding

S$10,000, or imprisonment for not more than three years, or both. The penalties upon a second or subsequent conviction increase to a fine of not more than S$20,000, or imprisonment for not more than five years, or both. For the offence described in paragraph (c), individuals will be liable to a fine not exceeding S$10,000, or imprisonment for not more than three years, or both. In each case, an individual may additionally be liable to caning of not more than 12 strokes where it is proven that the individual knew or intended that the designated online account would be used to commit or facilitate a scam offence.

Maximum fines for corporations and unincorporated associations are double the amount for individuals.

A person will not be liable if the person has reasonable grounds to believe that the purpose of the act was to facilitate the use of or access to the designated online account for a lawful purpose.

Notably, these offences apply extraterritorially where there is a proven link to harm in Singapore, and are arrestable.

Service limitation orders

The PSA will be amended to introduce Service Limitation Orders (SLOs), which empower the Police to require service providers to restrict the provision of services to a person for a period of up to three years if the Police suspect, or have reason to believe, that the identified person will use the service to commit or facilitate a scam-related offence. Although three years is the maximum duration allowed, the actual duration will depend on the individual’s circumstances and assessed scam risk. First-time mules will generally face one year of restrictions. Non-compliance with an SLO is an offence. Service providers that comply in good faith, and with reasonable care, are protected from criminal and civil liability.

Individuals subject to restrictions under an SLO may appeal to the Commissioner of Police, who may designate an officer not below the rank of Superintendent, or its equivalent, to hear and determine the appeal. Further details on the appeal mechanism for SLOs, including the appeal timeline, will be shared before these orders are operationalised. The turnaround time for the orders will be determined in consultation with service providers.

Individuals subject to banking restrictions under SLOs may still transact over the counter, with only self-service banking services such as internet banking, mobile banking or ATM services restricted. Incoming transactions such as salaries and Government payouts will continue to be processed as usual.

Strengthened support for Police operations

The Police Force Act 2004 will be amended to empower the Minister for Home Affairs to appoint CSOs.

CSOs will have powers to investigate suspected offences under any written law, including the powers to

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search, arrest, seize and request for documents. The PSA will also be amended to require a bank in

Singapore that is issued with a Restriction Order to disclose to a specified officer the information needed to notify the persons who must be notified of the issuance of that Restriction Order.

If you would like information and/or assistance on the above or any other area of law, you may wish to contact the Partner at WongPartnership whom you normally work with or any of the following Partners:

LAM Chung Nian

Head – Intellectual Property,

Technology & Data

Kylie PEH

Partner – Intellectual Property,

Technology & Data

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