Singapore's Online Criminal Harms Act Office has mandated messaging platforms including WhatsApp, Telegram, WeChat, Apple iMessage, Apple FaceTime, Google Messages, and Google Meet to obtain user consent before unknown contacts can add them to groups or channels, aiming to curb investment scams on these services [1, 2, 3, 4]. The rules also require these platforms to display warnings or risk indicators—such as account creation date and country of origin—when users receive messages or calls from unknown or suspicious accounts. Users must be allowed to silence, filter, or block such communications [1, 2, 3, 4].
In addition, social media platforms Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok must block suspected scam advertisements, verify advertiser identities against government records, and ensure financial services ads come only from licensed providers [2, 5, 3, 4]. Associate Professor Hannah Yee-Fen Lim of NTU noted that blocking unlicensed ads online “should have been effected some time ago,” given physical ads already require licensing [5]. Leong Zhen Yang, an associate at IRB Law, urged consumers to verify advertised investments through official company channels since scammers might impersonate licensed firms [5].
E-commerce services such as Carousell, Facebook Marketplace, and Facebook Business also face new rules to strengthen login safeguards [1, 2, 3, 4]. Failure to comply with any of the new anti-scam codes could bring financial penalties up to SGD 1 million [2, 3, 4].
The Singapore police highlighted investment scams on messaging platforms as a major concern, explaining that scammers approach victims through unknown accounts offering high-return investments [2]. In 2025, WhatsApp and Telegram accounted for about 23% of all scam cases in Singapore, while Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok together accounted for about 30%, with Facebook alone responsible for 18% [1, 2, 3, 4]. Authorities reported that Singapore lost more than US$2.8 billion to scams from 2020 through mid-2025 [2, 3, 4]. However, scam losses fell to SGD 913.1 million in 2025 from a record SGD 1.1 billion in 2024, with reported scam cases dropping over 27% [5].
To counterspoofing of Singapore government entities, platforms must have measures in place by September 30, 2026 [2, 3, 4]. The deadline for messaging platforms to implement user consent requirements and risk indicators is January 31, 2027 [1, 2, 3, 4]. The new rules were announced on August 18, 2026 by Singapore police, marking a significant tightening of anti-scam controls across major online communication and commerce platforms [1, 2, 5, 3, 4].
