Singapore Battles Scams: Meta Faces Major Crackdown
The Singaporean government has ordered Meta to adopt anti-scam measures on Facebook, targeting scams impersonating government officials. The move, under the Online Criminal Harms Act, demands stricter checks amid rising e-commerce scams. Meta could face fines if not compliant, as scams increased significantly since the Act's enactment.
In an effort to combat burgeoning online scams, Singaporean authorities have mandated that Meta implement stringent anti-scam measures on its social platform, Facebook, particularly targeting advertisements, accounts, and business pages impersonating government officials.
The directive is the first of its kind under Singapore's newly enacted Online Criminal Harms Act, carrying severe possible penalties up to S$1 million for non-compliance. This move comes in response to Facebook's status as a primary platform for these scams, with more than a third of reported e-commerce scams in 2024 tied to the site.
Despite Meta's ongoing efforts with advanced detection technologies and user education, the Ministry of Home Affairs insists further decisive action is needed as impersonation scams nearly tripled in the first half of 2025, resulting in immense financial losses.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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