Anti-Scam Rules Grow Stronger in Singapore 2025 : What Residents Should Know

The problem had become so severe that people were losing their entire life savings every single day. An elderly woman sat in a busy hawker center after falling victim to a scammer who made attractive promises but simply took her money and disappeared. She was left feeling devastated and alone. Her story was just one example among 19000 Singaporeans who collectively lost S$456 million to fraud in 2025. However the Lion City has now fought back with the Protection from Scams Act 2025. This new law creates a protective barrier by freezing funds before scammers can access them.

A Proactive Fortress In Law

Singapore’s legislators had no time for tears. The law passed on December 30 2025 and started being enforced in December . This Act completely changes how scam operations are handled. Police no longer waste time chasing leads that go nowhere. Instead they simply pick up the phone and say stop the money transfer. They already have digital tools ready through restriction orders. When police notice a suspicious transfer they can freeze it right away. This stops money from leaving accounts & prevents withdrawals and credit access linked to scammers. The system lets officers act quickly by checking common scam warning signs like urgent payment requests or suspicious website links. The Act is very clear about what it does. It first applies to the seven Domestic Systemically Important Banks to ensure wide coverage. Smaller banks also fall under the law if they detect problems. The law has only been active for two months but police have already issued several orders. These actions have stopped potential disasters and recovered a total of S$56.7 million.

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The Scourge That Demands Action

Scams have always been serious threats that damage the economy rather than harmless pranks. In the first half of 2025 scam cases dropped by 26% to 19,665 thanks to initiatives like ScamShield. However financial losses still reached S$456.4 million which represents only a 12.6% decrease from the year before. Cryptocurrency scams caused the most damage by stealing S$81.6 million through fraudulent Tether and Bitcoin schemes. Impersonation scams saw a dramatic increase with incidents tripling to 1762 and resulting in S$126.5 million in losses mainly through fake Facebook accounts pretending to be officials. The rise in scam activity stems from international criminal networks taking advantage of how much Singaporeans trust technology. In 2024 about one-third of victims were tricked by ecommerce scams on platforms like Marketplace. New legislation requires banks to respond within hours to help investigators track down stolen funds. These efforts work alongside SIM card regulations introduced in January that disrupt scammer communication channels. Penalties have been increased significantly following the S$384 million in losses recorded between 2021 and 2025.

Powers That Empower, Not Enslave

A moderation of retribution defines the quality of the blade. Appeals go to the Commissioner of Police and orders are suspended during review. Final decisions are made according to the new Regulations. Privacy concerns are taken seriously. Data is stored in separate systems and used only for specific scam investigations. There are no fishing expeditions. Evidence must clearly show imminent harm before action is taken. This framework reflects global standards. Similar to fines under the EU’s Digital Services Act, Singapore combines technology with enforcement. Under the Online Criminal Harms Act starting September 2025 authorities can order Meta to remove impersonator ads or face fines of one million Singapore dollars per day. The results have been significant. By mid-year the amount of prevented losses reached 179 million Singapore dollars. Tools like Money Lock have protected 30 billion Singapore dollars in assets.

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Voices From The Frontline

You can feel the impact on city streets. During the Mid-Autumn festival an officer shared that the Act helped them save S$50000 from a family about to send money to a fake prince. Banks report successful implementation of the system with DBS among those expressing support. Some critics question whether the measures go too far but the numbers tell a clear story. Scam cases are dropping which means better protection for seniors & small businesses are doing well.