Whole of Government Efforts

Combatting scams is a key priority for the Singapore Government. The Government adopts a multi-layered strategy to tackle scams, centered on four key areas:

1. Prevent and block scams

   • Block robocalls and overseas calls which spoof local numbers

     • Nearly 390M potential scam calls were blocked in 2023

   • Require organisations to register their Sender IDs with the Singapore SMS Sender ID Registry

     • Scam SMSes fell by 70% within the first 3 months after implementation

   • Work with online platforms to take down scam content and accounts

   • Require designated service providers to implement measures to proactively disrupt scams, under the Codes of Practice of the Online Criminal Harms Act

   • Introduce safeguards to prevent abuse of banking facilities for scams

     • “Money Lock” feature, for bank customers to set aside funds which cannot be transferred digitally

     • Implemented anti-malware controls in banking apps
       

2. Detect and report scams

   • ScamShield App allows users to report scam calls and SMSes

     • Since May 2022, ScamShield has blacklisted and blocked over 120,000 scam entities.

     • The app has had over 900,000 downloads since its launch.

   • Banks have enhanced their fraud surveillance systems to detect scam-related transactions

   • Major banks have 24/7 call centres for scam reporting
     

3. Enforce against scams and recover lost monies

   • Set up Anti-Scam Command to facilitate swift fund tracing and freezing of bank accounts involved in scams

     • In 2023, more than 19,600 bank accounts were frozen, and over $100M was recovered

   • The Police work closely with foreign counterparts to exchange information and conduct joint ops against scam syndicates

     • In 2023, close collaboration with foreign partners led to the successful take-down of 19 scam syndicates, and arrest of more than 110 persons based overseas

     • Amended our laws to enforce against money mules, and those who abuse Singpass and local SIM cards to facilitate scams

     • Banks implemented emergency self-service “kill switch” to allow banking customers to suspend their accounts quickly if compromised
       

4. Public education

   • Launched the “I can ACT against scams” campaign, to educate the public on the steps to protect themselves against scams

   • E-commerce Marketplace Transaction Safety Ratings informs consumers of critical anti-scam features on e-commerce marketplaces