Scams (Countermeasures) and Other Matters Bill introduced to strengthen measures to detect, disrupt, and deter scams

27 August 2026

On 4 August 2026, the Scams (Countermeasures) and Other Matters Bill (“Bill”) was introduced for first reading in Parliament. The Bill seeks to amend the Protection from Scams Act 2025, the Online Criminal Harms Act 2023 (“OCHA”), and other legislation to strengthen Singapore’s levers to detect, disrupt, and deter scams. In particular, the Bill will:

  • enable and safeguard scam-related information exchange between the Police and service providers;
  • strengthen the application of the facility restriction framework (“Framework”) to restrict the provision of services to identified persons;
  • introduce new offences to deter the misuse of online accounts;
  • enhance the OCHA; and
  • enhance the effectiveness of Police operations.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (“MHA”) has issued a press release setting out the rationale for the Bill.

Enable and safeguard scam-related information exchange between Police and service providers

To enable and safeguard scam-related information exchange between the Police and service providers through the National Scams List and other platforms, and to support necessary actions to disable accounts where required, the Bill will empower the Police to issue the following orders to service providers:

  • Disclosure order: This requires a service provider to provide information relating to specified accounts and scam-related activities, including information necessary to prevent or disrupt scam-related offences.
  • Account disabling order (“ADO”): This requires a service provider to disable an account specified in the order or disable accounts that meet specified disabling conditions prescribed by the Police. An account subject to an ADO will be disabled for up to 30 days. The ADO may be extended once, for up to 30 more days.

Persons whose accounts have been disabled pursuant to an ADO may appeal against any decision in relation to the ADO to the Commissioner of Police, whose decision is final. The ADO will remain in effect while the appeal is being considered.

Strengthen application of Framework to restrict provision of services to identified persons

Under the Framework, scam mules may face restrictions on access to financial, telecommunications, and/or Singpass services if they:

  • have been warned, issued with composition sums, prosecuted, or convicted of mule-related offences; or
  • are under investigation for mule-related offences and are assessed to be at risk of further facilitating scams.

Compliance with the Framework has thus far generally been voluntary or implemented through sector-specific levers. To strengthen the application of the Framework, the Police will be empowered to issue a service limitation order (“SLO”) to require a service provider to restrict the provision of services to an identified person for the purpose of countering scam-related offences. Restrictions to scam-enabling services may be imposed on an identified person for up to three years.

Persons subject to restrictions pursuant to an SLO may appeal against any decision in relation to the SLO to the Commissioner of Police, whose decision is final. The SLO will remain in effect while the appeal is being considered.

New offences to deter misuse of online accounts

In 2024, the Government introduced new offences to deter the misuse of SIM cards, Singpass accounts, and bank accounts for scams. The Bill builds on these efforts by introducing the following new offences to deter the misuse of online accounts for scams:

  • Unlawful provision of personal information for the registration of online accounts for criminal activity;
  • Possession of online accounts registered using another person’s personal information for criminal activity;
  • Supplying of online accounts for criminal activity; and
  • Receiving of online accounts for criminal activity.

These offences apply only to online accounts offered by online services designated under the OCHA.

Enhancing OCHA

Since the OCHA came into force in 2024, the Police have issued directions requiring online service providers to take down scam-related content, as well as codes of practice (“COPs”) and implementation directives (“IDs”) requiring designated online service providers to implement anti-scam measures.

To strengthen the effectiveness of these levers, the Bill introduces the following amendments to the OCHA:

  • Allowing OCHA directions to be issued using a computer program:
    The Bill amends the OCHA to enable the authorities to issue directions more quickly and at greater scale. As scammers can create large numbers of scam websites, accounts, and advertisements within a short period, allowing directions to be issued through computer programs will enable the Police to act more swiftly and better protect the public from scams. Safeguards will ensure that the program operates accurately, fairly, and in accordance with the law. The Bill will also make clear who is responsible for the use of such computer programs.
  • Introducing financial penalties for every instance of non-compliance with OCHA COPs and IDs: The Bill introduces a framework for the competent authority to impose financial penalties on designated online service providers for non-compliance with COPs and IDs. For each instance of non-compliance, the competent authority may (i) issue a financial penalty of up to S$10 million; or (ii) direct the online platform to rectify the non-compliance through a rectification notice (“RN”) or a compliance order (“CO”). The Bill also creates criminal offences for non-compliance with RNs and COs. Online service providers will be given written notice and an opportunity to submit representations before a financial penalty is imposed, and may appeal the financial penalty to the Minister for Home Affairs.

Supporting Police operations

To enable effective Police operations, the Bill introduces two further sets of amendments:

  • The Protection from Scams Act 2025 will be amended to provide specified officers with powers to request information relating to persons who must be notified of the issuance of a restriction order, including joint account holders. This will enable the Police to obtain the information needed to notify persons affected by the Restriction Order. This is currently not possible due to confidentiality obligations under the Banking Act 1970.
  • The Bill will amend the Police Force Act 2004 to allow for the appointment of civilian specialist officers (“CSOs”) to support Cyber Command’s efforts to combat cybercrime. CSOs will be given powers similar to those provided to Commercial Affairs Officers, including powers to search, arrest, seize, and request documents. The Police may recruit and deploy CSOs in other domains in the future, if operationally necessary.

Reference materials

The following materials are available on the Parliament website www.parliament.gov.sg and the MHA website www.mha.gov.sg: