SINGAPORE: By June 2025, all Facebook advertisers must verify their identities by submitting a government-issued ID, following a rise in scam ads. Between June and December 2024, scam reports increased by 12%, prompting the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to enforce this verification requirement.

The new e-commerce regulations, effective June 2024, mandate platforms like Facebook and Carousell to protect users from scams. Previously, only "risky" sellers were required to verify their identities. However, due to the continued presence of scam ads, MHA will now make identity verification mandatory for all Facebook advertisers by June 2025.

Failure to comply may lead to fines of up to $1 million under the Online Criminal Harms Act. Facebook and Carousell saw a 55% drop in scams from June to December 2024 after introducing some anti-scam measures. Carousell has six more months to improve before it may be required to verify all sellers.

E-commerce scams in 2024 totaled 11,665 cases, with Facebook and Carousell accounting for the largest share.