SINGAPORE — Police may soon be able to order banks, telcos and major online platforms to disclose information and swiftly disable accounts suspected of facilitating scams, under a wide‑ranging Bill tabled in Parliament today.

CNA reported that the Scams (Countermeasures) and Other Matters Bill seeks to plug gaps in Singapore’s anti‑scam regime by giving authorities stronger, faster tools to detect and disrupt criminal networks, while imposing far heavier penalties on service providers that fail to comply with anti‑scam directives.

New powers to demand information and shut down accounts

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said scammers often operate across multiple platforms — from bank accounts and digital wallets to SIM cards and social media — leaving behind digital traces that could help investigators. But without consistent information‑sharing, suspicious activity detected by one provider may not reach others.

To address this, the Bill proposes two new police orders:

Disclosure Order — requiring banks, telcos or online service providers to hand over information on specified accounts and scam‑related activities.

Account Disabling Order — compelling providers to disable accounts flagged by police as meeting scam‑related indicators. Accounts may be disabled for up to 30 days, extendable once.

Individuals whose accounts are disabled may appeal, but the order remains in effect during the review.

These measures will support the upcoming National Scams List, a centralised platform being developed by HTX and the police to help partners identify scam enablers more quickly.