For the first time, Singapore police have issued an implementation directive under the Online Criminal Harms Act (Ocha), ordering Meta to take action against scams on Facebook that impersonate government officials.
The directive requires Meta to implement measures targeting scam advertisements, accounts, profiles and business pages that pose as public office-holders.
Non-compliance with the directive could result in fines of up to S$1 million
The move was announced by Minister of State for Home Affairs Goh Pei Ming on 3 September during his keynote at the Global Anti-Scam Summit Asia 2025, held at the Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre.
Goh said this is the first time an online service provider in Singapore has received such a directive since Ocha came into force in February 2024.
He noted that Facebook is the top platform used by scammers to impersonate key government officials and that “more decisive action is required” to stop these scams.
Scam cases and losses surge
According to police mid-year statistics released on 30 August, government official impersonation scams nearly tripled to 1,762 reported cases in the first half of 2025, compared with 589 in the same period in 2024.
The monetary losses were even more severe. Victims lost S$126.5 million in the first six months of 2025, an 88% increase from the S$67.2 million reported in the first half of 2024.
Earlier in the year, fake Facebook accounts impersonating Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and former Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen were discovered. In March, PM Wong publicly warned against such scams, particularly those using deepfake technology to promote fraudulent services and products.
Goh reiterated the Government’s commitment to countering these threats, stating: “The war against scams remains a top national priority. Dealing with a threat as insidious as scams will require a whole-of-society approach.”
He outlined a four-pronged strategy: blocking scams pre-emptively, enhancing detection and reporting, prosecuting scammers and recovering losses, and educating the public.
Meta’s response
A Meta spokesperson responded to the directive by affirming the company’s commitment to tackling impersonation scams.
They said Meta employs facial recognition technology and dedicated detection teams, and provides reporting tools and public education materials to combat scams.
The company has also introduced advertiser verification and collaborates with law enforcement.
At the summit on 2 September, Meta’s product management director Maxime Prades stated that Meta has used facial recognition technology to protect nearly 500,000 public figures globally.
History of tensions with authorities
The directive comes amid a historically strained relationship between Meta and Singapore authorities over scam enforcement.
In February 2024, then Minister of State for Home Affairs Sun Xueling criticised Meta in Parliament for refusing to implement stronger platform safeguards. She called on Meta “to do right by your users”.
Meta publicly expressed disappointment at the comments but stated it was reviewing the Ministry of Home Affairs’ suggestions.
Adding to concerns, Meta’s Facebook Marketplace has consistently ranked as the least safe e-commerce platform in Singapore’s E-commerce Marketplace Transaction Safety Ratings for four consecutive years, most recently in the August 2025 release.
TikTok also under increased scrutiny
In related developments, Goh announced that TikTok was officially designated a regulated online service under Ocha starting 1 September.
As a designated service, TikTok must comply with the Code of Practice for Online Communication Services by 28 February 2026.
This includes implementing scam and cybercrime countermeasures or facing corrective directives and fines of up to S$1 million.
Goh said scam cases on TikTok rose by 240% in 2024 compared with the previous year.
A TikTok spokesperson stated on 3 September that the company welcomed the new measures, adding: “We are committed to doing our part by continuing to strengthen our in-app protections, while also investing in education and awareness.”
TikTok reportedly removed over 173,000 fraudulent videos in Singapore in 2024.
International cooperation and signs of progress
Both Meta and TikTok are members of the Global Signal Exchange, an international network for sharing scam-related intelligence. Singapore’s Government Technology Agency is also part of this collaboration.
Despite the spike in impersonation scams, Goh noted a positive trend: total scam-related losses in Singapore declined to S$456.4 million in the first half of 2025, down from S$522.4 million during the same period in 2024.
“This shows that with sufficient determination and effort, we can push back against the scammers,” he said.
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