Singapore Passes Scams Bill: S$10M Fines for Platforms, Jail for Account Mules

Singapore’s Parliament passed the Scams (Countermeasures) and Other Matters Bill on September 9, making it a criminal offence to supply online accounts to scammers. Online account mules now face up to three years in jail and S$10,000 fines. The law also raises maximum penalties for non-compliant platforms from S$1 million to S$10 million, the highest fixed financial penalty in Singapore’s statute book. The move targets the 90% of scam cases involving online platforms.

New penalties for account mules and platforms

Convicted online account mules supplying accounts on Carousell, TikTok, Telegram and Meta platforms face up to three years in jail, fines up to S$10,000 and up to 12 strokes of the cane. The law makes it an offence to provide personal details for account creation or to supply or buy such accounts for crime. Platforms including WhatsApp, Telegram, WeChat, Apple, Google, Carousell, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok now face maximum fines of S$10 million for breaching codes of practice or implementation directives.

Police powers to disable suspected scam accounts

The law grants police authority to request service providers disable accounts of suspected scam mules for up to 30 days, with one possible 30-day extension. Service Limitation Orders allow police to restrict individuals suspected of using services to commit scams. First-time mules face one year of restrictions, stretching to three years for repeat offenders. Individuals subject to banking restrictions can still access funds by visiting bank branches physically, though self-service channels like internet banking and ATMs remain restricted.

Scam trends and government response

Reported scam cases fell 14.4% to about 16,800 in the first half of 2026, with losses declining 17.9% to around S$411 million from the prior year. However, Singapore still records an average of 90 scam cases and S$2 million in losses daily. Government official impersonation scams on Facebook dropped to 1,363 cases in the first half of 2026 from 1,772 in the same period of 2025, following implementation directives issued to Meta. Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs Goh Pei Ming called the fight against scams a top priority, stating the S$10 million penalty was necessary to provide adequate deterrent against non-compliance commensurate with the scale of harm.

AI and human oversight in enforcement

The bill allows computer programmes using artificial intelligence or machine learning to issue directions when scam content is identified with high confidence. Lower-confidence cases undergo human assessment. The head of the agency using the programme remains responsible for all directions issued. Regular audits and existing appeal mechanisms stay in place. Providers have at least seven days to respond before penalties are imposed and can appeal to the Minister for Home Affairs.

Final Thoughts

The bill represents Singapore’s most aggressive anti-scam stance to date, combining criminal penalties for account mules with record-breaking fines for non-compliant platforms. With 90% of scams involving online services and S$2 million in daily losses, the legislation aims to shift platform accountability and deter participation in scam infrastructure.

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The content shared by Meyka AI PTY LTD is solely for research and informational purposes.  Meyka is not a financial advisory service, and the information provided should not be considered investment or trading advice.