Singapore Police Instruct Meta to Enforce Anti-Scam Protocols Targeting Ads
The Singapore police have instructed Meta to enforce anti-scam protocols targeting ads, accounts, profiles, and business pages that impersonate important government officials on its Facebook platform to address scams. The firm may face a penalty of up to S$1 million ($775,698) should it not adhere to the first directive under the country's new Online Criminal Harms Act, which was enacted in February 2024.
"We are giving the order to Meta because Facebook is the primary platform exploited by scammers for these impersonation schemes, and the police have determined that more assertive measures are needed to combat these scams," states Minister of State for Home Affairs Goh Pei Ming.
The company employed specialized systems for identifying impersonating accounts, utilizing facial recognition technology, and had made significant investments to enhance detection and review teams. It likewise provides advice on steering clear of scams and supplies resources for reporting possible infringements.
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Police data published in August revealed that scams featuring the impersonation of government officials surged nearly threefold to 1,762 incidents in the first half of 2025, up from 589 incidents during the same timeframe the previous year.
In this same timeframe, losses from this type of scam reached S$126.5 million, marking an 88 percent increase from the S $67.2 million lost the previous year.
The home affairs ministry recognized that since 2024, Facebook Marketplace has mandated improved user verification processes for certain sellers in Singapore, along with implementing in-product safety alerts and anti-scam notifications within its messaging features to alert users about the dangers of e-commerce scams.
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Those actions were taken following prior criticism from the government regarding the company's lack of safeguards to protect users from fraud.