Singapore has ordered Meta to tighten its grip on scams, warning that Facebook could face million-dollar fines if fraudulent accounts and impersonation ads continue unchecked.

The police will issue an implementation directive under the Online Criminal Harms Act (OCHA), the first time Singapore is using this power.

It requires Meta to put in place measures to address scam advertisements, accounts, profiles and business pages that impersonate key government officials on Facebook. Non compliance may result in fines of up to S$1 million.

Minister of State for Home Affairs and Social and Family Development Goh Pei Ming said Facebook is the top platform used in such impersonation scams.

Cases rose by about 200 percent in the first half of 2025 to more than 1,760, with losses up about 90 percent to around S$126 million, averaging roughly S$72,000 per case.

He added that Singapore is an attractive target for scammers because of its high median wealth, widespread digital penetration and reputation as a high-trust society.

These factors make impersonation attempts more convincing when scammers pose as government officials.

Authorities said online platforms are now the primary vector for scammers, used in 82 percent of cases in the first half of 2025.

Police disrupted more than 21,000 online monikers and advertisements over the same period.

TikTok has been designated a designated online service with effect from 1 September 2025 and must comply with the Online Communication Services Code of Practice by 28 February 2026.

AI Tools, Jail Terms and Joint Raids Drive Anti-Scam Push

Officials also highlighted tools such as the ScamShield app, which has more than 1.3 million downloads, and the use of artificial intelligence to detect and take down malicious websites.

Overall scam cases fell 26 percent in the first half of 2025, with total losses down 13 percent.

Beyond prevention, Singapore has also stepped up enforcement. More than 500 scammers and money mules were charged in the first half of this year.

Of the 230 money mules prosecuted between August 2024 and March 2025, all adult offenders received at least six months in prison.

Goh said scams remain a global problem and called for stronger international cooperation and greater involvement from private platforms to disrupt fraud networks.

He cited Project FRONTIER+, a joint cross-border operation that froze more than 32,000 bank accounts and recovered about S$26 million between May and June this year.

Police data showed Singaporeans lost about S$456 million to scams in the first half of 2025, around S$66 million less than a year earlier.

Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by Meta