Singapore police have ordered Meta to introduce anti-scam measures on Facebook after a rise in impersonation scams involving government officials.

Meta faces a possible fine of up to S$1 million if it fails to comply, under Singapore’s Online Criminal Harms Act, which began in February 2024.

Minister of State for Home Affairs Goh Pei Ming said Facebook is the main platform used for these scams, and stronger action is needed.

Police data showed cases of impersonation scams involving government officials nearly tripled to 1,762 in the first half of 2025, with losses reaching S$126.5 million, an 88% rise year-on-year.

Over a third of ecommerce scams in 2024 were reported on Facebook, with Facebook Marketplace rated the weakest among six marketplaces for anti-scam features.

Facebook has added some safety features for users in Singapore since 2024, after earlier criticism from the government over its handling of scams.

🔗 Source: Reuters

🧠 Food for thought

1️⃣ Regulators shifting from voluntary compliance to mandatory enforcement

Singapore’s order against Meta represents a broader regulatory evolution where governments are moving away from collaborative approaches in favor of direct enforcement with financial penalties.

The S$1 million fine threat marks the first implementation of Singapore’s Online Criminal Harms Act, which only came into effect in February 20241. This follows years of frustration, with officials previously stating that Meta had “consistently pushed back” against government recommendations for anti-scam measures1.

This regulatory shift aligns with global trends where tech platforms initially resist voluntary measures until faced with mandatory compliance and substantial fines.

Singapore’s approach highlights how smaller jurisdictions can take impactful enforcement actions that larger markets may eventually consider, particularly when supported by concrete harm data showing losses of S$126.5 million in just six months1.

2️⃣ Platform scale creates persistent vulnerabilities despite massive content moderation efforts

Meta’s scam problem illustrates how the enormous scale of social platforms can undermine even significant enforcement efforts.

Despite removing over 157 million pieces of scam content across its platforms in 20242, Facebook still accounts for 56% of detected social media scams globally3 and over one-third of Singapore’s e-commerce scams1.

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