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pc nid 94408 Aug 04, 2026 pthandapani@vixio.com Singapore Ministry of Home Affairs horizon scanning
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Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs Introduces Scams Countermeasures and Other Matters Bill

On August 4, 2026, Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) introduced the Scams (Countermeasures) and Other Matters Bill for First Reading in Parliament. The Bill amends the Protection from Scams Act, Online Criminal Harms Act, and other legislation to strengthen Singapore's capacity to detect, disrupt, and deter scams. The Bill introduces several key amendments. It enables and safeguards scam-related information exchange between the Police and service providers through the National Scams List (NSL), a platform developed by the Home Team Science and Technology Agency (HTX) and the Police. The Police will gain authority to issue Disclosure Orders requiring service providers to provide scam-related information, and Account Disabling Orders (ADOs) to disable accounts for up to 30 days, extendable for an additional 30 days. Persons whose accounts are disabled may appeal to the Commissioner of Police. The Bill strengthens the Facility Restriction Framework, which as of June 30, 2026, has placed 1,423 money mules, 1,439 SIM card mules, and 53 corporate mules under restrictions. The Police will gain power to issue Service Limitation Orders restricting service provision to identified persons for up to three years. The Bill introduces new offences targeting the misuse of online accounts for criminal activity, including unlawful provision of personal information for account registration, possession of accounts registered using another's information, and supplying or receiving accounts for criminal purposes. The Bill enhances the Online Criminal Harms Act by enabling authorities to issue directions using computer programmes and introducing financial penalties up to SGD 10 million for non-compliance with Codes of Practice and Implementation Directives. It also amends the Police Force Act to enable appointment of Civilian Specialist Officers with investigative powers similar to Commercial Affairs Officers. The Bill will proceed through Parliament's legislative process following First Reading.

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Singaporean Ministry of Home Affairs Introduces Scams Countermeasures and Other Matters Bill

On August 4, 2026, the Singaporean Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) introduced the Scams (Countermeasures) and Other Matters Bill for its first reading in Parliament. The bill prescribes: Information exchange and disclosure enabling the police to safeguard scam-related information exchange with service providers through platforms such as the National Scams List (NSL). The police will be empowered to issue disclosure orders requiring service providers to provide information relating to specified accounts and scam-related activities. Account disabling orders (ADO) authorising the police to issue an ADO requiring service providers to disable specified accounts or accounts meeting prescribed disabling conditions for up to 30 days, which can be extended once for up to 30 more days. Affected persons can appeal the decision to the Commissioner of Police, whose decision is final. Facility restriction framework strengthening the application of restrictions on the provision of financial, telecommunications, and Singpass digital ID services to identified scam mules. These restrictions apply to individuals warned, prosecuted, convicted, or under investigation for mule-related offences and assessed to be at risk of further facilitating scams. Deterrence and operational enhancements introducing new offences to deter the misuse of online accounts, enhancing the Online Criminal Harms Act (OCHA), and improving the overall effectiveness of police operations to detect, disrupt, and deter scams. The bill will now go before parliament for consideration.