Introduction
With the number of scam and cybercrime cases on the rise, Singapore continues to adopt a collective, multi-pronged approach to fight scams. Government agencies, industries and the community work together closely to counter ever-evolving scams.
Set up by the government, the Inter-Ministry Committee on Scams (IMCS) leverages expert knowledge and resources from various government agencies such as the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Singapore Police Force, the Ministry of Communications and Information, the Ministry of Trade and Industry and the Monetary Authority of Singapore to synchronise the government’s efforts in combatting scams.
International collaboration
Scam and spam communications are a global issue requiring close international cooperation to tackle. To develop a global and coordinated approach to address these threats, IMDA engages and partners with international regulators to facilitate knowledge exchange and understanding of anti-scam measures and approaches.
IMDA has signed multiple Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) with international regulators to enhance cross-border cooperation on scam and spam communications. These form part of IMDA’s broader international approach to work with international regulators to better combat scams coming through communication platforms such as SMS and phone calls.
Some of our latest international engagements include working with:
Multi-layered anti-scam measures for calls and SMS
IMDA’s anti-scam measures are developed to disrupt scam operations across various communications channels via a multi-layered approach. IMDA has partnered with Telcos to implement anti-scam measures that strengthen safeguards for SMS and calls to Singapore users.
IMDA has partnered with telcos to tighten SIM card registration processes and strengthen accountability for SIM cards, minimising criminal exploitation. Since 2014, the number of prepaid SIM cards each subscriber can purchase from a telco has been limited to three. From 15 April 2024, a limit of 10 postpaid SIM cards per subscriber will be in place.
Beyond the improved registration process, our multi-layered approach to strengthen protection against scams includes the blocking of international spoofed calls, as well as the international call blocking feature.
For scam calls
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Phone users in Singapore are protected from spam and scam calls through various measures. -
Phone users in Singapore are protected from spam and scam calls through various measures.
For scam SMSes
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Anti-scam efforts for SMS include blocking malicious content and labelling unfamiliar sender IDs. -
Anti-scam efforts for SMS include blocking malicious content and labelling unfamiliar sender IDs.
Resources
Stay vigilant against scams and explore the following materials to learn how to protect yourself and your loved ones:
The Digital for Life Movement aims to galvanise the community to help citizens of all ages and walks of life embrace digital as a shared platform and equal opportunity enabler.
Learn about the latest scam trends from the Police’s weekly scams bulletin.
Learn about the different scam types and the scam experiences of others by visiting the scamalert.sg website. For advice on scams, call the Anti-Scam Helpline @ 1800-722-6688 (Mon-Fri: 9am to 6pm, excluding Public Holidays).
ScamShield is a product suite that defends against scams, jointly developed by Open Government Products, the Singapore Police Force and the National Crime Prevention Council. ScamShield currently comprises of the ScamShield App (available on iOS and Android) and the ScamShield Bot.
For more information on the SSIR, please refer to this press release (494.06KB) and Singapore Network Information Centre’s website.
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