Police get powers to order banks, telcos to share info, disable scam accounts after new law passed

During the debate, Members of Parliament raised concerns about innocent people who may wrongly get their bank accounts suspended and asked questions about the powers of civilian specialist officers.

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SINGAPORE: The Singapore Police Force (SPF) will be given powers to issue orders to service providers such as banks and telcos to disclose information on scam-related activities and disable accounts that may be facilitating scam-related offences.

The powers were proposed under the Scams (Countermeasures) and Other Matters Bill , which was debated in parliament over two days and passed on Wednesday (Sep 9).

The new law also amends the Online Criminal Harms Act to introduce stiffer penalties for non-compliance with codes of practice and implementation directives.

For every instance of non-compliance, designated online service providers may be issued a financial penalty of up to S$10 million – up from the maximum fine of S$1 million – or they may be directed to rectify the non-compliance through a rectification notice or a compliance order.

During the debate, Members of Parliament (MPs) spoke in support of the Bill but also raised various concerns.

These included ensuring that those who have been deceived by scammers do not face overly punitive consequences, as well as ensuring that there are sufficient checks and balances to make sure the law is not abused.

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Scammers and mules often use accounts provided by different service providers, leaving behind indicators of scam activity that could help identify and disrupt their operations.

Service providers include: financial institutions such as banks and digital payment token service providers; telcos; as well as those that offer online services, including online accounts and related supporting services.

To enable and safeguard scam-related information exchange between the police and service providers, the Bill proposed to allow the police to issue two orders – a disclosure order and an account disabling order – to service providers.

A disclosure order will require a service provider to provide information on specified accounts and scam-related activities, including necessary information to prevent or disrupt scam-related offences. A service provider issued an account disabling order must disable the specific account or any accounts that meet specified conditions prescribed by the police.

The account subject to the order will be disabled for up to 30 days, and this may be extended once, for up to another 30 days.

Those whose accounts have been disabled can appeal to the Commissioner of Police – or a designated officer of or above the rank of superintendent, or the equivalent. The order will remain in effect while the appeal is being considered.

The government will advance Singapore’s fight against scams in three ways through the Scams (Countermeasures) and Other Matters Bill. Firstly, it supports information exchange between the police and service providers for scam disruption. Secondly, it enhances the government's legal levers to combat scams on online platforms. Thirdly, it strengthens the police's ability to disrupt the supply of scam accounts and conduct anti-scam operations. The Bill also provides the legal powers to enable and safeguard information exchange on the National Scams List and other information-sharing platforms to destroy scam accounts early and facilitate information disclosure. The government will introduce account disabling orders for the police to proactively disable the account even before the scam takes place. Disclosure orders will be introduced to allow the police to direct service providers to disclose information relating to accounts. Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs Goh Pei Ming, who highlighted the key changes in parliament on Tuesday (Sep 8), said the measures are firm but calibrated to preserve accountability and provide safeguards and appeal mechanisms, as well as support constructive collaboration with service providers.

Several MPs raised concerns about the consequences for innocent individuals and businesses that may be wrongly issued the new orders.

MP He Ting Ru (WP-Sengkang) said that such orders imposed on an innocent party or unwitting mule would "at least be a mild inconvenience and at worst debilitating to daily life".

"Individuals who have their accounts frozen might end up unable to receive salaries or to foot the cost of their daily necessities and medical bills if their sole bank account or e-wallet account is completely frozen," she said.

For businesses, especially smaller proprietors, this may cause operations to come to a halt, resulting in non-payment of employees, Ms He said.

The Scams (Countermeasures) and Other Matters Bill strengthens the government's arsenal of anti-scam enforcement tools, said MP He Ting Ru. Speaking in parliament on Tuesday (Sep 8), she said as Singapore steps up its scam enforcement efforts, the expansion and use of these law enforcement powers, while helpful, should be made clear to the public. She stressed the need for the public to know and understand how the government’s powers are used as this will bolster public confidence in law enforcement and address the concerns about scams. She also urged the government to target the complex money laundering infrastructure that sustains scams and adopt a multi-pronged approach towards tackling scams.

Pointing out the difficulties her residents faced when not being able to access or open a bank account, MP Diana Pang (PAP-Marine Parade-Braddell Heights) stressed that “stronger powers” must come with "practical safeguards".

In his response, Minister of State for Home Affairs Goh Pei Ming said that “no one wants to inadvertently affect or inconvenience” those who may not have been involved in scam activity.

At the same time, disrupting scams quickly and decisively is essential, he added.

“The orders enable us to constrict the supply of scam enablers and disable them before they can be used, and this is ultimately to protect our citizens,” said Mr Goh.

“Our task here is to intervene early, while ensuring adequate safeguards against innocent accounts being affected by these orders.”

MP Jackson Lam (PAP-Nee Soon) said there needs to be a fast review process for genuine cases where an account has been wrongly disabled.

While the Bill provides an appeal mechanism, there must be a “clear channel” for affected persons to provide evidence quickly and have their accounts reviewed.

“The principle should be simple: act fast against scammers, but correct mistakes just as fast when innocent people are affected,” he added.

MP Gabriel Lam (PAP-Sembawang) said that once there is no longer a risk, access to a wrongly affected account should be restored in hours, not days.

Mr Goh said that while a “swift and decisive approach” to disrupting scam networks is necessary to protect Singaporeans, the authorities recognise that some individuals may genuinely require and depend on these accounts for their livelihood or daily expenses.

It is vital that authorities assess appeals fairly and as quickly as possible. More details on the appeal mechanism and timeline will be shared in due course, he said.

“This needs careful consideration, as we have seen cases of scammers coaching victims on what to say to bank staff to evade detection when they transfer money to the scammer,” Mr Goh said.

“We should similarly expect scammers to coach mules to file a successful appeal to regain access to their accounts.”

The Scams (Countermeasures) and Other Matters Bill gives officers real speed against a threat that regenerates faster than we can strike down, but the measures must strike the right targets, said MP Elysa Chen. Speaking in parliament on Wednesday (Sep 9), she cautioned that the machinery built to catch scammers should not be overly punitive, particularly for those who have been deceived or coerced. A Bill that “stops scammers only to catch the vulnerable in the same net will have solved one injustice by creating another”, she said. Ms Chen also highlighted at least three gaps where harm can still get through - at the point of prevention, enforcement and redress.

CIVILIAN SPECIALIST OFFICERS

MPs Elysa Chen (PAP-Bishan Toa Payoh) and Jackson Lam also raised questions about the appointment of Civilian Specialist Officers (CSOs), who will be given powers to perform their investigation duties under changes to the Police Force Act.

The powers, which will be similar to those provided to commercial affairs officers, will allow the civilian officers to search, arrest, seize and request documents. The police may also recruit and deploy them in other domains in the future if operationally necessary, said MHA.

Mr Jackson Lam said this move “makes sense” as cybercrime becomes more specialised but asked how these officers will be selected, trained and supervised.

“I would also suggest that the government consider a statutory review of this Bill, perhaps after three to five years, to assess whether these powers remain proportionate and effective as scam tactics continue to evolve,” he said.

Ms Chen questioned how the officers will be disciplined and held to account as they fall outside the disciplinary provisions that apply to police officers.

MP Abdul Muhaimin Abdul Malik (WP-Sengkang) also sought clarification on whether these officers will operate under the police's Commercial Affairs Department or a new unit, and where manpower would be drawn from.

"If we are asking existing officers to take on this work, we should also be clear about what may have to give elsewhere. We need to be confident that we are not stretching our enforcement capacity too thin, especially when we are asking more of it," he said.

In parliament on Wednesday (Sep 9), Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs Goh Pei Ming responded to clarifications sought by Members on the Scams (Countermeasures) and Other Matters Bill. The Bill was passed by the House.

Mr Goh said that the officers can be recruited directly from the market or may be seconded from other public agencies, such as the Cyber Security Agency.

They will be deployed to complement police resources in existing units, starting from the SPF Cyber Command, and will fall under the prevailing police command structures, he added.

“Similar to commercial affairs officers today, CSOs will undergo the necessary operational and investigative training, and will be carefully selected based on their suitability for investigation work and relevant technical expertise,” said Mr Goh.

“They remain subject to the same oversight, accountability, and command structures as other investigation officers.”

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在辩论中，议员们对无辜者可能被错误地冻结银行账户表示担忧，并询问了文职专业人员的权力。

一名正在使用笔记本电脑的人。（图片：iStock）

这段音频由人工智能工具生成。

新加坡：新加坡警察部队（SPF）将被赋予权力，向银行和电信公司等服务提供商发出命令，要求其披露与诈骗活动相关的信息，并禁用可能助长诈骗犯罪的账户。

这些权力是根据《诈骗（应对措施）及其他事项法案》提出的，该法案在议会进行了两天的辩论，并于周三（9 月 9 日）获得通过。

新法律还修订了《网络犯罪危害法》，对不遵守行为准则和实施指令的行为引入了更严厉的处罚。

对于每一起违规事件，指定的在线服务提供商可能会被处以最高 1000 万新元的罚款（此前最高罚款为 100 万新元），或者可能会被责令通过整改通知或合规令来纠正违规行为。

在辩论过程中，国会议员们发言支持该法案，但也提出了各种担忧。

其中包括确保那些被诈骗者欺骗的人不会面临过重的惩罚，以及确保有足够的制衡机制来防止法律被滥用。

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诈骗分子和洗钱者经常使用不同服务提供商提供的账户，留下诈骗活动的迹象，这有助于识别和破坏他们的行动。

服务提供商包括：金融机构，如银行和数字支付代币服务提供商；电信公司；以及提供在线服务的公司，包括在线账户和相关支持服务。

为了实现和保障警方与服务提供商之间与诈骗相关的信息交流，该法案提议允许警方向服务提供商发出两项命令——披露令和账户禁用令。

信息披露令将要求服务提供商提供特定账户和诈骗相关活动的信息，包括预防或阻止诈骗犯罪所需的信息。收到账户禁用令的服务提供商必须禁用特定账户或符合警方规定条件的任何账户。

根据该命令，相关账户将被禁用最多 30 天，并且该禁用期限可以延长一次，最多再延长 30 天。

账户被停用的用户可以向警务处处长或警衔为警司或以上级别的指定警官（或同等级别）提出上诉。在上诉审理期间，停用令仍然有效。

新加坡政府将通过《诈骗（应对措施）及其他事项法案》从三个方面推进打击诈骗的行动。首先，该法案支持警方与服务提供商之间的信息交流，以打击诈骗活动。其次，该法案增强政府打击网络平台诈骗的法律手段。第三，该法案强化警方打击诈骗账户供应和开展反诈骗行动的能力。该法案还赋予政府法律权力，以支持和保障国家诈骗名单和其他信息共享平台上的信息交流，从而及早销毁诈骗账户并促进信息披露。政府将引入账户禁用令，允许警方在诈骗发生之前主动禁用账户。此外，还将引入信息披露令，允许警方指示服务提供商披露与账户相关的信息。内政部高级政务部长吴佩铭周二（9月8日）在国会强调了这些关键变化，他表示，这些措施坚定而又经过精心调整，旨在维护问责制，提供保障和申诉机制，并支持与服务提供商进行建设性合作。

多位议员对可能错误地向无辜个人和企业下达新命令所带来的后果表示担忧。

国会议员何廷儒（工人党-盛港）表示，对无辜者或不知情的“骡子”施加此类命令“至少会造成轻微的不便，最坏的情况是会严重影响日常生活”。

她说：“如果一个人的唯一银行账户或电子钱包账户完全被冻结，那么他的账户可能最终无法领取工资，也无法支付日常必需品和医疗费用。”

何女士表示，对于企业，尤其是小型业主而言，这可能会导致运营停滞，进而导致员工无法获得工资。

国会议员何婷茹表示，《诈骗（对策）及其他事项法案》加强了政府的反诈骗执法手段。她在周二（9月8日）于国会发言时指出，随着新加坡加大打击诈骗的力度，这些执法权力的扩大和使用虽然有益，但应向公众明确说明。她强调，公众需要了解和理解政府如何运用这些权力，这将有助于增强公众对执法部门的信心，并消除他们对诈骗的担忧。她还敦促政府重点打击支撑诈骗活动的复杂洗钱网络，并采取多管齐下的方法来打击诈骗。

国会议员彭丽媛（人民行动党-马林百列-布莱德尔高地）指出，由于居民无法获得或开设银行账户，他们面临着诸多困难。她强调，“更强大的权力”必须伴有“切实可行的保障措施”。

内政部政务部长吴佩明在回应中表示，“没有人希望无意中影响或给”那些可能没有参与诈骗活动的人带来不便。

他还补充说，与此同时，迅速果断地打击诈骗活动至关重要。

“这些命令使我们能够限制诈骗工具的供应，并在它们被使用之前将其禁用，这最终是为了保护我们的公民，”吴先生说。

“我们的任务是尽早介入，同时确保采取充分的保障措施，防止无辜账户受到这些命令的影响。”

国会议员林志强（人民行动党义顺选区）表示，对于账户被错误停用的真实案例，需要建立快速的审查程序。

虽然该法案提供了上诉机制，但必须有一个“清晰的渠道”，让受影响的人能够迅速提供证据并审查他们的陈述。

“原则很简单：对诈骗者迅速采取行动，但当无辜的人受到影响时，也要同样迅速地纠正错误，”他补充道。

国会议员林嘉伟（人民行动党-三巴旺）表示，一旦风险消除，被错误影响的账户访问权限应该在数小时内恢复，而不是数天。

吴先生表示，虽然采取“迅速果断的措施”打击诈骗网络对于保护新加坡人是必要的，但当局也认识到，有些人可能确实需要并依赖这些账户来维持生计或日常开支。

他表示，当局必须公正、迅速地对上诉进行评估，这一点至关重要。有关上诉机制和时间表的更多细节将在适当时候公布。

“这需要认真考虑，因为我们已经看到一些案例，诈骗分子会教唆受害者在向银行工作人员转账时如何应对，以避免被发现，”吴先生说。

“同样，我们也应该预料到诈骗分子会教唆他人代为提交成功的申诉，从而重新获得对其账户的访问权限。”

议员陈慧珊表示，《诈骗（对策）及其他事项法案》赋予执法人员应对诈骗威胁的快速反应能力，但诈骗手段必须精准打击目标。她在周三（9月9日）的国会发言中提醒，打击诈骗的机制不应过于严苛，尤其对于那些受骗或受胁迫的人来说更是如此。她指出，如果一项法案“阻止了诈骗，却又让弱势群体陷入同样的​​困境，那将是因囿于不公而囿于不公”。陈慧珊还强调，在预防、执法和补救环节，至少存在三个漏洞，仍可能造成伤害。

文职专业人员

国会议员陈爱丽（人民行动党-碧山-大巴窑）和林俊杰也对委任民事专业警官（CSO）提出质疑，根据《警察部队法》的修改，民事专业警官将被赋予权力履行其调查职责。

这些权力与商业事务官员的权力类似，将允许文职人员进行搜查、逮捕、扣押和索取文件。内政部表示，如果行动需要，警方未来也可能在其他领域招募和部署这些文职人员。

林志强先生表示，随着网络犯罪日益专业化，此举“合情合理”，但他质疑这些警员将如何选拔、培训和监督。

“我还建议政府考虑对该法案进行法定审查，或许在三到五年后进行，以评估随着诈骗手段的不断演变，这些权力是否仍然适度有效，”他说。

陈女士质疑，这些警员的行为不符合适用于警员的纪律规定，将如何对他们进行纪律处分和追究责任。

国会议员阿卜杜勒·穆海明·阿卜杜勒·马利克（工人党-盛港）也要求澄清这些警员是在警察商业事务局还是在新成立的部门下运作，以及人力将从哪里调配。

他说：“如果我们要求现有警员承担这项工作，我们也应该明确其他方面可能需要做出哪些让步。我们需要确保我们的执法能力不会过度透支，尤其是在我们要求它承担更多工作的情况下。”

周三（9月9日），内政部高级政务部长吴佩铭在国会回应了议员们就《诈骗（应对措施）及其他事项法案》提出的澄清要求。该法案已获国会通过。

吴先生表示，这些官员可以直接从市场上招募，也可以从其他公共机构（例如网络安全局）借调。

他补充说，这些人员将被部署到现有单位，以补充警力资源，首先从新加坡警察部队网络指挥部开始，并将隶属于现有的警察指挥结构。

吴先生说：“与如今的商业事务官员类似，社区安全官员将接受必要的业务和调查培训，并将根据其是否适合调查工作和相关技术专长进行精心挑选。”

“他们与其他调查人员一样，仍然受到同样的监督、问责和指挥结构约束。”

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