The police in Singapore can now seize control of a person’s bank account and block money transfer, if they suspect that the person is being scammed, under a new law on Tuesday.
Officials said the move aims to address a general issue faced by the police, where the victims often refuse to believe that they were being scammed despite warnings.
The law was passed by MPs earlier this year, although some members of Parliament have described the remedy as infiltration.
Singapore has seen a deteriorating problem with scams, which has increased in the $ 1.1 billion ($ 860m; £ 630m) record S in the island-state in 2024.
Under the new security from the Scams Act, the police can order banks to prevent a potential victim from transacting if they suspect that the person is being scammed.
Police may also prevent the use of ATM and credit services of a potential victim.
This decision can be taken by a police officer, even if the potential victim is not warned that he is being scammed.
According to the Singapore Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the owner of the bank account will still have access to their funds for valid reasons, such as paying for their daily expenses and bills, but can only use their money at the police discretion.
The MHA has stated that a potentially afflicted bank account can be controlled by the police for 30 days at a time, if required more time with options for a maximum of five extensions.
Critics of the law have expressed concern over the possibility of accountability and misuse of power. In January, some MPs in Parliament suggested the citizens to exit the law, or to allow people to give the option to nominate someone else to freeze their transactions rather than officials.
But supporters have said that law is required to prevent and protect the heavy losses caused by the victims.
The MHA stated that the decision would be based on the facts introduced by individual and family members. A statement said in a statement, “The ban order will only be issued as a final measure, understanding the person after other options.”
The number of scams reported in Singapore has increased from about 15,600 cases in 2020 to more than 50,000 cases in 2024.
Common scams in Singapore include jobs and investment scams, and e-commerce fraud, where users are cheated in paying for goods they never receive. Many are also falling prey to internet love scams, where fraudsters spent months in building online relationships before cheating the victims in sending money.
The new law has been rolled out by the latest anti-scam measures in Singapore. Since 2023, bank users can lock a portion of money in their account so that they cannot be transferred digitally.
Most banks also have an emergency “Kill switch”, which allows customers to freeze their bank accounts immediately if they suspect that it has been compromised.
