SINGAPORE, 25 September 2025 — In a landmark enforcement move under Singapore’s new Online Criminal Harms Act (OCHA), the government has formally ordered Meta, parent of Facebook, to implement measures to curb impersonation scams — particularly those involving fake profiles imitating government officials — by 30 September 2025. Failure to comply could result in a fine of up to S$1 million.
The directive marks the first such order under OCHA, and comes as Singapore grappled with a spike in impersonation scams: between June 2024 and June 2025, authorities disrupted around 2,000 scam ads and accounts impersonating government offices. Officials say Facebook is the platform most exploited for such scams.
What Meta Must Do
Under the order, Meta must deploy measures including facial recognition, enhanced detection and review of end-user reports originating in Singapore, and prioritized removal of scam advertisements, accounts, profiles, and pages impersonating public officials. The Ministry of Home Affairs emphasized the urgency, saying further daily fines of up to S$100,000 per day could apply for continuing noncompliance after conviction.
Meta, for its part, stated that it already uses detection systems — such as facial recognition, advertiser verification, and moderation teams — and that it is cooperating with law enforcement.
Surge in Impersonation Scams & Stakes for Platforms
Scam cases impersonating government officials nearly tripled to 1,762 incidents in the first half of 2025, with losses reaching S$126.5 million, up 88% from the prior year. Meanwhile, Facebook Marketplace was flagged as the weakest among six e-commerce platforms in terms of scam safeguards.
This enforcement order signals that Singapore is moving from oversight to accountability for online platforms. It puts Meta in the spotlight but also raises expectations for other digital players to proactively harden their defences against impersonation scams.
Investor & Regional Implications
For digital and social media platform operators, the order suggests heightened regulatory risk in markets with rising scam exposure. Meta’s ability to comply by the deadline, and the costs and operational changes required, will be watched closely by investors.
This development also casts a spotlight on Singapore as a regulatory testbed in Asia for platform accountability and digital harms enforcement. Should Meta be fined or forced to overhaul its content controls, it will likely influence how other jurisdictions push platforms — in Malaysia, Indonesia, or Thailand — to police impersonation and platform misuse.
