Scams in Singapore have dropped in the first half of 2026 compared to this time last year. However, scams remain the most common crime in Singapore. That is why a new anti-scam law, passed in Parliament on 9 September, aims to strengthen the Ministry of Home Affairs’ (MHA) ability to detect, disrupt and deter scams.
The Facility Restriction Framework Was Introduced In October 2025
The latest Mid-Year Scam and Cybercrime Brief revealed that scams fell by 14.4% in the first half of 2026, compared to the first half of 2025. A total of 16, 821 scam cases in the first half of 2026 is the lowest number of scams in the past four years for the same period. Much of this is due to the Singapore Police Force’s (SPF) new abilities under the Facility Restriction Framework.
The Facility Restriction Framework was introduced in October 2025 and gives SPF the ability to restrict scam mules’ access to banking services that could be used to move scam money via Internet banking and mobile banking, or card-based transactions and ATM services.
New Account Disabling Orders Give The Police The Ability To Disable Bank Accounts
A year later, the new anti-scam law will give the SPF even more power, allowing it to issue Account Disabling Orders (ADO). This means the Police could require a bank to disable an account as long as it meets the prescribed conditions.
These conditions include whether the bank account was used to carry out a specified number of transactions, or transactions of a specific type, during a specified period. They may also include whether the account was used to carry out transactions involving a specified amount of money or property during a specific period. The conditions could also be whether the account user is a specified person.
In other words, the conditions are relatively broad, by design. They are meant to cover cases where scam mules continue to facilitate scam activities, such as applying for new accounts and selling them to scam syndicates, despite being under investigation for mule-related offences.
What Does Disabling Mean
Under the new law, the bank can be directed by the Police to disable an account by preventing one or more of the following actions: deposits and transfers of money into the account, holding money in the account, or withdrawals and transfers of money out of the account. Accounts are disabled for up to 30 days.
This sparked intense debate in Parliament when the law was first introduced.
Among others, Ms He Ting Ru pointed out that the original Facility Restriction Framework still allowed those under investigation to access basic banking services and receive payments such as their salary and government benefits. She asked if the new Account Disabling Orders would still retain the same principle.
In response, Mr Goh Pei Ming, in his capacity as Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs, said that MHA will not prevent anyone “from accessing funds that they genuinely need for daily living”.
For accounts disabled by an ADO, the individual may apply to the Police for access to a reasonable amount of money for daily expenses. They may also apply to the Police for additional funds for necessary expenses, such as utilities and rent. The Police would assess these requests on a case-by-case basis.
Mr Goh also revealed that the Monetary Authority of Singapore is working with banks to offer Limited Purpose Banking Accounts to every affected Singapore citizen or permanent resident, except in very limited cases. In other words, even if your accounts are disabled, you may have access to a basic bank account.
What Does This New Law Mean For Us
If you are suspected of being involved in scam activity or have been manipulated into becoming a scam mule, the Police will inform affected account holders that their accounts have been disabled under the ADO. An appeal channel will be available.
According to Mr Goh, these appeals will be dealt with fairly and as quickly as possible. However, he noted that scammers would be able to “coach mules to file a successful appeal to regain access to their accounts.”
More details on the appeal mechanism, including the appeal timeline, will be given at a later date.
Read Also: How Scammers Use Government Benefits And Failed Delivery Messages To Take Over Your Accounts
