Singapore Police Require Apple and Google to Take Measures Against Impersonation Scams

The Singapore Police Force (SPF) has ordered Apple and Google to implement anti-scam measures under the Online Criminal Harms Act (OCHA), aimed at preventing fraudsters from impersonating Singaporean government agencies to deceive the public.

To protect citizens from impersonation scams, Singapore has been using the verified sender ID "gov.sg" since July 2024, helping people identify genuine SMS messages from government agencies.

However, this safeguard does not extend to platforms such as Apple’s iMessage and Google Messages, leaving a loophole for criminals.

Messages received via iMessage and Google Messages appear alongside traditional SMS messages. Fraudsters exploit this by impersonating "gov.sg" to send fraudulent messages on these platforms. The Singapore government has explicitly stated that it will not use "gov.sg" to send messages via iMessage or Google Messages.

The police have identified multiple related fraud cases.

According to an announcement by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Apple and Google must implement measures by November 30 to prevent fraudsters from misusing iMessage and Google Messages to impersonate government agencies. Both companies have confirmed compliance with this directive.

Specifically, the Singaporean government requires these companies to prevent accounts and group chats from displaying "gov.sg" or the names of Singaporean government agencies in their profile names, or to filter messages sent by accounts and group chats using such names.

Apple and Google must also ensure that profile names from unknown senders are either not displayed or are shown less prominently than phone numbers, thereby helping users identify and remain vigilant against unfamiliar messages.

The Singapore Police Force advises the public to regularly update their apps to enable the latest anti-fraud features.

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Regulatory and law enforcement agencies worldwide have made efforts in recent years to combat fraudulent activities and protect the public’s rights.

Before conducting any transactions, investors should carefully verify the regulatory status of the trading platform to avoid making erroneous investment decisions under the manipulation of criminals.