Award Banner
Award Banner

Carousell and Facebook to verify 'risky' sellers, advertisers to curb scams under new codes of practice

Carousell and Facebook to verify 'risky' sellers, advertisers to curb scams under new codes of practice
Tech providers which fail to comply with the codes of practice may be directed to take corrective action.
PHOTO: The Straits Times file

SINGAPORE — From June 26, Carousell and Facebook will need to verify "risky" sellers and advertisers against government-issued records as the local authorities crack down on e-commerce scams.

Messaging platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, Telegram and WeChat will also need to roll out reasonable verification measures to root out fake accounts run by scammers or bots for malicious activities by the end of 2024.

These obligations are set out in newly issued codes of practise aimed at disabling scammers, who have taken advantage of online anonymity on e-commerce and messaging platforms to carry out criminal activities.

Failure to comply is a criminal offence under the newly minted Online Criminal Harms Act (Ocha).

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), which issued the codes on June 21, said the Government would continue to work with the industry to try to minimise the effect of criminal activities in the online space on Singapore users.

Under the Code of Practise for E-Commerce Services, Facebook and Carousell will need to verify the identities only of sellers considered "risky", for a start.

If the number of scams reported on Facebook Marketplace, in Facebook advertisements and on Carousell does not drop significantly, MHA will require the two companies to verify the identities of all sellers and advertisers by early 2025.

The code also requires e-commerce platforms to provide payment protection mechanisms that release payments only after goods or services are verified to have been delivered, but MHA has waived this requirement for now.

A second code — the Code of Practise for Online Communication Services — requires Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, Telegram and WeChat to proactively take action against suspected scams and malicious cyber activities by creating a fast-track channel to receive and act on reports from the authorities.

By the end of 2024, the platforms must also roll out reasonable verification measures to root out fake accounts run by scammers or bots for malicious activities. An annual report on these measures must be submitted to the authorities.

Tech providers which fail to comply with the codes of practise may be directed to take corrective action. Failure to comply with a rectification notice is a criminal offence that may result in fines of up to $1 million under Ocha, which came into effect on Feb 1, 2024.

More than 13,000 instances of online criminal content and online activities, including scams, have been disrupted by Ocha since the law came into force, said MHA in response to The Straits Times' queries.

With the Act, the Government can issue directions and orders that will limit the exposure of Singapore users to criminal activities on online platforms.

MHA said that since the law was operationalised, account restriction, access blocking and disabling directions have been issued to various online service providers and internet service providers.

The Ocha codes come as scam cases in Singapore hit a record high in 2023. That year, 46,563 cases were reported, up 46.8 per cent from the 31,728 cases in 2022. E-commerce scams were second on the list of scam concerns in 2023, as the number of cases more than doubled to 9,783 cases from around 4,700 in 2022.

Meta apps Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram were among the top online platforms exploited by scammers. These platforms accounted for almost half of the scam cases in 2023, amounting to around $280 million in losses.

Carousell's chief of staff Tan Su Lin said the platform will go the extra mile to comply with the codes by requiring both buyers and sellers considered risky to verify their identities via Singpass.

Tan said scammers also often pose as buyers, luring users to complete their transactions outside of the Carousell app by scanning QR codes or clicking on links so that the scammers can steal their personal information and banking credentials.

Read Also
singapore
Man falls for investment scam using charity organisation chairman's name, loses more than $20k

Suspicious sellers are typically those using new accounts with low profile ratings and a large volume of chats, and featuring multiple listings of popular items with prices too good to be true.

Since Carousell rolled out Singpass verification for property listings in July 2023, and for ticket and voucher listings in October 2023, the local authorities have seen a drop in the number of scam cases related to such listings.

Singapore will be the first market where verifications will be done for risky users and advertisers, said Facebook's vice-president of public policy for the Asia-Pacific region Simon Milner.

If effective here, similar measures will be rolled out in other markets, he said, declining to reveal how Facebook defines a risky account for fear that scammers would use the information to evade detection.

"Tackling scams is a highly adversarial space. We continue to explore methods to identify content and accounts that violate our policies as well as working with government, NGOs (non-governmental organisations) and law enforcement to understand new techniques that scammers deploy, so we can get ahead of them," said Milner.

ALSO READ: Government SMSes will come from single 'gov.sg' sender ID from July 1 to safeguard against scams

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.

homepage

trending

trending
    'I thought I could outwit scammers': Woman who lost over $78,000 to job scam in 4 days
    'Akan datang': WP Sengkang MPs coy on whether they will remain as team in GE2025
    PSP's potential new candidates seen at walkabout in Boon Lay
    Woman hit by car at Sengkang East Drive pedestrian crossing after cars refuse to give way
    The rise of Chinese F&B brands in Singapore: What stirs Singaporeans' appetites?
    NewJeans changes social media handles and deletes posts after court ruling
    How do Trump's tariffs affect you? Here is an explainer
    Edwin Goh proposes to Rachel Wan, both returning to Singapore after 2 years in Australia
    Hong Kong actor Lee Lung Kei still plans to marry fiancee 37 years younger after her release from prison
    'My brain got so fried up': Gurmit Singh hit by anxiety attack while acting in his 1st Chinese drama
    'I was right there just 3cm behind her': Exo's Kai recalls joys of simple life during military service, meeting commuter checking him out online
    'We spent just $5,000 on reno': Why some buyers are skipping big renovations in 2025

Singapore

Singapore
    • 2 GRCs and 1 SMC: This Woodlands junction separates 3 electoral divisions
    • 21 men in Singapore among 435 arrested in cross-border operation targeting online child sex abuse
    • HSA raids home of woman filmed vaping in train, finds vape pod containing anaesthetic
    • Singapore deploys 34-member emergency medical team to aid Myanmar quake relief efforts
    • Singaporeans must stay united, not be confused by ‘strange ideas or soft solutions’: SM Lee
    • Woman who allegedly cheated son in Netflix's Con Mum charged in Singapore with fraud
    • 'Revenge porn' victims speak out: 'Will he take pictures of me when I’m not looking?'
    • GE2025: Balancing need for foreign talent with aspirations of Singaporean workers
    • Where the parties stand on key issues ahead of GE2025
    • Trump's tariffs have limited direct impact 'for now' but consequences could be 'wider and more profound': PM Wong

Entertainment

Entertainment
    • Gossip mill: Diana Ser's son to enlist, Takeshi Kaneshiro back after 3 years, agency says late Sulli wasn't forced to film nude scene
    • E-Junkies: The Click Five will consider making new music if upcoming tour goes well
    • Former NCT idol Lucas to make acting debut in Taiwan
    • 'Blessed beyond measure': Desmond Tan and wife expecting second child
    • Ed Sheeran releases new single Azizam
    • UK police charge comedian Russell Brand with rape, sexual assaults
    • Jean-Claude Van Damme accused of having sex with trafficked women
    • Jim Carrey pays tribute to Val Kilmer's 'grace and courage'
    • Val Kilmer reportedly discussed reprising his role as Batman before his death
    • Sum 41 releases final music video before splitting up

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
    • AI and art: Studio Ghibli-inspired trend sparks debate on ethics and consent
    • The iconic Milo Van beverage is now available in supermarkets
    • Disney's Beauty and the Beast musical to make Asia premiere in Singapore this December
    • A first look: Blue Bottle Coffee's cafe at Raffles City, here's what to expect
    • Sunda Festival 2025: 2 friends shaping Singapore's music and festival scene
    • MG Cyberster review: Stunning-looking roadster that packs a powerful electric punch
    • The best things to do in Singapore this April 2025
    • One Beijing man's quest to keep cooking — and connecting with Americans — on camera
    • Hyundai Santa Fe review: Rugged-looking premium SUV levels up the luxury for Hyundai
    • What to do this weekend (April 4 to 6)

Digicult

Digicult
    • A $500 wake-up call: How the Samsung Galaxy Ring made me realise my stress
    • Monster Hunter Wilds producer explains how game has remained unique and fresh over 20 years
    • Nintendo Switch 2 to launch in June with US$449.99 price tag
    • Games in April: RPGs, racing and Ronaldo in a fighting game
    • Is it time to get a MacBook at a good price? The M4 MacBook Air says yes
    • China's Baidu launches 2 new AI models as industry competition heats up
    • China's top universities expand enrolment to beef up capabilities in AI, strategic areas
    • International Women's Day: Meet the Singapore women levelling up in gaming
    • US indicts slew of alleged Chinese hackers, sanctions company over spy campaign
    • Meet the women powering innovation in tech in Singapore and beyond

Money

Money
    • Giant deal: Malaysian company to acquire Cold Storage and Giant supermarket chains in Singapore
    • Best travel insurance policies for places prone to natural disasters (2025)
    • Wedding loan vs. personal loan: What's the best way to finance a wedding in Singapore
    • Triple record-breaking $3.06m EC: How did they manage it?
    • US starts collecting Trump's new 10% tariff, smashing global trade norms
    • Stocks slump again after China fires back in trade war with tariffs on US goods
    • Trump's tariffs provoke trade war threats, fears of pricier iPhones
    • Australia says US tariffs 'not act of a friend' but rules out reciprocal move
    • South Korea's acting president calls for talks with US over tariffs
    • Southeast Asian nations, hit particularly hard by US tariffs, prep for talks with Trump

Latest

Latest
  • Musk says he hopes for 'zero tariffs' between US and Europe
  • North Korea holding first Pyongyang Marathon in six years
  • Palestinian paramedic says he saw Israeli troops firing on emergency vehicles
  • Protesters rally across Spain against housing crisis, tourist flats
  • Sex toys and exploding cosmetics: Anatomy of a 'hybrid war' on the West
  • Philippines alarmed over China arrest of alleged Filipino spies
  • Russia's 'chessboard killer' ready to confess to 11 more murders, penal service says
  • Robots, fraught consumers star in China AI videos mocking tariffs
  • USAID team fired while in Myanmar earthquake zone, ex-official says

In Case You Missed It

In Case You Missed It
  • 'She should be with her family': Employer gives maid plane ticket, $800 to return to Myanmar and search for missing mum
  • 'He needed something to help him fight,' says man who bought Hokkien mee for dying patient
  • Thai woman struggles to evacuate during earthquake while her dog sleeps unfazed
  • Workers painting exterior of Geylang block discover man's skeletal remains in flat
  • 'New, younger' PAP team vows to reclaim WP-controlled Sengkang GRC, says Lam Pin Min
  • New face Jackson Lam 'very good on the ground' and will be asset to Parliament, says Shanmugam
  • Woman who publicised tips on how she evaded GST for luxury purchases fined $18k
  • Powerful quake in Southeast Asia kills several, 81 trapped in Bangkok building rubble
  • Dog dies after being skinned alive in Malaysia, animal welfare group condemns 'barbaric' act
This website is best viewed using the latest versions of web browsers.