PUBLISHED ONFebruary 27, 2026 11:13 AMBYKhoo Yi-HangThe Singapore Police Force (SPF) will be using a single, easily identifiable prefixed number when officers make calls to members of the public.
This is part of a "whole-of-society" effort in preventing and blocking scammers' approach, Minister of State for the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) Goh Pei Ming said at the Committee of Supply debates in Parliament on Friday (Feb 27).
The prefixed number will be rolled out later this year, with the SPF taking the lead.
"Going forward, if you receive an unknown phone call and the caller claims to be a police officer, it is likely a scam," MOS Goh warned.
@asiaone Receive a message or phone call from an unknown person claiming to be a police officer or investigation officer from the Monetary Authority of Singapore? Members of the public will soon find it easier to know it's a scam says Minister of State for Home Affairs Goh Pei Ming at MHA's Committee of Supply debate on Friday (Feb 27). #sgnews #Singapore #Parliament #Crime #Scam ♬ original sound - AsiaOne
This comes as Government official impersonation scams more than doubled in 2025 with 3,363 cases compared to 1,504 in 2024.
The amount lost to such scams also rose by around 60 per cent, from $151.3 million in 2024 to $242.9 million in 2025.
The SPF, Immigration and Checkpoints Authority, banks or financial institution representatives and China government officials were among the most common impersonations last year.
"Despite the overall decrease in scam cases and losses last year, more Singaporeans fell prey to government officials impersonation scams," MOS Goh said.
Aside from the prefixed number, messaging platforms like WhatsApp will also be required to implement measures against spoofing of "gov.sg" and government agencies under the Online Criminal Harms Act.
The Act will also be enhanced, with new codes of practice that impose stricter user verification requirements and response time for platforms to act on user reports on scams.
Goh also shared that it will be an offence to create, provide and receive online accounts — such as SingPass verified ones — for criminal purposes.
Previously, it was only an offence to utilise such online accounts for criminal purposes.
Additionally, the ministry will also work with the Sentencing Advisory Panel to introduce sentencing guidelines for the misuse of SIM cards.
Goh explained: "These sentencing guidelines will provide a framework on the factors to be considered in sentencing, to ensure that the sentences meted out for egregious cases are sufficiently deterrent."
The Home Team Science and Technology Agency (HTX) will also be working in tandem with the SPF to develop a National Scams List to facilitate real-time exchange of information between the Government and partners such as banks.
Partners will gain access to information on bank accounts, phone lines, online accounts and even the identities of scam enablers, which may allow them to proactively uncover and suspend more potential scam accounts before they affect victims.
Information gained from this can also be shared with the police, in turn allowing further investigation and perhaps discovering even more scam enablers, Goh ventured.
Legislation on this will be introduced later this year that will enable and safeguard these data sharing arrangements.
The ministry will also be lowering the drink driving limit from 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath to 15 micrograms, bringing Singapore in line with Taiwan, Japan and South Korea, according to Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs Sim Ann.
Legislative amendments will be made later this year to effect the changes, she added.
MHA is also looking at tightening the demerit point system for driving offences.
While details were not yet available, SMS Sim shared that this may include reducing the number of demerit points that can be accumulated before suspension, or an increase in duration of suspension periods.
She commented: "We will not decide on this lightly, but it may be necessary in order to arrest the deteriorating situation, increase deterrence and keep dangerous motorists off the roads."
In enhancing road safety, SMS Sim also highlighted Vision Zero — an approach seen in Helsinki aimed at eliminating all traffic deaths and serious injuries.
Finland's capital achieved this goal between July 2024 and July 2025.
"There is no reason why we cannot aspire to zero road fatalities here in Singapore. But it requires collective recognition that our road culture needs to change."
According to the Annual Road Traffic Situation, traffic fatality has seen a rise of about 24 per cent between 2021 and 2025.
Between 2024 and 2025, traffic accidents resulting in fatalities rose by 5.8 per cent from 139 to 147.
Of these accidents, there were 149 deaths in 2025 compared with 142 deaths in 2024.
Traffic violations have also increased by around 38 per cent from 2021 to 2025.
SMS Sim also highlighted that the ministry is concerned with foreign-registered vehicles.
"Whether they are on our roads for economic reasons or for leisure, they have a significant collective presence on our roads, so there is also a need to strengthen deterrence and enforcement against violations by foreign-registered vehicles," she said.
Sim added that more details on measures will be announced in due course.
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khooyihang@asiaone.com
