Committee of Supply – Head P (Ministry of Home Affairs)

Mr Sitoh Yih Pin, you can take your two cuts together.

Mr Chairman, I rise again this year to raise the pressing and worrying concern of scams in the community. Recent figures report that in 2024, the number of scams alone, increased by 10.6% to 51,501 cases from 2023. This means that more Singaporeans have fallen victim to various scams last year. Even more concerning is the report that the total amount of monies lost increased by 70.6% to at least $1.1 billion in 2024.

These are deeply worrying statistics. Breaking down the statistics on the top contact methods which scammers employees shows that messaging and social media platforms form the two largest group of contact methods favoured by scammers. Scammers using platforms such as WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook and Tik Tok account for more than half of all scams committed.

We know that our Home Team is making it a key priority and working hard to combat scams and cybercrime. This House has also passed various legislation to provide the Home Team with the necessary powers to address this issue.

On the other hand, however, as responsible corporate entities, we do not hear much of the efforts of the messaging and social platforms in utilising the information they have in the operations to support the fight against scams.

As such media platforms, leverage on their membership and user numbers to monetise revenue, it is only right for them to put, in a commensurate amount of effort in also protecting the interests of their members and users.

I would like to invite the Minister to share with this House, if this messaging and social media platforms, have been cooperative in combating scams and if the Ministry intends to further, regulate the platforms to ensure that they do even more to address such scams.

One of the reasons why scammers are successful is because law enforcement is also left chasing the tails of scammers. I say these because the scammers are adept and extremely quick in changing tactics or deploying a different method as soon as they realise that law enforcement or the public have caught on to their ruse.

There are also certain scam tactics that seemed to remain evergreen such as job scams, fake friend call scams or phishing scams. Yet even within these so-called established categories of scams, scammers evolve their own methodology very often.

Apart from law enforcement working harder, smarter and quicker with various stakeholders to catch perpetrators of scams or break up scams syndicates, I think their public education also plays an important role in preventing scams. Perhaps the most straightforward way to prevent scams is for an informed citizenry not to fall victim to scams.

I invite the Minister to update us on how the Ministry can better inform and educate the public on the evolving tactics of these scammers.

My Clementi resident got scammed, life savings gone. She faces bankruptcy and if so, she will lose her job.

The scammers used a local bank account. Someone in Singapore allowed their bank account to be used as a runner's bank account to take my resident's money, send it overseas beyond retrieval.

How many money mules or scam runners actually get caught? Look at the numbers. The runners have done their calculations and many are not deterred.

Last year, scam cases went up 10% year on year, but can MHA's Anti-Scam hotline and the Anti-Scam Command, can they hire 10% more officers every year indefinitely? A very serious problem calls for very serious measures.

Let us look at how the government has handled unlicensed moneylending. The Moneylenders Act states that if someone's bank account is used to facilitate unlicensed moneylending, they are deemed to have assisted the illegal business. Offenders can face jail, fine or even caning.

Today, if a loan shark runner handles $10,000 of cash, taken from a victim, they can be caned. But a scammer or scam runner, if they make off with $100,000 of someone's life savings, from a scam victim, they cannot be caned.

I have Clementi residents wondering, is Singapore too soft on scammers? Because given this discrepancy, we need to harmonise and send a clear message. I call upon the Minister for Home Affairs to allow caning as a punishment for scammers, especially the egregious cases. One possible model for the most egregious cases, mandatory caning. Let us say the runner knew it was organised crime, knew the bank account would be used to take people's money for scams and send it overseas. For intermediate cases, discretionary caning, depending on the facts of the case.

In short, Mr Chairman, we must send a clear message to scammers, the syndicates and those who abet them, if you mess with our people, make off with the life savings of Singaporeans, scams Singaporeans, we must do everything in our power to teach the scammers a lesson they would not forget.

Will the Minister send that message to the scammers and those who assist them in taking our residents' life savings?

Mr Derrick Goh, you can take your two cuts together.

Sir, Singapore is renowned for its physical safety and security. But as our society becomes increasingly digital, the challenge of scams grows ever more complex.

In 2024, we have made considerable progress against this stress. The operationalisation of the Online Criminal Harms Act has disrupted over 45,000 online criminal activities, while the roll-out of enhanced anti-malware features on banking apps have contributed to 85% reduction in malware -enabled scams.

Targeted enforcement efforts led by the Anti-Scam Command have led to the freezing of over 21,000 bank accounts and the recovery of more than $180 million in scam proceeds, along with campaigns like "Add, Check, Tell" which were started to empower Singaporeans to recognise and report scams.

Yet, despite these strides, scam cases increased by more than 10% to around 50,000 and overall losses surged by a staggering 70% to more than $1.1 billion as compared to 2023.

A particularly disturbing trend is the rise in scams involving "self-effected" transfers, which now account for over 80% of all scam reports. This underscores the adaptive nature of scammers, who not only exploit human vulnerabilities, such as desperation during job hunts or emotional appeals in fraudulent investments, but are also leveraging technologies like AI and deepfakes to further their illicit activities. As scammers evolve, so too must our strategies.

I seek clarity on several points. First, while significant measures have been implemented, including restricting movement of potential victims' monies with the recently passed Protection from Scams Bill, what additional proactive steps can be taken to stem the scourge of scams? Are there plans to strengthen interagency and inter-sector collaborations to pre-empt emerging scam tactics?

Considering the substantial financial losses incurred, what is MHA's assessment of our effectiveness in recovering scam proceeds and how can efforts be further improved?

Third, as scammers exploit advanced technologies such as AI to deploy more convincing fraudulent schemes, what new approaches or legislative frameworks will be introduced to counter these developments? How can our existing technological tools, like the Scam Analytics and Tactical Intervention System, be improved to disrupt emerging scam enablers, including fraudulent mobile numbers and payment channels?

Lastly, how may public education efforts be more targeted to focus on high-loss scam types?

Chairman, fire safety is critical to safeguarding lives and property. While the overall number of fires rose by 2% to almost 2,000 cases in 2024, a worrying trend is the 22% increase in fires involving active mobility devices (AMDs).

These statistics highlight the growing risks associated with AMDs, particularly as they become more prevalent in our daily lives. Over the course of 2024, I assisted several of my residents in Nee Soon Link who suffered injuries and whose flat suffered damages due to fires.

I commend the efforts of the Singapore Civil Defence Force and the Land Transport Authority in assisting these areas. The refreshed campaign underscores the importance of raising awareness about safe charging practices and the proper use of batteries. However, given the rising number of AMD fires, I feel more can be done to mitigate these risks.

Therefore, my questions are: how can MHA further enhance public education efforts to ensure these safety messages reach more users effectively? Are there plans to tighten regulations on the sale and use of non-compliant or non-original AMD batteries, which are key contributors to the risk? How can enforcement and inspection measures at retail points and online marketplaces be strengthened to deter the sale of unsafe devices and components?

Fire prevention begins with awareness and action. We must continue to educate and regulate effectively to keep our homes and communities safe.

Sir, I declare my interest as a chairman of the National Healthcare Group's Mental Health Board as well as advisor to the Healthcare Services Employees Union. I am speaking up on behalf of all healthcare workers, whether nursing or non-nursing, who are having to care for and handle patients with mental health conditions.

I am aware that the Ministry of Health has worked out a tripartite advisory on harassment of healthcare workers. However, this feedback is gathered in my engagements with healthcare workers and management at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) as they have daily face-to-face time with both physical and non-physical contact with patients with behavioural issues.

There have been numerous cases where nurses, staff and even fellow patients had been injured due to sudden and sporadic display of violent and disorderly behaviour of a small proportion of patients. These are clearly recorded cases and sometimes, unarmed private security or even the auxiliary police officers themselves could not act on them and have to call in the police.

I therefore ask for MHA to review the existing legislation, both the main statues and subsidiary legislation such as the Penal Code, Prevention of Harassment Act as well as the Destitute Persons Act, and explore working with IMH to eradicate or if not, minimise the occurrence of such incidents, which affects workplace health and safety of patients, healthcare staff and outsourced workers.

Minister of State Faishal Ibrahim.