Protection from Scams Bill

Bill No. 43/2024

Read the first time on 11 November 2024.

An Act to protect persons from scams conducted remotely by empowering specified officers to issue restriction orders to banks in Singapore prohibiting certain bank transactions and the grant and use of credit facilities temporarily.

Be it enacted by the President with the advice and consent of the Parliament of Singapore, as follows:

PART 1

PRELIMINARY

Short title and commencement

1. This Act is the Protection from Scams Act 2024 and comes into operation on a date that the Minister appoints by notification in the Gazette.

Interpretation

2. In this Act —

“bank” means a bank in Singapore within the meaning given by section 2(1) of the Banking Act 1970;

“bank account”, in relation to a scam victim, means an account with a bank —

(a)	with moneys standing to the credit of, and held in the name of, the scam victim; or
(b)	with moneys standing to the credit of, and held in the names of, 2 or more persons, at least one of whom is the scam victim;

“Commissioner” means the Commissioner of Police appointed under section 6(1) of the Police Force Act 2004;

“communication device” means a machine, device or thing designed or capable of being used for —

(a)	sending or receiving oral or written messages, voice calls or video calls;
(b)	sending or receiving electronic documents;
(c)	sending or receiving still or moving images;
(d)	sending or receiving audio or video files; or
(e)	providing access to the Internet,

using any technology (including remote communication technology), and includes a mobile phone, wireless handheld device (such as a tablet computer) and wearable device (such as a smart watch);

“credit facility” means —

(a)	an advance, a loan or other facility that is granted by a bank to a customer who is an individual, and that gives the customer access to any funds or financial guarantee provided by the bank; or
(b)	any other liability that is incurred by a bank on behalf of a customer who is an individual;

“remote communication” means communication through —

(a)	the Internet;
(b)	telephone or any other communication device;
(c)	television or radio; or
(d)	any other kind of electronic or other technology for facilitating communication,

but excludes any specific system or method of communication that the Minister, by order in the Gazette, declares is not to be treated as remote communication for the purposes of this Act;

“restriction order” has the meaning given by section 3;

“scam offence” means any offence specified in the Schedule;

“scam victim” means an individual against whom a scam offence is committed or intended to be committed;

“scammer” means any person whom a specified officer has reason to believe —

(a)	has committed, participated in or facilitated the commission of, or taken any step preparatory to, or in furtherance of, the commission of, any scam offence against a scam victim, whether in Singapore or elsewhere; and
(b)	has interacted with the scam victim substantially via remote communication for the purposes of the activity or step mentioned in paragraph (a);

“specified officer” means a police officer within the meaning given by section 2(1) of the Police Force Act 2004 or a Commercial Affairs Officer appointed under section 64(1) of that Act.

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