Protection from Scams Act 2025

Sections (11)

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• § 1 — Short title and commencement

  1. This Act is the Protection from Scams Act 2025 and comes into operation on a date that the Minister appoints by notification in the Gazette.

• § 10 — Amendment of Schedule

  10. The Minister may, by order in the Gazette, amend the Schedule.

• § 11 — Regulations

  11.—(1) The Minister may make regulations —(a) to prescribe anything that is required or permitted to be prescribed by this Act; and (b) generally for the purposes of this Act. (2) Without limiting subsection (1), regulations may provide for —(a) the person or persons (each called in this subsecti

• § 2 — 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 sta

• § 3 — Meaning and scope of restriction orders

  3. A restriction order is an order issued by a specified officer to one or more banks in relation to a scam victim —(a) directing the bank or each of the banks not to do any of the following at any time when the restriction order is in force: (i) allow a transfer or withdrawal of money from any bank

• § 4 — Issue of restriction orders

  4.—(1) A specified officer may, on receipt of any information, issue a restriction order to one or more banks if —(a) the specified officer has reason to believe that a scam victim will —(i) instruct the bank or any of the banks to transfer any money from a bank account to a scammer (whether directl

• § 5 — Duration, cancellation, variation and extension of restriction order

  5.—(1) Subject to this section, a restriction order is in force for 30 days or any shorter period that may be specified in the order.(2) A specified officer may, at any time a restriction order is in force, cancel the order. (3) The cancellation of a restriction order does not affect the operation

• § 6 — Offence of contravening restriction order and composition of offence

  6.—(1) Any bank which contravenes a restriction order without reasonable excuse shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $3,000. (2) A specified officer may compound an offence under subsection (1) by collecting from a bank which is reasonably suspected

• § 7 — Appeals against restriction orders, etc.

  7.—(1) Any of the following persons may appeal to the Commissioner against any decision of a specified officer under this Act in relation to a restriction order:(a) a scam victim in relation to whom the restriction order is issued; (b) any joint account holder of a bank account of a scam victim mai

• § 8 — Designation of appropriate officers to hear appeals

  8.—(1) The Commissioner may designate an appropriate officer to hear and determine, in the Commissioner’s place, any appeals or a specific appeal under section 7. (2) Upon a designation under subsection (1), any reference in section 7 to the Commissioner includes a reference to the appropriate offic

• § 9 — Immunity for complying with restriction orders

  9.—(1) No criminal or civil liability is to be incurred by —(a) a bank; or (b) an officer, employee or agent of a bank, for anything done or omitted to be done with reasonable care and in good faith in complying with any restriction order or in the execution or purported execution of any duty unde