Singapore has given Meta, the parent company of Facebook, a deadline of September 30 to implement measures to combat scammers impersonating government officials on the platform. The Ministry of Home Affairs issued a directive to Meta, requiring the company to target and remove scam advertisements, accounts, and profiles that masquerade as key government office holders. Failure to comply with the directive may result in a fine of up to Sg$1.0 million (US$776,000), with an additional daily fine of up to Sg$100,000 if the offense continues after conviction.

The move comes after a significant rise in scams on Facebook, where fraudsters have been using fake advertisements, accounts, and profiles to impersonate government officials, including the Prime Minister. According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, the number of scams involving government impersonation increased by 200 percent in the first half of 2025, with losses amounting to Sg$126 million. In one notable example, scammers used deepfakes of Prime Minister Lawrence Wong to promote fraudulent cryptocurrency investment schemes.

Meta has taken steps to address the issue of impersonation scams globally, including in Singapore. However, the authorities remain concerned that the problem persists, prompting the police to order the online platform to take action under the Online Criminal Harms Act passed last year. This is the first time the police have used the Act to require an online platform to tackle the rising scam problem in the city-state.

The Singapore government’s move highlights the growing concern about online scams and the need for social media companies to take responsibility for combating them. With the deadline looming, Meta will need to demonstrate its commitment to tackling the issue and protecting its users from scams. The outcome of this directive may set a precedent for other countries to take similar action against online platforms that fail to address the problem of scams and impersonation.