SINGAPORE, Nov 25 — The Singapore Police Force has directed technology giants Apple and Google to implement safeguards aimed at curbing government impersonation scams on their messaging platforms.
As reported by CNA, under the Online Criminal Harms Act, the companies are required by Sunday to suppress the display of the “gov.sg” sender ID by unauthorised accounts and ensure that phone numbers take precedence over profile names for unknown contacts.
Singapore’s Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), in a press statement, explained that these measures would help users better identify and be cautious of unknown senders.
While legitimate government agencies use the “gov.sg” sender ID for standard SMS communications to support authentication, the ministry clarified that this identifier is not used for iMessage or Google Messages.
This distinction has created a loophole for fraudsters, with authorities recording more than 120 cases involving the impersonation of SingPost on these platforms.
Highlighting the urgency of the situation, the MHA noted: “The police have already seen scams involving the impersonation of other SSIR-registered SMS sender IDs on iMessage and Google Messages.”
“There is therefore a need to put in place measures to deter the abuse of iMessage and Google Messages by scammers.”
According to CNA, the regulatory action follows a significant surge in fraudulent activities, with police data showing that government official impersonation scams nearly tripled in the first half of 2025.
Reports rose by 199.2 per cent to 1,762 cases, compared with 589 during the same period the previous year, with victims losing approximately S$126.5 million.
Both Apple and Google have indicated they will comply with the directives.
The ministry also advised users to ensure their software is updated to benefit from the new protocols.
Service providers that fail to comply with the directives without reasonable excuse face fines of up to S$1 million, with further financial penalties for continuing offences.