SINGAPORE, March 10 – In a decisive move to tackle the rising tide of online scams, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is intensifying its initiatives to enhance digital security.
Starting soon, all advertisers and selected e-commerce sellers will be required to undergo a rigorous identity verification process, ensuring their identities are cross-checked against official government records. This measure aims to protect consumers from fraudulent activities that have proliferated in the digital marketplace.
The new requirements stem from the E-Commerce Code of the Online Criminal Harms Act (OCHA), which seeks to create a safer online environment. For the past six months, popular digital platforms like Carousell and Meta’s Facebook Marketplace have been piloting these identity verification measures, assessing their effectiveness in preventing scams.
As the initiative rolls out, it is expected to bolster trust among users, making online transactions more secure. The MHA’s proactive approach underscores its commitment to safeguarding citizens in an increasingly digital world, where anonymity can often shield malicious actors. With these changes, the hope is to foster a safer e-commerce landscape for everyone.
After a thorough evaluation during the initial trial period, the government has announced a significant decision regarding online marketplaces. Carousell, a popular platform for buying and selling items, will have its assessment period extended until June 2025. This extension aims to provide more time for comprehensive evaluations and improvements.
In contrast, Facebook Marketplace will adopt a different approach. Instead of verifying all users, the platform will focus on selectively verifying certain sellers. This strategy is designed to streamline the verification process while maintaining a level of trust among users.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued a statement highlighting the critical need for verification in today’s digital marketplace. They emphasised that the industry must move away from practices that prioritise money worship, extravagance, and excessive speculation.
The MHA believes that robust verification measures are essential in combating fraudulent activities, ensuring a safer environment for buyers and sellers alike. As the digital landscape continues to evolve, these steps are crucial in fostering a more secure and trustworthy marketplace for all users.
In a landscape where digital transactions have become the norm, Facebook Marketplace recently celebrated a significant victory: a remarkable 55 per cent decrease in e-commerce scams. This encouraging trend, however, came with a caveat. While one avenue of deceit appeared to be waning, another was quietly on the rise. Scams originating from Facebook Advertisements surged by 12per cent, casting a shadow over the overall progress. In response to this troubling development, Meta announced its commitment to implement mandatory identity verification for all advertisers by the end of June 2025. Recognising the urgent need for enhanced safety measures, authorities have joined forces with Meta to establish verification protocols for Facebook Pages as well. Unfortunately, these pages have become hotbeds for fraudulent activities, prompting swift action to curb the tide of deception.
The ministry responsible for overseeing these initiatives has adopted an outcome-driven strategy. This means that if the number of scams fails to show a substantial decline, it may resort to more stringent measures. Such measures could include making verification compulsory for all sellers and advertisers on the platform—a decisive step aimed at safeguarding consumers.
Currently, payment protection systems are in place designed to ensure secure transactions. These mechanisms would require sellers to verify deliveries before payments are processed; however, they remain optional for now. Platforms like Meta’s primary focus is on rolling out improved verification processes, aiming to bolster trust among users.
The stakes are high in this ongoing battle against scams, particularly in Singapore, where victims suffered staggering losses. In 2023 alone, scam victims reported losing S$651.8 million, a figure that soared to an unprecedented S$1.1 billion in the previous year. As the digital marketplace continues to evolve, the collaboration between tech giants and regulatory bodies is crucial in protecting consumers and fostering a safer online environment.
Secure browsing
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