Singapore’s parliament has passed a law allowing the police to control the bank accounts of individuals who are suspected to be the targets of scams, after the number of cases surged in the city-state.
The Protection from Scams Bill passed Jan 7 gives the police powers to issue restriction orders to banks, which will then limit the banking transactions of people’s accounts. The bill, which was proposed last year, was originally aimed at protecting potential victims from scams conducted remotely, such as via phone calls or online platforms. It has been broadened to cover other kinds of cheating cases involving physical interactions.
