Singapore police can now freeze bank accounts to protect scam victims

Restriction orders target individuals at risk of being scammed.

Singapore police now have the power to block scam-related financial transactions, as the Protection from Scams Act 2025 comes into force today, 1 July 2025, the Ministry of Home Affairs announced.

The Protection from Scams Act 2025 grants the Police new powers to swiftly intervene in scam cases by issuing restriction orders (ROs) to banks to limit access to certain banking and credit facilities.

Under the Act, Police officers will be empowered to direct banks to temporarily restrict financial transactions by individuals suspected of being at immediate risk of falling prey to scams.

The ROs may be issued if there is reasonable belief that the individual is about to transfer funds to scammers, withdraw cash for the purpose of giving it to scammers, or take out loans with the intent of benefitting a scammer.

ROs are issued only as a last resort, after other attempts to convince the person have failed.

Once issued, a RO will restrict money transfers (online, mobile, over-the-counter), ATM withdrawals, and all credit facilities (such as credit cards and personal loans).

ROs will be sent by default to Singapore’s seven major retail banks, namely DBS, OCBC, UOB, Citibank, HSBC, Maybank, and Standard Chartered. ROs can also be issued to other banks if those accounts are involved.

Individuals under a RO can still access money for essential expenses like food and bills. They must apply to the Police, who will review each request.

Each RO lasts up to 30 days and can be extended up to five times, for a total of 180 days.

The RO can be lifted earlier if the Police find the person is no longer at risk.

Anyone subject to a RO, or a joint account holder, can appeal to the Commissioner of Police. The RO will stay active during the appeal. The Commissioner’s decision is final.
Details of the appeal process are in the Protection from Scams Regulations 2025.

A NOTE FROM SINGAPORE BUSINESS REVIEW

The people you want to reach are already in this room.

Every quarter, SBR lands on the desks of the founders, CFOs, and directors running Asia's most consequential companies. Every day, they open our newsletter and read our website. It's a room that took twenty years to build — and it's the one most of our partners are trying to get into.

The good news is that the door is open. We work with companies on thought leadership articles, sponsored content, industry summits across Southeast Asia, regional awards programmes, podcasts, and media placements in print and digital. The shape of the right partnership depends on what you're trying to do, which is why we'd rather start with a conversation than send a rate card.

If you have something this room should know about, tell us. We'll tell you honestly whether we can help, and how.

No rate cards until we understand the brief. It's a better use of everyone's time.

Book a meeting

| Or download the media kit (PDF)

240,000 senior readers quarterly in print Top 1,700 Singapore companies reached

7 markets across Southeast Asia