Apple and Google have been instructed to restrict the use of names that mimic Singapore government agencies on their messaging platforms to safeguard the public from rising impersonation scams. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) announced on 25 November that the companies must meet these requirements by 30 November.
Under the order, iMessage and Google Messages must prevent accounts and group chats from using names that spoof the “gov.sg” sender ID or other official agencies. If this cannot be done, the companies must filter out messages sent under such names. The directive also requires the platforms to ensure that profile names of unknown senders are either hidden or displayed less prominently than their phone numbers, helping users more easily identify unfamiliar contacts.
Singapore’s public agencies have used the “gov.sg” sender ID since July 2024 to make legitimate government messages more recognisable. However, this identifier does not apply to messages sent through iMessage or Google Messages. According to the ministry, this gap allows scammers using these platforms to mislead the public, as spoofed messages are not easily distinguishable from legitimate ones.
Authorities also noted that offenders have impersonated other registered sender IDs. The police recorded more than 120 scam cases involving criminals impersonating SingPost, highlighting the need for stronger protection against the abuse of these messaging services.
Implementation under the new criminal harm legislation
MHA confirmed that “Apple and Google have indicated that they will comply with the Implementation Directives”. The order was issued on 24 November under the Online Criminal Harms Act, which took effect in February 2024.
The law gives the Government the power to issue directives and orders to reduce Singapore users’ exposure to criminal activity on online platforms. As part of similar efforts, Meta was instructed in September to introduce measures on Facebook to tackle scam advertisements, profiles, accounts, and business pages impersonating key government office holders.
MHA also encouraged the public to update their iMessage and Google Messages apps regularly to ensure they benefit from the latest anti-spoofing protections.
Rise in impersonation scams and industry response
Government official impersonation scams have risen sharply in Singapore. Police figures released in August showed that victims lost US$126.5 million in the first half of 2025, almost double the US$67.2 million recorded in the same period in 2024. The number of such cases also increased significantly, with 1,762 incidents reported between January and June 2025, compared with 589 in the previous year.
A Google spokesperson told The Straits Times that the company supports Singapore’s efforts to strengthen online safety. “To that end, we are collaborating with the Government to implement pre-emptive measures to help prevent the spoofing of government agencies’ names in RCS messages sent via Google Messages,” the spokesperson said. They added that these new measures build on existing features such as spam detection.
RCS, available on platforms like Google Messages, enables users to exchange high-resolution images and communicate via secure, end-to-end-encrypted chats.
