The Big Story: Will tougher rules make it harder for scammers to reach Singaporeans?

Scammers are getting smarter and Singapore is putting social media platforms on the hook. From 2027, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok will have to verify advertisers, block ads from unlicensed financial services firms and remove suspected scam advertisements. The rules come after the three platforms accounted for around 30% of all scam cases in Singapore in 2025. New safeguards will also apply to messaging platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram, making it harder for unknown contacts to reach users. So will these measures actually make it harder for scammers to target Singaporeans and where are the gaps? On The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong speaks with Benjamin Ang, Head of the Centre of Excellence for National Security at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), to find out more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.