MDDI's Response to PQ on Implementation of Nationwide Caller Identification Protocol for Government-initiated Calls to Combat Phone and Government Official Impersonation Scams

Parliament Sitting on 7 July 2026

Question for Written Answer

42. Mr Shawn Loh asked the Minister for Digital Development and Information whether the Ministry has considered implementing a nationwide caller identification or authentication protocol, similar to STIR/SHAKEN (Secure Telephone Identity Revisited/ Signature-based Handling of Asserted information using toKENs) in North America, to provide the public with verified caller ID for calls from the Government and legitimate businesses with frequent high-risk interactions, such as banks, thereby reducing the number of phone scams.

43. Mr Shawn Loh asked the Minister for Digital Development and Information given the prevalence of Government Official Impersonation Scams (GOIS), whether the Ministry is considering a protocol for all Government-initiated calls to begin with a process for the call recipient to verify the officer's identity, thereby reducing GOIS and increasing public awareness to seek verification even for non-Government calls.

Answer

The Government takes the threat of Government Officials Impersonation Scams (GOIS) seriously and is committed to combating calls that undermine public trust in Government communications. As previously shared at the Committee of Supply (COS) 2026, the Government is developing systems for all Government agencies to make calls with numbers that start with a common prefix. The Singapore Police Force (SPF) will be piloting this initiative later this year.

We are also working towards the tagging of Government calls with a recognisable caller name and adopting authentication protocols that reference international standards such as STIR or SHAKEN. Together, these measures are intended to help the public identify genuine calls from Government agencies. More details will be shared when ready.

Public education remains a critical pillar of our anti-scam efforts. Even as the Government continues to strengthen such safeguards, we must all remain vigilant and take active steps to protect ourselves. The Government has issued advisories to remind the public that government officials will never ask them to transfer money, disclose bank log-in details over a phone call or install mobile applications from unofficial app stores.