Visa Unveils 2026 Singapore Security Roadmap to Combat AI-Powered Fraud

Visa has unveiled its Singapore Security Roadmap 2026 and Beyond, a strategic framework designed to protect the nation’s digital economy from increasingly sophisticated AI-driven fraud. For fintech professionals, this represents a critical update to security standards, emphasizing tokenisation and advanced authentication as the primary defenses against the growing threat of authorized payment scams.

What was announced

The Singapore Security Roadmap 2026 and Beyond is a comprehensive strategy aimed at strengthening the resilience of the digital payments ecosystem. It identifies six strategic priorities: strengthening cybersecurity to anticipate emerging threats, advancing authentication for secure digital experiences, enabling safer transactions through tokenisation, transforming eCommerce checkout experiences, leveraging foundational standards and risk programs, and building a resilient ecosystem to combat fraud in the AI era.

The roadmap addresses a significant shift in the criminal landscape, where fraudsters are increasingly using AI, automation, and social engineering to move from traditional unauthorized fraud toward authorized payment scams. According to a Visa-commissioned study, while nearly 70 percent of Singapore residents trust digital payments, 42 percent have encountered scams, and 8 percent have lost money to them. To counter this, Visa is deploying over 150 AI and machine learning models globally to identify fraud and optimize authentication.

Key technical components of the roadmap include the adoption of passkeys and biometric authentication, alongside the expansion of scam prevention solutions across both card and account-to-account (A2A) payment environments. By focusing on tokenisation, the strategy aims to reduce the exposure of sensitive payment credentials during transactions. Visa has committed to working with a broad spectrum of industry participants, including regulators, financial institutions, merchants, and fintechs, to improve fraud intelligence sharing and accelerate the adoption of these secure technologies through 2026.

"Trust underpins every digital payment experience and maintaining the confidence for consumers and businesses is critical as Singapore's digital economy continues to grow. As AI transforms commerce and creates new opportunities, it also raises the stakes in the fight against fraud and scams. Since launching our Singapore Security Roadmap in 2019, we have worked closely with industry partners to advance capabilities such as risk-based authentication and tokenisation, helping make payments safer and more seamless. This updated roadmap reflects the evolving threat landscape and reinforces our commitment to investing in the technology, intelligence and partnerships needed to stay ahead of emerging risks. By working together across the ecosystem, we can enable innovation, strengthen resilience, and ensure consumers and businesses continue to participate in the digital economy with confidence,"

Adeline Kim, Group Country Manager for Regional Southeast Asia & SVP, Global Clients, Asia Pacific, Visa.

The companies involved

Visa (NYSE: V) is a global leader in digital payments, facilitating transactions between consumers, merchants, financial institutions, and government entities across more than 200 countries and territories. The company operates one of the world’s most innovative and secure payments networks, with a mission to connect the world and enable economies to thrive through inclusive access to money movement. FF News has reported on Visa’s activities 671 times, tracking its extensive influence on global payment standards and its frequent collaborations with fintech innovators.

The Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA) is an organization dedicated to protecting consumers worldwide from the growing threat of scams. By fostering collective action, innovation, and intelligence sharing between the public and private sectors, GASA aims to build a more resilient digital environment. Brian D. Hanley serves as the APAC Director for GASA, leading the organization’s efforts to coordinate anti-fraud initiatives across the Asia-Pacific region. The alliance’s support for the new roadmap underscores the necessity of cross-industry cooperation in tackling the global scam epidemic.

What FF News has reported before

FF News has closely followed Visa’s efforts to modernize payment security and authentication. We recently reported that Handwave Expands Visa Agreement to Accelerate Palm-Based Biometric Payments Across Europe, a move that aligns with the biometric authentication goals outlined in the new Singapore roadmap. Our coverage of the evolving merchant landscape also includes reports on how Finsei Launches Integrated Card Acquiring to Simplify Merchant Payment Ecosystems, highlighting the drive toward more streamlined and secure transaction environments. Furthermore, we have tracked the growth of alternative payment methods in our report on how Bill.me Boosts On-Time Payments 17% via Ecommpay Open Banking Integration, which reflects the broader digital economy expansion that Visa’s security initiatives seek to protect.

What this means

The industry is currently navigating a dangerous transition as fraudsters pivot from technical hacks to sophisticated social engineering. Visa’s focus on "authorized payment scams" is a direct acknowledgement that traditional perimeter defenses are no longer enough when consumers are being manipulated into sending money themselves. By extending security solutions into the account-to-account (A2A) space, Visa is also making a defensive move to ensure its security standards remain relevant as real-time payment rails gain traction. This roadmap places significant pressure on smaller fintech players to match Visa’s AI-driven fraud detection capabilities or risk becoming the "weakest link" in an increasingly interconnected and scrutinized Singaporean ecosystem.