Starting 30 December 2024, strict new amendments to Singapore’s criminal law will introduce mandatory caning for scammers and their associates. This move reflects the government’s commitment to combat rising scam incidents and deter these crimes effectively.
Mandatory Caning for Scammers
According to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), scammers—including those who recruit or are part of scam syndicates—will face at least six strokes of the cane, with a maximum if 24 strokes. As MHA noted, “Fighting scams is a top national priority” due to the alarming rise in both the number of scam cases and the financial losses they cause.
Discretionary Caning for Mules
In addition to scammers, individuals acting as mules—those who facilitate scams by laundering funds or providing SIM cards and Singpass credentials—may incur discretionary caning of up to 12 strokes. This penalty will be considered if they knowingly enabled the commission of a scam through their actions.
Alarming Statistics
- From 2020 to the first half of 2025, approximately 190,000 scam cases were reported in Singapore.
- The financial losses from scams totalled around S$3.7 billion (approximately US$2.8 million), making scams account for nearly 60% of all crimes committed during this period.
- Even though the number of scam cases dropped by 12.6% in the first half of 2025 compared to the previous year, the situation still requires urgent attention.
Looking Ahead
As part of ongoing efforts to address the issues posed by scams, the MHA affirmed it will keep reviewing the effectiveness of these penalties. Also noteworthy is that amendments to the Children and Young Persons Act (CYPA) will allow cases involving youth offenders aged 16 to under 18 to be heard in youth courts starting the same day, indicating a holistic approach to justice.
With these new laws, Singapore aims to strengthen deterrents against a crime that has quickly become one of the most prevalent in the nation.