Singapore has introduced caning as a penalty for scammers, marking one of the country’s strongest measures yet in response to a surge in online fraud cases.
The Criminal Law (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill, approved by Parliament on Tuesday, introduces corporal punishment of between six and 24 strokes for convicted scammers, members of syndicates and individuals involved in recruiting others into scam operations.
The penalties will vary based on the severity of the offence and are aimed at reinforcing deterrence amid a sharp rise in scam-related crimes.
Individuals who facilitate scams by providing SIM cards, bank accounts or other forms of operational support could also receive caning under the new law.
Authorities say scams have become Singapore’s most widespread crime, with more than 51,000 cases reported in 2024 alone, leading to losses of at least US$840 million.
This figure represents a 70 per cent jump from the previous year and is part of a longer trend that has seen over S$4 billion lost to scams since 2020.
Police data shows that at least S$187.1 million was lost between July and September 2025, bringing total reported losses from 2020 to September 2025 to at least S$3.88 billion.
During the Bill’s second reading, Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs Sim Ann said scams account for about 60 per cent of all reported crimes in Singapore.
Between 2020 and the first half of 2025, some 190,000 scam cases were recorded, with losses estimated at S$3.7 billion.
“These are staggering numbers... The losses are more than three and a half times the cost of building Woodlands Health Campus,” she told Parliament.
The government argues that the introduction of caning is necessary to strengthen deterrence, particularly against organised syndicates that prey on vulnerable citizens.
Caning is already imposed in Singapore for a range of offences, including robbery and certain sexual and violent crimes.
It is applicable only to male offenders below the age of 50, in line with existing regulations on corporal punishment.
The idea of caning scammers was first raised in March by then Jurong GRC MP Tan Wu Meng, who cited a case in which a resident lost her entire life savings to fraudsters.
Dr Tan questioned whether Singapore’s penalties for such crimes were sufficiently tough.
After reviewing the proposal, the Ministry of Home Affairs adopted the recommendation, Sim said.
Apart from targeting scam-related crimes, the amendments introduce discretionary caning for other types of cheating, including traditional fraud.
They also include changes affecting punishment for youth offenders, provisions relating to doxing of public servants, and adjustments to sentencing for various sexual offences.
Sim noted that while caning is being expanded to cover scam offences, a broader review revealed the need to recalibrate corporal punishment across the Penal Code.
Singapore currently has 96 offences that attract discretionary caning and 65 that mandate it.
She said the government determined that some of these offences do not involve direct or significant harm to individuals or the public, and that existing penalties remain sufficient.
The government maintains that the new measures reflect a firm stance against an evolving and increasingly sophisticated scam landscape—one that continues to inflict heavy financial and emotional harm on victims across the country.
