Singapore to punish scammers with up to 24 strokes of the cane from Dec 30

Tourists takes picture with the skyline of Singapore, Monday, Nov. 6, 2023. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Singapore’s government said Friday that scammers will face mandatory caning of up to 24 strokes from Dec. 30, under changes to criminal law to deter surging fraud cases.

The changes, passed by Parliament last month, strengthen penalties that already include imprisonment and fines. The Home Affairs Ministry said the enhanced punishment “ensure that our criminal laws remain effective, fair, and responsive to emerging challenges.”

Under the changes, scammers, including recruiters and members of scam syndicates, face six to 24 strokes of the cane. Those who knowingly provide their bank account or other personal details to be used to commit or facilitate the laundering of scam proceeds could also face discretionary caning of up to 12 strokes, authorities said. The new laws also allow for discretionary caning for other forms of fraud.

“Fighting scams is a top national priority. The number of scam cases and scam losses remain concerning,” it said.

Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs and Foreign Affairs Sim Ann has told parliament that scams made up 60% of all reported crime in Singapore between 2020 and the first half of 2025. About 190,000 scam cases caused losses of nearly 3.7 billion Singapore dollars ($2.8 billion) during that period, she said.

According to the Singapore Government Technology Agency’s website, the top five scams in the city-state involve phishing, fraudulent jobs, e-commerce and online shopping, as well as get-rich investment scams and impersonations.

Judicial caning, a form of corporal punishment involving a rattan cane on bare buttocks, is already applied in the city-state for male offenders under 50 for serious crimes like robbery and sexual offenses, alongside prison time. Caning was introduced during British colonial times and is also used in neighboring Malaysia and Brunei.