Scammers, syndicate members face mandatory caning under amended law passed by Singapore's parliament
Singapore's parliament has passed legislation that will see scammers, syndicate members and recruiters punished with up to 24 strokes of the cane.
A scammer working behind a computer with a phone in his hand. (File photo: iStock/Calvin Chan)
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SINGAPORE: In a move aimed at deterring "the most prevalent crime type" in the nation, parliament passed amendments to Singapore's criminal law on Tuesday (Nov 4) that will see scammers subjected to mandatory caning.
Under the Criminal Law (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill, scammers and those who recruit for or participate in scam syndicates will be punished with between six and 24 strokes of the cane.
Mules who facilitate scams will also face discretionary caning of up to 12 strokes.
This toughening of caning penalties is in addition to penalties already applying to scam offences.
WHAT THE BILL IS ABOUT
The legislation distinguishes between different levels of involvement in scam operations.
Those who provide tools such as SIM cards, Singpass credentials and payment accounts to scammers will face caning under two circumstances: if they intended or knew that the tool would be used for scams, or if the tools were used in a scam without their knowledge but they failed to take reasonable steps to prevent misuse.
During her speech for the Bill's second reading on Tuesday, Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs and Foreign Affairs Sim Ann told the House that genuine victims who have been deceived into providing a scam tool would not be penalised.
"The existing offences do not penalise genuine victims in the first place," she said, adding that the government will continue monitoring the situation and further increase penalties if necessary.
Separate to the measures on scam offences, the use of caning for other offences will be recalibrated, with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) removing caning entirely in some cases or leaving it to the courts to decide on whether to impose this form of punishment.
Currently, 96 offences carry discretionary caning and 65 have mandatory caning.
"For avoidance of doubt, more serious cases should still result in caning, even as we make these amendments to change mandatory caning to discretionary caning," Ms Sim said.
Beyond caning, the amendments introduce stiffer penalties for large-scale circulation of sexual images or videos; enhance protection for minors and vulnerable victims; and criminalise the doxxing of public servants. Doxxing is the public circulation of private details of a person without their consent.
Scammers and syndicate members will face mandatory caning in Singapore under an amended law passed on Tuesday (Nov 4). Speaking in parliament, Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs and Foreign Affairs Sim Ann said that the legislation distinguishes between different levels of involvement and genuine victims who have been deceived into providing a scam tool would not be penalised. The amendments also introduce tougher penalties for large-scale circulation of obscene material, harsher sentences for the fatal abuse of vulnerable victims, and criminalise the doxxing of public servants.
WHY IT MATTERS
Ms Sim referred to scams as "the most prevalent crime type" in Singapore today.
Between 2020 and the first half of 2025, about 190,000 scam cases were reported, with losses amounting to about S$3.7 billion (US$2.8 million).
Scams constitute 60 per cent of all reported crimes, she said, and likened the amount lost to more than three-and-a-half times the cost of building Woodlands Health Campus.
The issue has taken on increased urgency following recent headlines about a Cambodia-based scam syndicate that targets Singapore victims in government official impersonation scams.
Twenty-seven Singaporeans and seven Malaysians are wanted by the police for alleged links to the syndicate, which is believed to be responsible for losses of at least S$41 million.
MP CONCERNS
Several MPs argued for even tougher penalties for scams. Mr Xie Yao Quan (PAP-Jurong Central) called for the penalties for such offences to be increased and aligned with drug offences. "If drugs destroy lives, scams destroy life savings," he said.
Ms Sim responded that while scammers do rely heavily on scam mules to carry out their ploys, MHA has to be "calibrated" in its approach because "in reality, scam mules have a range of culpability".
"Therefore, we have proposed for caning to be discretionary, to allow the courts to decide if the facts of the case warrant the application of caning," she said.
Mr Fadli Fawzi (WP-Aljunied GRC) asked if leniency could be shown for mules who step forward as informants, to which Ms Sim explained that an offender’s cooperation with the authorities and degree of remorse are already mitigating factors considered by the courts.
While Mr Cai Yinzhou (PAP-Bishan GRC) noted that scam mules are often from vulnerable backgrounds and incentivised to commit crime because of financial hardship, Ms Sim said there are already many government measures to uplift and support those in financial need.
"MHA’s view on this matter, therefore, is that financial hardship cannot be used as a justification to facilitate or commit scams, or any crime for that matter," she said.
Ms Lee Hui Ying (PAP-Nee Soon GRC) questioned whether the age limit for caning should be raised from 50 to 60 years old, given longer healthy lifespans and an ageing society.
Ms Sim said the government does not intend to change the limit, noting that men above 50 at the time of arrest for serious offences requiring caning represent a significantly smaller number than those 50 and younger. An additional jail term of up to 12 months can be imposed in lieu of caning, she added.
Why was it assessed that caning will be effective to reduce scam activity, and were alternatives such as longer jail terms and heavier fines considered? MP Sylvia Lim asked this question in parliament on Tuesday (Nov 4). She said that while Singapore may be at the stage where it has to “pull out all the stops” to curb scams, caning is a violent punishment. In that light, she welcomed the reduction in use of caning for other offences and called on the government to continue to review if caning is warranted for offences as social conditions change over time. Ms Lim also had questions on the effectiveness of regional cooperation to ensure scammers can be nabbed and punished, as well as on enhancements to the offence of doxxing public servants.
PROTECTING PUBLIC SERVANTS FROM DOXXING
The legislative amendments also introduce a new criminal offence of doxxing a public servant when accompanied with a false statement about the public servant that the offender knows or has reason to believe is false.
On the move to protect public servants from being doxxed in the line of duty, Dr Wan Rizal (PAP-Jalan Besar GRC) asked if offenders could escape liability by claiming that a falsehood perpetuated was disguised in humour or sarcasm.
"The courts apply an objective standard in determining what constitutes a false statement of fact, and will not take such claims at face value," said Ms Sim.
The new offence is also aimed at protecting public servants and targets false statements relating to individuals, while the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) focuses on the likely impact of statements on "key public interests such as Singapore security, public health, safety, tranquility or finances or public confidence in our institutions", she said in response to Dr Wan Rizal’s question on the difference between the two.
Ms Sylvia Lim (WP-Aljunied GRC) asked if the new offence would extend to politicians, such as ministers and MPs.
"Political office holders are covered as they are part of the executive. MPs are currently not covered, but MHA is separately reviewing this," said Ms Sim, adding that harassment of MPs is still covered under the Protection from Harassment Act or other offences such as criminal intimidation and criminal defamation.
