Singapore has passed a major new law introducing mandatory judicial caning for individuals convicted of running or aiding scam syndicates. The legislation, known as the Criminal Law (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill 2025, was approved by Parliament on 4 November 2025 and aims to crack down on the country’s soaring losses from online and remote-communication scams.
Under the new rules, those found guilty of orchestrating or facilitating structured scams will face a minimum of six strokes of the cane, with penalties increasing to a maximum of 24 strokes depending on the severity of the offence. Recruiters, mules and accomplices who provide bank accounts, SIM cards, or “Singpass” credentials will face up to 12 strokes at the court’s discretion.
Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs Sim Ann told Parliament that scams represent the single largest crime category in Singapore, making up around 60 % of all reported offences. From 2020 to mid-2025, authorities logged approximately 190,000 scam cases with cumulative losses of about S$3.7 billion (US$2.8 billion).
The purpose of the new law is to introduce stronger deterrence and signal that high-level scam operations will face the same kinds of corporal consequences as other serious offences. Experts say it marks a major shift in Singapore’s approach to punishing economic and cyber-related fraud.
While caning has long been part of Singapore’s judicial system for crimes like rape, kidnapping, gang violence and drug trafficking, extending it to offenders of financial and cyber-crimes represents a notable expansion. Legal commentators note that mandating caning for scammers recognises the “‘moral betrayal’” these crimes represent, preying on victims’ life savings, often via impersonal means.
Government officials emphasise that the new measures are just one component of a multi-pronged strategy. Other efforts include enhanced cross-border cooperation to disrupt syndicates, increased regulation of digital financial tools and education campaigns to shield vulnerable people from being recruited as mules.
Critics, however, question whether caning will yield the desired decline in scam activity. Some watchdogs argue that the root causes, such as globalised criminal networks, anonymity enabled by digital tools and financial incentives, require structural fixes rather than simply harsher punishment.
Regardless of the debate, the law is now in force and will shape Singapore’s crime-policy landscape going forward. For Ghana, where online scams and digital fraud are also growing, the move offers a case study in how one jurisdiction is responding with non-traditional sentencing options.
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