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Singapore Passes Law Mandating Caning for Scammers, Extending Penalty to Facilitators

Officials cite S$3.88 billion in losses since 2020, with scams now making up about 60% of reported crime.

Overview

  • The Criminal Law (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill passed on Nov. 4 introduces 6 to 24 strokes for scammers, with facilitators facing discretionary caning of up to 12 strokes.
  • Those covered include syndicate members, recruiters and money mules who supply bank accounts, SIM cards or Singpass credentials.
  • Courts can impose at most 24 strokes in a single trial under the revised framework.
  • Police data show roughly 190,000 scam cases since 2020 and at least S$187.1 million lost in July–September 2025, bringing total losses to about S$3.88 billion.
  • The package also tightens laws on sexual offences, doxxing of public servants and AI-generated intimate images, updates youth sentencing, and continues enforcement cooperation between police, the central bank and major retail banks.