Singapore has approved a new law that will see scammers physically caned as the government battles a surge in financial fraud.
The legislation, passed in Parliament on Tuesday, comes amid a staggering rise in scams that have cost victims roughly $2.9 billion since 2020, including a record $1.1 billion million last year alone.
Police say the situation is worsening fast, with almost 20,000 cases reported in just the first half of this year and losses exceeding $465 million.
Under the new rules, anyone caught running or recruiting for a scam syndicate will receive a mandatory caning of at least six strokes, and possibly as many as 24
Those acting as “money mules” or otherwise assisting scammers could also be caned, up to 12 strokes, at the discretion of the courts.
Singapore Passes Law Allowing Caning for Scammers, Money Mules After Victims Lose Nearly $4B Since 2020
Singapore plans to introduce a punishment of at least six strokes of the cane for online scammers, a minister told parliament on Tuesday, as the country intensifies its… pic.twitter.com/n9qdgDIUu2
— Instablog9ja (@instablog9ja) November 6, 2025
Authorities say the harsh penalties are designed to send a clear message that Singapore will not tolerate those preying on its citizens through deceit and digital crime.
“Scams are by far the most prevalent crime type in Singapore today,” Sim Ann, senior minister of state for home affairs, said during the session. “They make up 60% of all reported crimes.”
Watch the clip below:
Singapore will introduce mandatory caning for scammers, said Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs Sim Ann. Offenders will be punished with at least 6 strokes of the cane. pic.twitter.com/VDtBZSP0si
— Apex World News (@apexworldnews) November 4, 2025
Singapore already employs caning as punishment for crimes like vandalism, robbery, and serious sexual assaults—but extending it to financial scams marks a sharp escalation in its war on fraud.
The city-state, known as Southeast Asia’s financial nerve centre, has also tightened controls across the system, cutting off access to banking and telecom services for anyone suspected of involvement in scam operations.
BREAKING:
Singapore is introducing “caning” as mandatory sentence for scammers.
Soon some of your favorite accounts pretending to be American will be exposed. pic.twitter.com/kVADfdfLQU
— LiberalTearCreator
(@LibTearCreator1) November 5, 2025
Singapore’s modern success stems from the authoritarian policies established under its founding prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew.
After gaining independence in 1965, Lee built a centralized state that emphasized economic planning, social discipline, and zero tolerance for corruption.
Over the following decades, these measures transformed Singapore into one of the world’s wealthiest and most stable economies, with per capita income rising from among the lowest in Asia to among the highest globally.
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