Scammers in Singapore face caning under strict new law

Singapore has moved to toughen its stance on online fraud, approving changes to the law that will allow caning for convicted scammers, alongside prison terms and fines.

The measure reflects the scale of the country’s scam problem, which has grown sharply over the past few years.

Since 2020, scam victims in Singapore have reported losses totaling around S$3.8 billion (US$2.9 billion). Last year alone, losses reached a record S$1.1 billion, Bloomberg reports.

In just the first half of 2025, nearly 20,000 cases were logged, with losses hitting S$456 million. Scams now make up about 60% of all reported crime in the city-state.

Part of the surge has been tied to large scam networks operating from Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos.

The United Nations has warned that these groups use trafficked labour to run mass fraud operations targeting victims across continents.

Authorities say money mules, individuals who provide bank accounts or SIM cards to scammers, may also face up to 12 strokes. The Sun noted that the penalty resembles those used for major crimes such as robbery, drug trafficking, and certain sexual offenses.

Singapore is not the only country intensifying its response, as per the Bloomberg report. China has used large-scale monitoring tools to intercept scam calls and messages, conducting millions of in-person warnings to potential victims.

Meanwhile, international attention has focused on Chen Zhi, a Cambodia-based businessman linked to major scam operations. US authorities recently seized assets ($15 billion in bitcoin) and unsealed charges related to his network.

Singapore already uses digital filters, bank transaction monitoring and police account-freeze powers to slow fraud. Whether corporal punishment will deter overseas syndicates remains unclear. But the government intends to make scams far more costly for those involved.