---
title: "Singapore cracks down on scammers with mandatory caning as fraud cases surge"
type: "News"
locale: "en"
url: "https://longbridge.com/en/news/270303117.md"
description: "Singapore will implement mandatory caning for scammers from December 30 to combat rising fraud cases. The new law, passed by parliament, includes up to 24 strokes of the cane for scammers and discretionary caning for those aiding in scam-related activities. This measure aims to strengthen penalties alongside imprisonment and fines. Fighting scams is a national priority, with scams constituting 60% of reported crimes from 2020 to mid-2025, causing losses of nearly 3.7 billion SGD. Caning, a colonial-era punishment, is also used in Malaysia and Brunei."
datetime: "2025-12-19T12:10:38.000Z"
locales:
  - [zh-CN](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/270303117.md)
  - [en](https://longbridge.com/en/news/270303117.md)
  - [zh-HK](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/270303117.md)
---

> Supported Languages: [简体中文](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/270303117.md) | [繁體中文](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/270303117.md)


# Singapore cracks down on scammers with mandatory caning as fraud cases surge

Singapore’s government said on Friday that scammers will face mandatory caning of up to 24 strokes from December 30, under changes to criminal law to deter surging fraud cases.\\nThe changes, passed by parliament last month, strengthen penalties that already include imprisonment and fines. The Home Affairs Ministry said the enhanced punishment “ensure that our criminal laws remain effective, fair, and responsive to emerging challenges”.\\nUnder the changes, scammers, including recruiters and members of scam syndicates, face six to 24 strokes of the cane.\\nThose who knowingly provide their bank account or other personal details to be used to commit or facilitate the laundering of scam proceeds could also face discretionary caning of up to 12 strokes, authorities said.\\nThe new laws also allow for discretionary caning for other forms of fraud.\\nFighting scams is a top national priority. The number of scam cases and scam losses remain concerning\\nHome Affairs Ministry statement\\n“Fighting scams is a top national priority. The number of scam cases and scam losses remain concerning,” it said.\\nSenior Minister of State for Home Affairs and Foreign Affairs Sim Ann has told parliament that scams made up 60 per cent of all reported crime in Singapore between 2020 and the first half of 2025.\\nAbout 190,000 scam cases caused losses of nearly 3.7 billion Singapore dollars (US$2.8 billion) during that period, she said.\\n\\n\\nAccording to the Singapore Government Technology Agency’s website, the top five scams in the city state involve phishing, fraudulent jobs, e-commerce and online shopping, as well as get-rich-quick investment scams and impersonations.\\nJudicial caning, a form of corporal punishment involving a rattan cane on bare buttocks, is already applied in the city state for male offenders under 50 for serious crimes like robbery and sexual offences, alongside prison time.\\nCaning was introduced during British colonial times and is also used in neighbouring Malaysia and Brunei.\\n

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