Singapore will consider caning as punishment for serious scam-related offences as it steps up enforcement action following record losses.
Residents in the city state lost at least S$1.1 billion (US$821 million) to scams in 2024, a 70 per cent increase from the year before, figures from the Singapore Police Force showed.
“We will consider … caning to be prescribed for certain scam-related offences, recognising the serious harm they can cause,” Minister of State for Home Affairs Sun Xueling said during a parliamentary debate on Tuesday.
Sun was responding to Member of Parliament Tan Wu Meng’s question on whether caning should be legislated for serious scam-related offences.
Tan had earlier called for mandatory caning for scammers in serious cases, according to local media outlet CNA.
“We must send a clear message to scammers, the syndicates and those who abet them: If you mess with our people, make off with the life savings of Singaporeans, scam Singaporeans, we must do everything in our power to teach the scammers a lesson they won’t forget,” he said.
Sun also noted on Tuesday that jail terms had been imposed for offences which facilitated scams, following the recent introduction of new guidelines by a sentencing advisory panel, with one case going as high as 19 months.
