On November 8, 2025, Singapore’s Parliament approved an amendment to the criminal code that mandates caning for individuals convicted of online fraud.

The measure allows offenders, including members of scam syndicates and facilitators, to receive between six and 24 strokes of the cane based on the gravity of the offense.

Authorities said the move responds to a sharp increase in scam-related crimes, with more than 51,000 cases reported between 2020 and mid-2025, causing losses of about 28 billion baht.

A demonstration image showed a mock-up of a scammer being caned, underscoring the government’s resolve to combat online fraud.

The punishment will apply to convicted scammers and money mules who help facilitate fraudulent activities by providing SIM cards or bank accounts.

Those assisting scam operations could receive up to 12 strokes, officials said.

Caning in Singapore had previously been reserved for serious offenses such as rape, drug trafficking, and illegal moneylending.

Under the new law, it now extends to male fraud offenders under the age of 50.

Officials said the legislation aims to curb the 60 percent of total crime attributed to scams, which have cost the country an estimated US$2.8 billion (around 900 billion baht).

It also targets the growing network of cross-border fraud operations in the region.

Sim Ann, Singapore’s Senior Minister of State in the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Home Affairs, said the country had lost over US$2.8 billion from about 190,000 scam cases between 2020 and mid-2025.

Fraud-related crimes surged by 70 percent in 2024 alone, she added.

“Offenders who commit scams, defined as cheating mainly by means of remote communication, will be punished with at least six strokes of the cane,” Sim Ann said.

Singapore has also expanded preventive measures, including the Scam Shield app launched in 2020 to help users verify suspicious calls, messages, and websites.

Former prime minister Lee Hsien Loong previously told local media he was once scammed when an item he ordered online failed to arrive, illustrating how the problem affects all levels of society.