Singapore cracks down on scammers with caning and harsher penalties amid surge in fraud losses.

Singapore has enacted new laws imposing caning—six to 24 strokes—for scammers, syndicate members, recruiters, and money mules, with up to 12 strokes for those aiding fraud, amid a surge in scams that caused S$1.1 billion in losses in 2024 and accounted for 60% of all reported crimes. The measures, part of broader reforms, include harsher penalties for online obscenity, AI-generated child pornography, doxxing, and financial crimes, alongside efforts to improve law enforcement efficiency, international cooperation, and victim support.