Would caning scammers, money mules reduce the number of scam cases?

Experts say it may be a strong deterrent, but more is needed to reduce allure of the crime

- Christine Tan

A woman was distraught after she lost not just her life savings, but also her father's to a malware scam.

This was one of the scam victims Jurong GRC MP Tan Wu Meng saw among the rising number of Clementi residents seeking help after falling prey to scams in recent years.

Some victims even approached him in coffee shops, asking why, if loan shark runners could be caned, the same could not be done to scammers.

This prompted Dr Tan to suggest that caning be considered for scam-related offences, during the debate on the Ministry of Home Affairs' (MHA) budget on March 3.

Scam victims in Singapore lost $1.1 billion in 2024, a record high in a single year. In total, victims in Singapore have lost more than $3.4 billion to scams since 2019.

And these were only from reported cases, so the amount lost over the years would be much higher.

The distressing stories Dr Tan heard led him to address the issue in Parliament.

He had said: "If they 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."

Minister of State for Home Affairs Sun Xueling told Parliament on March 4 that MHA recognised the serious harm scams can cause and would consider Dr Tan's suggestion.

When asked why the ministry was considering caning, a spokeswoman told ST: "Scams can cause serious or even irreparable harm to victims, and offenders should face stiff penalties."

MHA did not state which scam-related offences it was considering caning for, but in her speech, Ms Sun said stiff and deterrent sentences were needed for people who facilitated scams.

They include money mules who provide their Singpass and bank accounts to launder scam proceeds.