⚖️ The authorities have decided: if technology doesn’t scare criminals — let the rattan cane do the job. Singapore has officially toughened penalties for cyber fraud. Now, guilty men under 50 may face not only prison and hefty fines but also corporal punishment — caning from 6 to 24 strokes. The law has already passed Parliament and will take effect in the coming months.
A Billion-Dollar Crime
Singapore, one of the world’s most high-tech and safe nations, has been hit by an epidemic of digital scams. Since 2020, residents have lost about $2.9 billion, with nearly a quarter of that in the last year alone.
Investment scams, fake bank calls, phishing sites, romance frauds — all of these have formed a shadow industry. In the first half of 2025, nearly 20,000 cases of cyber fraud were reported, costing victims over $350 million.
A New (Old) Way to Fight Crime
Authorities decided to revive a time-tested method — caning. If crimes are digital, the punishment should still be physical.
Fraudsters and accomplices will now be caned with thin rattan rods — from 6 to 24 strokes, depending on the severity of the offense. Recruiters will receive at least six strokes, while large-scale scheme organizers may face the maximum.
Money launderers may get up to 12 strokes. Women and men over 50 are exempt from corporal punishment but not from imprisonment or fines.
How It Works
Before the procedure, convicts undergo a medical examination. Flexible rattan or bamboo rods, 60–120 cm long and 4–13 mm thick, are used — not symbolic but quite real tools of punishment.
The process is strictly regulated and monitored by prison doctors. The aim is not mutilation but a “corrective effect.”
Why Such Measures
According to The Straits Times, fraud now accounts for about 60% of all crimes in Singapore. Neither cameras, nor AI systems have curbed the surge of phishing and fake accounts.
Police can now freeze potential victims’ bank accounts to prevent money transfers to scammers.
Banks are also allowed to block suspicious transactions and share data with authorities in real time.
A United Front
The measures are aimed not only at hackers but also at the entire infrastructure that supports them. The following will be subject to punishment:
- holders of bank accounts used to move stolen money;
- SIM-card owners enabling anonymous calls;
- recruiters who find new “assistants” via Telegram and WhatsApp.
Context: From Global Issue to National Pain
The problem isn’t unique. Over the past three years, global losses from cyber fraud have exceeded $12 trillion, with AI-related crimes up 42% in 2024 alone.
However, Singapore is the first country to literally bring physical punishment back to the digital battlefield.
💬 The Bottom Line
Singapore — a country where chewing gum can get you fined and vandalism earns you caning — now applies the same logic to “next-generation” cybercriminals.
The irony? The world’s most high-tech state is once again relying on the oldest tool of justice — the stick.
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