Young scam mules should not be treated more leniently: Shanmugam highlights probation instead of 'more deterrent' sentence given by 3 judges

Greater weight should be given to deterrence when sentencing young offenders involved in scam-related offences, rather than treating rehabilitation as the primary consideration because of their age, said K Shanmugam, who is Senior Minister, Minister for Home Affairs and Coordinating Minister for National Security. 

Speaking in Parliament on Oct. 6, 2026, Shanmugam said scams are now the most prevalent crime type in Singapore, with more than 1,000 young people investigated in connection with scam reports in 2025.

He noted that while young offenders may warrant greater consideration for rehabilitation, he said this must be balanced against the impact of scams on victims, particularly elderly victims.

More than 5,000 elderly people were victims of scams in 2025, with losses from these cases amounting to about S$200 million, he said.

Most important principal is deterrence: Shanmugam

Shanmugam said deterrence was the most important sentencing principle for scam-related offences.

"There are two aspects to this," he said. "First, to deter the person from doing it again, and second, to deter everyone else from doing it, then fewer people will lose their life savings."

He acknowledged that young people generally deserve greater emphasis on rehabilitation, but said the government had made a deliberate policy decision that deterrence and prevention should carry greater weight in scam-related cases.

"This is because rehabilitation of the individual offender has to be balanced against the need to deter others from facilitating scams and thereby prevent many more people from becoming victims," he explained.

Shanmugam noted that current sentencing guidelines recommend imprisonment or reformative training for offenders convicted of scam-related offences, including those below 21, except those dealt with in the youth courts.

Though the progressive implementation of measures over the past three years have seen a decline in scam losses, scammers have continued to adapt and find ways around existing measures.

"So this is certainly not the time to go soft," Shanmugam said.

Young offenders still have to be held responsible

Shanmugam added that while an offender’s age remained relevant, individuals had to be held responsible, particularly when they understood that their actions were wrong.

He cited the case of an 18-year-old who was offered S$800 to open and hand over a bank account.

Another account was subsequently opened using the details, and a 66-year-old scam victim transferred almost S$200,000 into it.

The High Court had ultimately decided that probation was an appropriate sentence for the teenager.

The ruling was made by Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon, Justice Ang Cheng Hock and Justice Hoo Sheau Peng, who had allowed four young offenders successful appeals, and ordered probation instead of the original reformative training.

Quoting the decision, Shanmugam said that this was because, among other reasons, that "the primary sentencing consideration for young offenders will generally or presumptively be rehabilitation".

But he continued: "This rationale by the High Court contradicts the approach set out in their sentencing advisory guidelines."

"It is understandable for the court... looking at the individual young offenders in front of them, to feel sympathy for those individuals, and be inclined to impose rehabilitative sentences on youth offenders," he said.

"However, the court did not have before it the policy perspectives that I've just laid out, nor the data on the scale of the problem of scams and scammers, the huge amount of losses through scams, and the full human cost of such scams, but the government has to consider the wider consequences."

For one, if Singapore is lenient towards scammers and those who facilitate scams, many more will fall victim, including senior citizens who may lose their entire life savings, the senior minister said.

If young offenders are treated more leniently simply because of their age, scam syndicates could also have greater incentive to recruit young people as money mules.

"We cannot and will not allow this to happen," he emphasised.

Shanmugam said the government respected the court’s views but would give effect to the policy position he had outlined.

"[...] We will table legislation in Parliament soon," he continued.

Caning introduced for scam offences in late 2025

In November 2025, the government introduced caning for scammers and scam mules as a penalty under the Criminal Law (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill.

People convicted of committing scams can be sentenced to at least six strokes of the cane.

Members of and recruiters for organised criminal groups can also face at least six strokes if they knew the group was a scam syndicate.

To deny scammers the tools that enable them to carry out and profit from scams, money mules who facilitate scams can also face discretionary caning.