'Not the time to go soft': Shanmugam signals new laws to ensure deterrent sentences for scam mules
Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam signalled new laws to ensure deterrent sentences for all scam mules, the Straits Times reported on 6 October. CNA quoted him asking the House to spare a thought for elderly victims when considering sentences for young scam offenders. Details of the new laws have not been published.
Scams cost Singaporeans hundreds of millions of dollars a year, and mules are the link that lets the money move.
Lending, selling or renting your bank account or Singpass is a crime, and the penalties are set to rise.
Strong sentences deter people from becoming mules in the first place.
Many mules are young or vulnerable people who were deceived; harsh minimum sentences may punish them more than the organisers.
Watch the bill when it is tabled: whether it sets mandatory minimums, and whether it leaves judges discretion for people who were themselves tricked.
DailyDrop Singapore edition No. 2 · Morning · TUE., OCT. 6, 2026