{
  "id": 12351612,
  "title": "Young scam mules should not be treated more leniently: Shanmugam highlights probation instead of 'more deterrent' sentence given by 3 judges",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/06/young-scam-mules-should-not-be-treated-more-leniently-shanmugam",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-06T10:14:39.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Mothership",
    "slug": "mothership",
    "url": "https://mothership.sg/2026/10/deterrence-young-scam-offenders/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Senior Minister K Shanmugam emphasized that young individuals involved in scam-related activities should not be treated more leniently than others, despite their age. Speaking in Parliament, Shanmugam highlighted that scams are the most common crime in Singapore, with thousands of young people investigated in 2025. He noted that over 5,000 elderly people were scam victims in the same year, with losses totaling approximately S$200 million. While acknowledging that young offenders may benefit from greater rehabilitation consideration, Shanmugam stressed that deterrence must remain the primary sentencing principle for scam-related offences. This is due to the need to prevent others from falling victim to scams and losing their life savings. The government has decided that deterrence and prevention should carry more weight in scam-related cases. Shanmugam noted that while an offender's age may be relevant, they must still be held accountable for their actions. He cited the case of an 18-year-old who was sentenced to probation for facilitating a scam involving a 66-year-old victim who lost nearly S$200,000. The High Court's decision to grant probation instead of reformative training contradicted the government's sentencing guidelines, which recommend imprisonment or reformative training for scam-related offenses. However, Shanmugam stated that the court's decision was made without considering the broader policy perspectives and data on scams and scammers. The government plans to introduce legislation to address the issue, including the possibility of implementing caning as a penalty for scam offenses in late 2025.",
  "summary": "\"This is certainly not the time to go soft.\"",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Channel News Asia",
        "title": "Singapore to table law reinforcing deterrent sentences for scam offenders, including youths: Shanmugam",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/06/singapore-to-table-law-reinforcing-deterrent-sentences-for-scam",
        "published": "2026-10-06T04:26:33.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}