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SINGAPORE – New laws will be introduced soon to ensure deterrent sentences for those who facilitate scams regardless of age, following a recent High Court ruling that gave young scam mules probation and community sentences.
The legislation will make clear that the court’s ruling in that case is not to be repeated, said Senior Minister K. Shanmugam, noting that while scammers are ultimately responsible, the crime was made possible because of the young scam mules who gave up their bank or Singpass accounts for money.
He told the House that the cost of scams has been devastating, especially for elderly victims who lost their life savings.
Responding to questions about young people and scams on Oct 6, Shanmugam, who is also the Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs, said many young mules know they are doing something wrong.
He said: “Many of the young people that we pick up and investigate know precisely what they were doing… They knew that they shouldn’t be doing it, but they were tempted by the $800, $1,000 that they were offered.”
In a ruling by the High Court on Sept 10, a three-judge panel consisting of Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon, Justice Ang Cheng Hock and Justice Hoo Sheau Peng allowed appeals by several young scam mules.
They included a 20-year-old who was 18 when he was offered $800 for a bank account, which was then used to open another bank account.
A 66-year-old victim was scammed into transferring almost $200,000 into this second account.
The High Court later sentenced the youth to probation because it considered rehabilitation to be the primary sentencing consideration for young offenders.
Probation not appropriate
But this rationale contradicts the approach of the sentencing guidelines, which say probation and community sentences are generally not appropriate, said Shanmugam.
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