What is cheating?
“Cheating” is defined in section 415 of the Penal Code 1871 (“PC”). In essence, a person cheats if he or she deceives another person and thereby either (i) fraudulently or dishonestly induces that person to hand over property, or (ii) intentionally induces that person to do, or not to do, something that causes or is likely to cause that person harm. The main offences are:
- Cheating (section 417 of the PC). This is the basic offence. It covers any cheating, whether or not property was handed over.
- Cheating and thereby dishonestly inducing the delivery of property (section 420(1) of the PC). This is the more serious offence, charged where the victim was induced to hand over property, or to make, alter or destroy a valuable security (e.g., a cheque, or another document that creates, transfers or releases a legal right). Commercial frauds and scams are commonly charged under this section.
- Cheating by remote communication (section 420(2) of the PC). This offence, in force from 30 December 2025, applies where the cheating that induced the delivery of property was carried out by remote communication, which under section 416B of the PC means that the deception was conducted mainly through the Internet, a telephone or other communication device, or other electronic means. It carries mandatory caning (see below).
Where the accused committed many incidents of the same offence, the Prosecution may combine them into a single “amalgamated charge” (section 124(4) of the Criminal Procedure Code 2010 (“CPC”)), for which the court may impose up to twice the punishment available for a single incident (see our page on amalgamated charges).
Cheating is often charged together with the offences of “forgery for the purpose of cheating” (section 468 of the PC) or “using as genuine a forged document or forged electronic record” (section 471 of the PC), and with money laundering of the proceeds (see our page on money laundering offences for an explanation of money laundering under Singapore law). In addition to cheating, members of scam syndicates may also be charged with being members of an organised criminal group (section 5 of the Organised Crime Act 2015 (“OCA”)).
What is the maximum punishment?
| Offence | Section | Maximum punishment for an individual |
|---|---|---|
| Cheating | PC s 417 | Imprisonment up to 3 years, a fine, or both. |
| Cheating and thereby dishonestly inducing the delivery of property (or the making, altering or destroying of a valuable security) | PC s 420(1) | Imprisonment up to 10 years, and a fine may be added. Imprisonment is mandatory. For offences from 30 Dec 2025, caning may also be ordered. |
| Cheating by remote communication and thereby inducing the delivery of property | PC s 420(2) (offences from 30 Dec 2025) | Imprisonment up to 10 years and caning of not less than 6 strokes. Imprisonment is mandatory, and a fine may be added. |
| Many incidents of the same offence combined in one amalgamated charge | CPC s 124(4), punishable under s 124(8)(a) | Up to twice the punishment available for a single incident. |
| Being a member of an organised criminal group linked to Singapore | OCA s 5 | Fine up to $100,000, imprisonment up to 5 years, or both; for offences from 30 Dec 2025, a member who knows it is a scam group is also liable to mandatory caning of not less than 6 strokes. |
What are the recent changes to the law?
Higher maximum punishment for section 420 (from 1 February 2008)
The maximum term of imprisonment under section 420 of the PC was raised from seven to ten years by the Penal Code (Amendment) Act 2007, with effect from 1 February 2008.
Wider definition of cheating (Criminal Law Reform Act 2019)
The present wording of section 415 of the PC was introduced with effect from 1 January 2020. It makes clear that the deception need not have been the sole or main reason why the victim acted. It also contains explanatory notes dealing with companies and automated systems (see our page on what must be proved for cheating).
Caning, and cheating by remote communication (offences from 30 December 2025)
Before 30 December 2025, section 420 of the PC provided only for imprisonment of up to ten years, with liability to a fine. With effect from that date, an amending Act (Act 21 of 2025) made two changes:
- a person convicted under section 420(1) of the PC became liable to caning, at the court’s discretion; and
- the offence of cheating by remote communication was created in section 420(2) of the PC, which carries mandatory caning of at least six strokes.
As at the date of this article, there has not been any reported decision under section 420(2).