Forum: New security measure for PayNow should start straight away

I refer to the report “PayNow to cease nickname option for users soon” (Sept 9). It is disappointing that this measure is due to be implemented only next year and not immediately.

Privacy is less important than not being the victim of a scam. Those who prefer to use a nickname when using payment systems should not use PayNow and stick to cash transactions.

Implementing the new measure is especially urgent after recent cases of fraudsters adopting the names of legitimate companies as their nicknames to dupe victims into transferring money via PayNow to their bank accounts.

The authorities should form a committee with all relevant partners, such as the police, banks, online businesses and government and other organisations like hospitals, to adopt best practices, and all members must abide by decisions made, with standardised guidelines issued. 

But scams are still on the rise despite initiatives by the Inter-Ministry Committee on Scams. 

Different banks have different steps to avoid scams. Some banks allow you to add a new payee after 12 hours, while others let you do this immediately. Login passwords vary with different banks: some are numerical, others alphanumerical.

Scam cases should be immediately channelled to the relevant officials. However, for some agencies, there are delays in the process. To learn one bank’s system is difficult enough, let alone many different systems. 

Public service advertisements on the dos and don’ts to avoid getting scammed are useful. But are the penalties meted out to scammers sufficient?

Earlier this year, households were encouraged to scan a QR code on a flier to redeem a free blood pressure device, but many did not do so as they thought it was a scam. People afraid of becoming victims of scams are wary of using smartphones and doing online activities, thus setting back Singapore’s Smart Nation transformation.

Lim Poh Seng