SINGAPORE - Some DBS/POSB customers reported difficulties accessing the digital services of Singapore’s biggest bank for more than two hours on May 2.
From about 5.40pm, several users had faced issues logging in to their bank accounts online and on their apps, and using PayLah!.
The Downdetector website, which tracks service disruptions, recorded a total of more than 2,200 reports from users who had issues with DBS and POSB’s services at about 6.10pm.
DBS Bank, in a statement on Facebook at 6.54pm, acknowledged that customers were experiencing issues with DBS/POSB digibank Online and Mobile, and DBS PayLah!.
It said: “We have identified the issue and have activated measures to recover the services.
“You can continue to use your DBS/POSB credit or debit cards to make payment. Alternatively, to find the ATM nearest to you, please visit go.dbs.com/sg-locator.”
The bank assured customers that their money and deposits remained safe.
Disgruntled customers took to social media to air how they had been affected by the disruption.
Facebook user Jess Thia said she could not pay for her meal during the peak period for dinner, while another user Jimmy Tang quipped that “we are supposed to go cashless... not be cashless and unable to pay”.
In an update at 9.10pm, DBS said its services were progressively restored between 7.37pm and 8.03pm.
However, checks by The Straits Times at about 9.25pm found that some users were notified that high-risk transactions could not be made as several services remained unavailable.
The service disruption comes two days after the Monetary Authority of Singapore said it will not extend a six-month restriction on DBS’ non-essential banking activities.
The restriction had been imposed in response to disruptions of the bank’s services in 2023.
The bank, however, must continue to set aside additional regulatory capital, a penalty imposed in May 2023 for the service disruptions.
On April 30, DBS said it has been implementing a comprehensive technology resiliency road map to deliver a higher degree of service availability to customers since May 2023.
Several areas, including the strengthening of the bank’s systems architecture, remain a “work in progress”, the bank said then.
