Ex-policewoman’s new beat: Helping DBS protect customers from scams

It takes scammers just a press of a button to steal a lifetime of savings, but it can take Ms Justina Pang hours to prevent it from happening. As a specialist in DBS’ anti-scam team, she spends her days carefully unravelling elaborate ruses, one suspicious transaction at a time.

Recently, the former policewoman spent over 30 minutes convincing a customer that her “boyfriend” was actually a scammer trying to steal her money.

“It’s not easy to draw customers out of love scams, especially those who have been in it for months,” she says. “It’s not just finances but emotions being involved.”

Despite the customer’s insistence to approve the transaction, Ms Pang kept “poking holes” in her story and asking her about the rationale for the transfer.

“Slowly, she began to realise what she was saying didn’t make sense,” she adds. “When you finally witness someone’s ‘light bulb moment’, the work feels rewarding because it means you’ve successfully prevented one more scam victim.”

Such victories against scammers are all in a day’s work for DBS Bank’s dedicated anti-scam team, which was established in 2020. As one of 18 specialists who monitor suspicious transactions round-the-clock, Justina and her colleagues face an enormous challenge:

More than $385.6 million has already been lost in 26,587 reported cases in the first half of 2024.

Ms Pang’s work is crucial in preventing scams and protecting customers from fraud.

When their systems detect potentially fraudulent activity, Justina springs into action, immediately contacting customers to verify the transaction.

“Some are forthcoming, but others might lie – either out of fear or because scammers instructed them to. It requires listening closely, asking the right questions, and using our experience to piece together the situation,” she explains.

From police force to bank’s scam prevention team

Ms Pang’s path was influenced by her grandfather, who served as a police officer in the 1950s. His stories of service and sacrifice left an indelible mark on her childhood.

“Protecting people in that capacity is a big responsibility,” she says. “I wanted to see if I could rise to that challenge and make a difference, like my grandfather.”

That led her to join the Singapore Police Force in 2017, where she spent almost five years as an investigations officer, including a stint in the Special Victims Unit, handling sensitive cases involving society’s most vulnerable.

In 2022, Ms Pang put down her badge to join the bank.

“In my roles in the force, I was often called to the scene after a crime had occurred,” she says. “I wanted a chance to proactively protect people before they became victims.”

The DBS anti-scam team battles an ever-shifting array of tech-enabled frauds, from fake marketplace deals to employment scams and impersonation of government officials.

“We educate the public on the latest trends. But then, in the next week, two new trends may start appearing,” she adds. “It’s like a cat-and-mouse game.”

Criminals are now turning to artificial intelligence (AI)-generated voices to impersonate family members, creating convincing phishing websites that mirror legitimate banks, and deploying malware through seemingly innocent QR codes.

Scam prevention through technology and expertise

While DBS has AI-powered fraud monitoring systems, Ms Pang believes that not everything can be automated.

“Every case is different. You need someone to make the judgment call for 50-50 situations,” she adds.

Since she calls clients over the phone, she can’t assess their non-verbal cues. Instead, she relies heavily on experience and “gut feeling” to assess if someone is being scammed.

“The more customers I spoke with, the more patterns I could recognise. Based on the transactions and conversations, you can usually tell if someone’s a victim,” she adds.

These exchanges help Ms Pang find deep meaning in her work. She’s particularly motivated when helping elderly customers, knowing that a single scam could wipe out their entire life savings in a few clicks.

“Once their life savings are gone, you don’t know what state they might end up in. They could become deeply depressed or even consider ending their life,” she says.

“By preventing the scam, you’re not just saving their money—you’re also potentially preventing so much more than just monetary loss.”

Visit

DBS Bank’s anti-scam hub