The Gen XY Lifestyle
DBS/POSB and DBS Foundation: A Community Shield Against Scams
In the face of rising digital scams, DBS/POSB and DBS Foundation are stepping up their game to protect the community. They are doubling down on efforts, and also equipping more people with the know-how and tools to stay safe online.
A national push against scams
This intensified effort is part of a national push to combat scams and fraud, amid the persistence of such cases in Singapore. It builds on the bank’s ongoing anti-scam efforts – a multi-layered approach comprising self-managed security controls, education, fraud surveillance, authentication, assistance and recovery.
To date, over a million customers have used the bank’s self-managed security controls to bolster their defence against scams, and the bank aims to double this number over the next 12 months.
In today’s dynamic scam environment, digital literacy and anti-scam education go hand in hand. To protect our customers against scams, we want to empower them with the skills and knowledge needed to navigate the digital landscape safely and confidently. This includes keeping them informed of the latest scam developments and equipping them with a robust suite of security tools to protect themselves.
Mr Han Kwee Juan, Acting Chief Information Officer and Singapore Country Head, DBS
Equipping the public with the know-how to stay on top of scams
As part of efforts to ramp up awareness and readiness against scams, DBS Foundation partnered the CSA to co-launch a new anti-scam quiz in September 2023. This was specially designed to assess and enhance the community’s scam quotient, especially seniors, by testing their understanding of phishing and other types of online scams, and arming them with tips to protect themselves.
82 percent of the 3,200 participants who took the quiz shared that they felt more confident about banking digitally afterwards.
DBS Foundation aims to widen access to this quiz to some 30,000 people over the next year. This will be done by integrating the quiz into the curriculum for all digital literacy workshops under the DBS Foundation X Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) partnership, and engagements with seniors at all SG Digital Office (SDO) outlets island-wide. DBS Foundation also plans to avail the quiz at DBS/POSB branches and via its network of community partners and social service agencies, such as Lions Befrienders.
Dialling up public education and outreach efforts
DBS Foundation’s strategic collaboration with the IMDA – which was inked with the collective aim of driving digital inclusion in Singapore, as part of the national Digital for Life (DfL) movement – serves as a key touchpoint to drive anti-scam education in the community.
The partnership recently hit its one-year milestone, and has exceeded the halfway mark of its target of reaching 100,000 beneficiaries. With the support of some 700 DBS/POSB employee volunteers, over 400 digital literacy workshops have been conducted as of January 2024, benefitting more than 60,000 people.
The digital literacy workshops are aligned with the Digital Skills for Life framework, introduced by IMDA in January 2024, which is a set of five baseline digital competencies to equip all Singaporeans to carry out daily tasks online.
A safer online space for all
With scams affecting everyone, not just seniors, DBS Foundation continually explores new formats through which to dial up anti-scam awareness among the wider public. This includes intensifying outreach via platforms such as TikTok, to reach the younger demographic. It will soon be launching a new ‘Adopt-A-Grandparent’ TikTok campaign starting end February – done in partnership with Lions Befrienders, this creative anti-scam and digital inclusion initiative seeks to connect different generations through a shared journey to discover and fight against scams, and create a safer online space for all.
Photos provided by DBS.
These photos carry the following caption: Volunteers guiding seniors at the digital literacy workshop on anti-scam tips and other digital literacy skills. These workshops are part of DBS Foundation’s partnership with IMDA to drive digital literacy and inclusion in the community, so as to ensure no one’s left behind in today’s fast-digitalising world.
