SINGAPORE – Peddlers under a DBS Bank program will learn how to identify genuine money transfers and keep their bank and payment details safe, after it was reported last year that some had been cheated by customers.

In these cases, opportunistic customers would show peddlers screenshots of fake or old transactions as proof of payment, a DBS spokesperson said on Wednesday (April 6).

The bank’s Adopt-a-Hawker Center program launched in September 2021 with the aim of equipping peddlers with digital tools to boost their online presence.

He announced the program’s new anti-scam element during the initiative’s launch at the Chong Pang Market and Food Center – the program’s fourth center – in Yishun on Wednesday.

The other three are Tanjong Pagar Plaza Market and Food Centre, Chinatown Complex and The Marketplace @ 58 on New Upper Changi Road.

Mr. Shee Tse Koon, Country Manager of DBS Singapore, highlighted the need for anti-scam workshops as more and more hawkers are using SGQR to enjoy the convenience of electronic payments.

SGQR is a single payment QR code that combines payload details from different electronic payment systems that a merchant or business accepts.

“We see this as a natural extension of our ongoing efforts to educate the public on the latest scam scenarios, where we have also dedicated a lot of resources to protect our customers from fraudsters,” he said.

The bank will partner with the Infocomm Media Development Authority for the digital workshops, which will aim to help peddlers correctly identify genuine transactions made by their customers.

It also aims to familiarize them with the NetsBiz app, which now includes larger fonts, distinct payment alerts and colors to highlight new transactions.

Home and Law Minister K. Shanmugam, who is an MP and local councilor for Nee Soon GRC, said it was important to help peddlers go digital safely to keep up with the changes brought by the Covid-19 pandemic.

He said, “It will protect their businesses and allow us to preserve this important part of Chong Pang’s identity.”

Ms. Ong Soo Hoon, 63, who runs a dessert stand at Chong Pang Food Center, said she finds QR code payments convenient as it cuts down on trips to the bank to deposit receipts.

When asked if she would attend the workshops, she replied, “More and more people are getting scammed these days and that worries me because I’m not good with technology. But I don’t. only participate if they are held in Mandarin.”

DBS said the workshops will be conducted in English.