Somewhat ironically for the world’s best digital bank, DBS is powerless to deal with a slew of automated impersonation calls which besiege Singaporeans most days. DBS is not the only institution affected – the Ministry of Health is the most popular target of the moment – but it is by far the most affected bank.
You know the drill: you pick up the phone to an unfamiliar number, and a recorded voice says something like, “this is DBS bank, your account has been locked due to suspicious activity, press 1 to unlock,” and if you do so, you’ll be asked for your password.
It is a big problem but, with the calls originating outside Singapore (though usually disguised with a +65 country code number), there is little that can be done about it domestically. Therefore, one can rely upon Singapore to come up with a somewhat twee solution.
It has become clear, particularly through the pandemic, that it is important to reach into the heartlands
DBS account holders have been sent emails under the title: “Impersonation scams attack! What should you do?” To which the answer is, the email says: “Spot and stop with Singapore’s No.1 DBS fan, Kim Huat!”
(There is a pandemic of exclamation marks in Singapore public life.)
In the attached image, Kim Huat, looking earnest with a dyed blue floppy fringe and a T-shirt with some kind of space helmet on it, guides the good people of Singapore on what to do. Chiefly, just hang up.
But who is he?
Kim Huat can be found on the local site mrbrown.com, where he expounds on a variety of matters essential to the orderly functioning of Singapore society.
At the time of writing, the number-one issue on the site is clearing away trays after eating at hawker centres. (Kim Huat is also Singapore’s No.1 hawker centre fan.) Before that, he was on about a Covid-19 cluster in Singapore’s KTV lounges (Kim Huat is not Singapore’s No.1 KTV lounge fan); and before that, Generation Z slang, which is a bit rich from a man communicating entirely in deep Singlish. (“Eh, ask you ah. Why got people eat finish at hawker centre, don’t clear tray one, ah? This tray very heavy issit? Made of uranium ah?” That’s a direct lift from the helpful subtitles.)
Controversial
Despite this apparently pliant role around social harmony, Lee Kin Mun – the real name of the man behind the mrbrown site – has been an occasionally controversial figure. Known as Singapore’s blogfather and considered a reasonably acute social commentator by local standards, he was once attacked by Singapore’s Ministry of Information, Communication and the Arts for being a “partisan player” whose views “distort the truth”.
But it has become clear, particularly through the pandemic, that it is important to reach into the heartlands, a position demonstrated by the use of the comedian Gurmit Singh’s locally beloved Phua Chu Kang character (think a Singaporean Del Boy from Only Fools and Horses) in a series of excruciating but highly effective vaccination ads.
Hence DBS has taken to the heavy artillery of this curious blue-haired warrior. Worth a try, we suppose.
