Some netizens have taken to social media to report their seemingly explicit new PayNow display names following the latest updates to the platform.
Since June 6, PayNow users are no longer able to use nicknames in lieu of their actual names as part of efforts to strengthen protection against impersonation scams.
The Association of Banks in Singapore (ABS) implemented this change following an announcement on April 29, only allowing the name of the payee linked to the registered account to be displayed to the payer, but with selected letters shown to safeguard customer privacy.
However, some netizens have taken to the internet to report how the update has resulted in interesting variations to their display names.
A Facebook user, Ron Foo, uploaded a picture of his new PayNow username, "FOX SEX POX", after the masking updates took effect.
"Nowadays [the] bank [masks] name till like that. My name [became] so erotic," wrote the user.
Another user, Jeremy See, reported how his "entire family's surname just became NSFW (Not Safe for Work)" since the updates.
In response to AsiaOne's queries, Ong-Ang Ai Boon, Director of ABS, said that it is aware of the feedback regarding the update.
She explained that the letter "X" was chosen to mask certain letters because it is widely recognised as an alphabet to represent something concealed or missing and also visually resembles a cross-out mark.
Moreover, the letter was chosen as not all PayNow-related systems across their 29 participating institutions support the use of special characters.
"ABS decided on this approach to swiftly disable a tool being exploited by scammers while maintaining a smooth PayNow experience. We seek customers' understanding and will continue to review feedback for future improvements," said Ong-Ang.
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