How DBS Foils Scams You Didn’t Even See Coming

You might not believe the numbers: in 2024, victims in Singapore lost about S$1.1 billion to scams, the most ever. The number was 70% higher than the year before. The phrase DBS scam can make people nervous, but it is just as important to talk about how DBS stops scams every day and the new ideas that turn threats into thwart. Let us look at it more closely.

The Rise of Fake Threats

Scammers are getting smarter. Phishing emails, fake SMS messages, voice impersonations, and deepfake videos all try to get you to give up information or let them send money today. Scammers often pretend to be bank employees or even government officials when they try to get DBS accounts. In the first half of 2024 alone, DBS customers reported a lot of phishing attacks. At least 83 victims lost more than S$155,000 in total to attacks that looked like they were from DBS. In just two weeks, 219 customers lost S$446,000 because of scams that looked like DBS. This is a serious threat that needs to be defended against before it happens, which DBS is doing more of.

How DBS Stops a Scam Before it Gets to You

When you hear the phrase DBS scam, your mind might go to what could go wrong. But behind the scenes, here’s what really goes right: different layers of defense working together.

AI warning systems and modeling risk in real time

DBS now uses AI to look over every transaction in a matter of milliseconds. That method has led to a 17% rise in money saved from scams, and these AI models are five times more effective than regular alert rules. Not just blanket holds, but deep dives happen when transfers look fishy or behavior seems off.

The Human Element Raises Alarms and Needs to be Dealt with Quickly

The trained eyes at DBS are still better than the most advanced algorithms. In one case, a teller saw signs of a fake cash attempt and stopped a S$51,000 fraud. In April 2025, the Anti-Scam Centre, DBS’s internal team, and partners stopped two different impersonation scams from costing S$820,000 in losses. That is because of quick planning, monitoring of accounts, and acting at just the right time.

New Controls Have Been Added to Your Account

DBS has put in place new protections at the source. Starting in the middle of 2025, you will need to do an extra step in the Payment Controls settings to add a DBS or POSB card to a mobile wallet. The default is off, so you have to choose to turn it on. This gives you time to think about whether or not you want to do it. The bank also sets limits on transactions and can flag transfers where more than half of an account’s balance moves out, either holding them or rejecting them. Starting in October 2025, DBS and other banks will start using these better fraud detection blocks.

Better Tools Mean Better Safety

Another good thing is that the police and banks are working together. The Anti-Scam Center worked with DBS and other banks from July to August 2025 to stop more than 4,100 possible scams that involved impersonation, e-commerce, investment, jobs, and love. In April 2025, DBS’s anti-scam team worked with Singpass and the police to stop a scheme to impersonate government officials. They stopped a S$200,000 transfer.

These are not just numbers. They show that the infrastructure is getting better: automated tools, cross-platform intelligence, staff who know what to look for, and real people who contact you to confirm transactions. All these things work together to keep DBS scam threats from making the news.

What does this mean for you? Instead of just seeing DBS scam as a threat, see it as a setting in which DBS’s safety measures and teams work to protect people. In 2025, when scams are at an all-time high, DBS stops them with technology, watchfulness, and teamwork. The stories of losses that were stopped, quick responses, and changing controls show how a bank can protect you in a digital storm.

Do not be afraid to call your bank if you are ever unsure or need help looking over a message or transaction that seems fishy. The systems are there to keep you safe, and the people who work on them are always available to help.