#BSHARP Protect Yourself Online

Be Web Wise - Think before you Act


  • Be careful of links and attachments sent through emails or SMS or posted online on social media sites. Such links and attachments may lead to phishing pages or install malware onto your device without your permission.
  • Always go to our website by typing https://www.dbs.com.sg to ensure you’re reaching DBS's website.
    TIP: If you wish to visit a webpage, it is safer to type the URL on the address bar of your browser than to click on it from an email or another site.
  • Stay current with latest news, check our Security Alerts & News frequently to be in the know of the latest threats and scams targeting DBS and POSB customers.
  • Avoid performing online transactions on public or shared devices or devices that you suspect are compromised.
  • Never reply to unsolicited emails or SMSes. Responses to such emails or SMSes could be used by fraudsters to socially engineer information or trick users into performing unwanted actions.
  • Verify any odd or suspicious requests through official contact numbers or channels. Ensure that you're communicating directly with official DBS accounts on social media, especially when asking for assistance.
Stay Alert – Be Informed


  • As part of the E-Payment User Protection Guidelines, ensure your Transaction Alerts are enabled so that you can be informed instantly of transactions on your account via SMS or email.
  • Read the transaction details in the SMS or email alerts carefully. Validate that the messages, for example, check that the account number is correct, or the transaction reflects your request. Do not provide a One-Time Password (OTP) or DBS digital token authorization if the details in the SMS or email alerts do not match the transaction you initiated. Inform the bank immediately if in doubt.
  • Check your transaction history regularly for any abnormal transaction and notify us immediately, if you notice unknown transactions appearing on your account.
    Personal Banking : 1800 339 6963 or +65 6339 6963 (Overseas)
    Business Banking : 1800 222 2200
  • Keep your contact details updated with the Bank. Learn more.
  • When accessing digibank, never leave your session unattended and log out after use.
Healthy Device – Keep it updated & protected


  • Avoid jailbreaking or rooting your devices. Doing so makes your device more prone to security vulnerabilities like viruses and malicious software.
  • Protect your device, web browser and Operating System (OS) with the latest anti-virus software
  • Configure your Operating System and applications/programs to perform automatic updates. This helps to ensure that software bugs and security vulnerabilities are addressed.
  • Be mindful of the applications you install on your devices. Install apps from official app stores such as Apple App Store or Google Play Store. Unofficial app stores may modify and inset malware into legitimate, non-malicious apps.
  • When installing applications, verify that the permissions granted to the application are necessary and avoid downloading unnecessary applications as these applications may contain malicious code or social engineering scams.
  • Regularly backup critical data.
Aware - Be mindful of what you share


  • Be aware of what information you share and how it can be used by a receiving party.
  • Avoid sharing personal details such as your identity card information, address, phone number, DBS account details, or other personal information unnecessarily.
  • Consider setting your social network profile to private or use custom audience settings. This way, only people you invite can see what you post.
  • Consider using a nickname instead of your real name. This can help reduce the chances of you being harassed online.
  • When using public Wi-Fi, avoid accessing websites that require you to login. Consider limiting your activities to only non-sensitive ones. Enable security settings such as 2FA whenever possible adds an additional layer of security.
  • Stop and consider before sharing any posts as information posted may cause harm to yourself or people around you.
Responsible - Be a good citizen


  • Review your privacy settings and practice good social media etiquette. Enable security settings such as 2FA whenever possible as an additional layer of security
  • Think before sharing and post online, what you share online can be re-shared and made public by others. You cannot take it back or delete it later.
  • Treat others the way you would like to be treated. Practise kindness in both the physical and digital world.
  • Be cautious when you come across promotional offers that sound too good to be true.
  • Apply a healthy dose of scepticism if you read any news articles that are sensational and discern if the articles come from a credible source.
Protect Your Information


  • Secure your device with a strong password, PIN or a relevant mechanism to prevent unauthorised use.
    TIP: A strong password is one that is difficult to guess and contains a mix of letters, numbers or symbols. You can use this on top of your device’s biometric security feature (if available).
  • Never disclose your digibank User ID, PIN & One-Time Password (OTP) to anyone. DBS will never request for your PIN, password or OTP.
  • Avoid providing your account details (such as passwords and PIN) to third-party financial aggregator applications as these applications may not be secure.
  • Avoid registering other people’s biometrics such as facial or fingerprint registration on your devices if you use biometrics to access DBS applications.
  • Use a different PIN or password for web-based services such as email, online shopping or subscription services.

What is a protected account?

Protected accounts are those that:

  1. Are held by either individuals or sole proprietors, including those held jointly by multiple account holders; and
  2. Can hold a balance of more than S$500 (or equivalent amount in another currency) at any one time, or is a credit facility, which can be used for electronic payment transactions.
What type of transactions are covered by the Guidelines?

The Guidelines cover all payments from protected accounts initiated through electronic means, and where funds are received through electronic means.

The Guidelines do not apply to transactions which you initiated because of a scam or fraud.

How do the Guidelines protect me?

We will provide you with transaction notifications and a reporting channel so that you may be alerted of unauthorised transactions and report them when they happen.

We will investigate claims of unauthorised transactions with the aim of achieving a fair and reasonable resolution. The Guidelines do not apply to transactions which you initiated because of a scam or fraud. Such transactions will be investigated by the police.

What are my duties as an account holder or account user?

The Guidelines set out your duties as an e-payment user to adopt good security practices. These include:

  1. Keeping your contact details such as Singapore mobile number and email address with us up to date so that we can send you transaction alerts by SMS or email;
  2. Opting to receive transaction notifications for all outgoing transactions of any amount.
  3. Enabling alerts on any device used to receive such alerts;
  4. Monitoring your transaction alerts and account statements for any unauthorised or erroneous transactions;
  5. Practicing good digital security habits by protecting your access codes and not sharing with it anyone. If you need to record your access codes, keep it securely and make sure that it is only known to you and unlikely to be found by a third party;
  6. Protecting access to your protected account. Find out more about digital security tips on #BSHARP;
  7. Report to us immediately if you notice any unauthorised or erroneous transactions;
    Make a police report and furnish a copy of the report together with information about the unauthorised transaction us so that we can begin the investigation process;
What are transaction notifications for?

They safeguard you against unauthorised and erroneous transactions. They are to alert you of such transactions so that you may report them to us for quicker resolution.

What are the types of transaction notifications offered by DBS and how can I enrol for these notifications?

Please refer to our Transaction Alerts page.

How can I report an unauthorized transaction?

Please call our 24-hour DBS Customer Service Hotline at 1800 339 6963 or +65 6339 6963 (Overseas) immediately for assistance. Our customer service officer will ask you to provide more details about yourself, your protected account and the transaction in order for us to commence investigations and update you.

How can I report an erroneous transaction?

Please call our 24-hour DBS Customer Service Hotline at 1800 111 1111 or +65 6327 2265 (Overseas) immediately for assistance. Our customer service officer will ask you to provide more details about yourself, your protected account and the transaction in order for us to commence investigations and update you.

What happens after I report an unauthorised transaction?

After receiving the information required to facilitate the investigation, we will complete an investigation of any relevant claim within 21 business days for straightforward cases or 45 business days for complex cases.

Complex cases may include cases where any party to the unauthorised transaction is residing overseas or where the Bank has insufficient information from you to complete the investigation. We will update you of the outcome of our investigation. If it has been assessed that you are not liable for any loss from the unauthorised transaction, we will credit your account as soon as our assessment is complete.

For erroneous or unauthorised transactions on credit cards, charge cards or debit cards, the dispute resolution process established under the respective card scheme will apply.

What happens after I report an erroneous transaction?

We will endeavour to assist to recall the funds from the recipient and update you of the outcome. Longer time may be taken for more complex cases.

What are my liabilities for losses arising from unauthorised transactions?

You will not be liable for any loss that arises from any action or omission by us, if you have complied with your duties as an account holder. For losses due to any other independent third party other than you and us, subject to the below, you will also not be liable if the outgoing transaction value is within S$1,000.

You will, however, be liable if it is ascertained that the primary cause was recklessness on your part, such as failing to protect your access code, login credentials or access to your protected account. Your liability will be capped at the transaction limit or daily payment limit, where applicable.

In all cases, we will conduct an assessment to determine the appropriate liabilities and work towards a fair and reasonable resolution.

For transactions on credit cards, charge cards and debit cards issued in Singapore, the apportioning of liabilities is governed by the ABS Code of Consumer Banking Practice.