#trending: DBS and Citibank disruptions spark outrage and jokes, but also serious discussion from netizens

SINGAPORE — Disruptions to DBS Bank and Citibank banking and payment services on Saturday (Oct 14) have prompted a variety of reactions from netizens.

Some expressed outrage at the apparent lack of redundancy or back-up system from the banks, while others took to social media to talk about their unfortunate, and also amusing situations, that arose from the incident. 

Around 3pm on Satuday (Oct 14), DBS and Citibank customers began reporting issues using online and mobile banking services on Downdetector, a website that provides real-time information on the uptime and disruption of websites and services.

During the downtime, bank customers could not access many services provided by the banks, including automated teller machines (ATMs) and fund transfers via online payment services PayNow and PayLah!, and payments at physical payment terminals.

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DBS said that the disruption had been caused by an issue at a common data centre also used by other organisations. 

The data centre operator Equinix later said that a technical issue that occurred at the centre had “raised the temperatures” which resulted in an impact on operations, reported CNA. 

Both banks confirmed that their services were only fully restored the following day, with DBS adding that it would be processing interrupted transactions with “utmost priority”. 

Netizens affected by the disruption were quick to look for assistance and reassurance online, with a post on Reddit titled “Is DBS down now?” posted by a user at 3:36pm on Saturday. 

Many users in the same thread shared similar experiences, citing payment issues at petrol kiosks and car parks, with some even facing issues while overseas. 

One user shared their unfortunate circumstance, writing: “I’ll have to sleep on an empty stomach today because I have no cash at all and haven't stocked up on foods/food ingredients.

“Crazy how the derailment of a single institution brings my life to a screeching halt. A stark reminder that I shouldn't over rely on cashless (payments) and should always have cash handy for contingency.”

Another user, who appeared to work at an eatery, said: “This (is) affecting all the services. Like now, I have 30-40 tables (that) would like to bill out and they can’t pay using their card, and diners (have) no cash."

Replying to a comment asking how eateries had dealt with the situation, the same user jokingly responds: “Not easy man. Well, some were upset, blaming (it) on us, saying we (were) lousy. Then ... they blame (the) Wi-Fi.”

TikTok user "sunthory" took to the video-sharing platform to humorously share his plight, detailing how he had gone out to buy dinner, but had no way of paying for his food due to the disruption of both online banking and ATM services. 

“My wallet has a grand total of S$1, so I’m kind of broke,” he laments in the video.

“And of course, of all days, my mum had to ditch me today to go to Malaysia while DBS is down, so I’m legit stuck in Singapore alone.”

He could not even take public transport to seek help from friends and family, as he relied on a SimplyGo card tied to his bank account, he said. 

“Maybe I should start a GoFundMe,” joked "sunthory" before the video ended. 

The viral video, posted on Saturday, had garnered more than 176,100 views, 6,969 likes, and 331 comments as of Monday, with many offering advice on how to avoid such situations in the future. 

One commenter wrote: “The moral of this episode is to keep some cash at home at all times!”

Another shared a past experience, writing: “Always get a second bank account just in case of these things. The last time this happened, I created a StanChart account. Never had any such problems.”

Beyond initial reactions, however, it seems that more serious discussions in several follow-up Reddit posts have also emerged, questioning the reliability of some of the top banks in Singapore.

Such posts were likely spurred on by similar disruptions in DBS' services in March and May that prompted the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) to impose additional capital requirements on the bank.

In one post providing an update on the situation on Saturday, users were quick to point out the perceived lack of quick-response and contingency solutions by DBS. 

One user wrote: “Honestly scary to think that a major bank doesn't have more redundancy in place as a critical service/infrastructure. Also, the data centre has no redundancy, meh? Or really outage so rabak (Malay term for ‘bad’), all redundancy also fail?”

Another user also expressed shock at the lack of backup plans, writing: “I am shocked that a major bank like DBS has a single point of failure. Pro tip: If (the) backup data centre isn't up and running almost immediately, you need to get a new HA (High Availability) Architecture.” 

Another post from a user looking for alternative banks drew many like-minded individuals who were tired of repeated disruptions.

However, some users offered a more objective point of view, with one writing: “In my opinion, all banks will have some issues here and there.

"I think (the) best would be (to) just (have) at least two modes of payment on stand-by at all times. For instance, keep about S$30-40 in (your) wallet, and also have your bank card with you.”