\u201cI work as a tutor and parents pay me directly,\u201d he said in the post.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/mustsharenews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/i-work-as-a-tutor-and-parents-pay-me-directly-my-bank-no-v0-h3647pha0u5h1.webp\")
<\/p>\n
Source: r\/mildlyinfuriating on Reddit<\/p>\n
The caption read: \u201cCannot wait to explain to everyone why they need to pay SEXX.\u201d<\/p>\n
Parent first noticed PayNow name change<\/p>\n
Speaking to MS News, Sean said he only became aware of the issue after a parent attempted to transfer payment to him.<\/p>\n
The 21-year-old National University of Singapore (NUS) student said that the parent noticed that \u201cthe name seemed different from last time\u201d.<\/p>\n
That was when he received a screenshot of his name appearing as \u201cSEXX\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve had to explain the situation to about five parents,\u201d Sean told MS News.<\/p>\n
He mentioned that some remained professional while others laughed it off.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Fortunately, Sean noted he does not expect the issue to affect his tutoring work.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Screenshot-2026-04-29-154501.png\")
<\/p>\n
Source: UOB<\/p>\n
Bank allegedly told him nothing could be done<\/p>\n
According to Sean, he contacted his bank after discovering the issue.<\/p>\n
However, he claimed that the staff informed him there was little they could do.<\/p>\n
\u201cI contacted the bank and explicitly stated my name was \u2018SEXX\u2019 under the new system, and the staff said there\u2019s nothing they can do as it is government policy.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/mustsharenews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/paynow.webp\")
<\/p>\n
For illustration purposes only<\/p>\n
Sean suggested displaying his full name instead, but he was told there was \u201cnothing [the bank staff] could do\u201d.<\/p>\n
Other users report similar experiences<\/p>\n
The anti-scam measure has affected some of his friends, too.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome of my friends experienced a similar issue as they have a Chinese name (think Xi) and it\u2019s just XX under the new system,\u201d Sean told MS News.<\/p>\n
Screenshots circulating online also appeared to show another user, Jeremy See, having his name awkwardly displayed.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Jeremy-See-facebook-paynow-name.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Source: Jeremy See on Facebook<\/p>\n
Other MS News readers also saw their censored names transform into potentially obscene terms.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/photo_6143258282760540193_m.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Picture courtesy of MS News reader<\/p>\n
Wrote disclaimer to parents beforehand<\/p>\n
To avoid surprising clients, Sean said he now proactively warns parents before they make payments.<\/p>\n
\u201cI did voluntarily write a message explaining the situation to the parents so they won\u2019t be surprised when they have to PayNow to \u2018SEXX\u2019,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Despite the hassle and awkwardness, he has tried to see the funny side of things.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I shared the story with my family and friends, they found it quite funny.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wanted to tell MP before posting on Reddit<\/p>\n
Sean said he initially considered raising the matter with a Member of Parliament (MP).<\/p>\n
Instead, he chose to share it online.<\/p>\n
\u201cOriginally, I wanted to tell my MP, but I did think that was too big a reaction, so I resorted to Reddit as I\u2019d like to get the word out there locally.\u201d<\/p>\n
He added that his original post in the r\/SGExams subreddit was eventually removed despite gaining traction.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/paynow-singaporeraw.png\")
<\/p>\n
Source: r\/SingaporeRaw on Reddit<\/p>\n
Calls for review of name-censoring system<\/p>\n
Sean said he understands the rationale behind the anti-scam measure but believes more testing could have been done before implementing it country-wide.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/paynow-name-obscene-e1781058761251.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Picture courtesy of MS News reader<\/p>\n
He added: \u201cLet\u2019s not punish the 99% of people who use PayNow for the ease and convenience of the system.\u201d<\/p>\n
In response to media enquiries from MS News, Mrs Ong-Ang Ai Boon, Director of The Association of Banks in Singapore (ABS), noted that she is aware of the incident.<\/p>\n
Not all PayNow-related systems across our 29 participating institutions\u00a0currently support special characters, so a letter was used instead.<\/p>\n
She went on to mention that the letter \u2018X\u2019 was chosen as it is \u201cwidely recognised as a symbol for something concealed or missing, and visually resembles a cross-out mark\u201d.<\/p>\n
The director also emphasised that ABS used this approach to \u201cswiftly disable a tool being exploited by scammers while maintaining a smooth PayNow experience\u201d.<\/p>\n
ABS seeks customers\u2019 understanding on the matter and will continue reviewing feedback for future improvements, she said.<\/p>\n
Also read: TikToker questions PayNow nickname removal, says feature helped him identify scams<\/a><\/p>\n TikToker questions PayNow nickname removal, says feature helped him identify scams<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at\u00a0news@mustsharenews.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n