OCBC is including in-app calling to its digital banking apps, with entry for retail clients rolling out progressively from November 2025 after an earlier launch for company customers in June 2025.
The characteristic lets clients name the financial institution immediately throughout the OCBC and OCBC Enterprise apps and is meant to enhance safety by decreasing reliance on SMS one-time passwords and safety questions.
OCBC is among the many first banks in Singapore to introduce this functionality.
The financial institution mentioned the perform can be notably useful for purchasers who want pressing help abroad, together with these coping with suspected card fraud or account safety points.
OCBC receives greater than 8,000 abroad calls every month, and in-app calls is not going to incur worldwide direct dial prices.
SMS OTPs and safety questions have gotten extra weak as scammers use superior phishing strategies and faucet publicly accessible private info.
In-app calls happen in a safe, authenticated house the place clients should log in utilizing biometrics or credentials paired with a digital or onerous token.
Safety questions will solely apply when a buyer requests a high-risk transaction through the name.
Outbound in-app calls will start from the primary half of 2026 and can be utilized by OCBC’s retail and enterprise contact centres and its anti-fraud crew.
As a result of these calls seem throughout the app, they’re more durable for scammers to mimic and make it simpler for purchasers to verify that the decision is real.
Sunny Quek, Head of World Shopper Monetary Companies, OCBC, mentioned,
“Calls stay a significant channel of communication between banks and clients, particularly in pressing conditions. But, we recognise that belief in telephone calls has eroded. That is completely comprehensible as rip-off calls have turn into widespread, and their ways have turn into extra refined.
In-app calling capabilities are due to this fact highly effective because it helps restore confidence by making certain that calls occur in a safe, authenticated house. Additionally it is intuitive and extra handy for purchasers to make calls from throughout the app.”
Melvyn Low, Head of World Transaction Banking, OCBC, mentioned,
“With in-app calls, we’re making it safer and simpler for companies to attach with us. This provides one other layer of safety to our digital banking expertise.
It not solely helps safeguard towards fraud and scams, but additionally empowers our clients to concentrate on what issues most: working and rising their enterprise, and managing their banking wants and transactions with peace of thoughts.”
Impersonation scams stay a priority in Singapore, with instances rising to 1,762 within the first half of 2025, almost triple the quantity from a 12 months earlier.
Featured picture: In-app calls happen throughout the OCBC (left) and OCBC Enterprise (proper) apps’ safe environments
