‘We have to listen and be patient’: Bank officer doubles up as anti-scam adviser
OCBC’s AVP of customer service Norlela Samad said some scam victims are unwilling to talk about their personal affairs.
OCBC Bank's assistant vice-president of customer service, Norlela Samad, must don multiple roles beyond her job description as a bank officer, according to her. Alongside her banking duties, she occasionally finds herself counseling scam victims and educating them on how to identify scam risks, reports Berita Harian.
A recent incident involved an elderly customer at OCBC's White Sands branch in Pasir Ris who attempted to withdraw hundreds of thousands of dollars from her account. Norlela, noticing the unusual transaction, advised her on the prevalent scams at the time. Despite Norlela's counsel, the elderly woman was reluctant to share information about the incident, citing her desire to maintain control over her affairs.
When Norlela pressed for more details, she advised the woman on the potential scam and immediately informed the bank's fraud team and the Singapore Police Force, who later verified that the customer had indeed been scammed. Norlela, who has been working at OCBC for three decades, sees her role as more than just a banker's, describing herself as a "calming presence" and an "adviser" for scam victims.
As a frontline employee, she frequently has to listen to the grievances of scam victims, stating, "We have to listen a lot and be patient." Norlela acknowledges the emotional toll of her job and emphasizes the importance of educating the public about banking scams.
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