PayNow users are seeing some very NSFW names thanks to the new privacy update 

Singapore’s group chats have been buzzing since June 6, and it’s not just about the release of the new CDC vouchers or the hoards of people fighting over the flowers at the Flower Market by Cj Hendry at Gardens by the Bay. But, it’s got everything to do with your ba

For context, PayNow recently rolled out a new privacy update that quietly removed the ability to use or display custom nicknames when sending and receiving money. Now, users see partially masked versions of their legal names, with several letters swapped out for the letter “X.”

The idea behind it? To protect users from scammers. The Association of Banks in Singapore (ABS) explained that the “X” was chosen over asterisks as a visual symbol for something concealed or missing. Think of it as a redaction mark. It’s meant to replace nicknames while keeping transactions running smoothly.

At first glance, it seemed like a fairly harmless tweak. A few Xs here and there, no big deal. But it didn’t take long before sharp-eyed users started noticing something rather unfortunate.

Names beginning with “SE” bore the brunt of it. Once a few letters got masked with Xs, some perfectly innocent names started reading as anything but.

Screenshots quickly made the rounds on social media, and let’s just say, the results were equal parts mortifying and hilarious. One user shared that her name now appears as “LETXX SEXX YUX”, expressing discomfort at the thought of others seeing it every time they transfer her money. Another user found himself in an equally awkward spot when his name showed up as “TEX HOXX SEXX” during transactions.

Given Singapore’s rich mix of names and ethnicities, many users have found themselves caught in similar situations, some laughing it off, others raising genuine concern about how their names now appear to colleagues, clients, and even strangers.

While the ABS has acknowledged receiving feedback about the update, no announcement has been made on whether any changes to the system are in the pipeline.

For now, Singaporeans are doing their best to laugh it off and maybe think twice before screenshotting their PayNow transfers.