Shopee stops internet bank transfers ‘to streamline payment method’
E-commerce platform Shopee has stopped internet bank transfers as a payment method for purchases, as it wants to improve user experience, and the move is unrelated to the case of a buyer’s account being allegedly hacked, the company said.
In its press statement issued on Wednesday, Shopee said its “initial findings suggest that the individuals are likely victims of phishing scams”.
In a message at 11am on Monday, Shopee said it was permanently removing the option of paying via internet bank transfers from Tuesday.
The statement issued on Wednesday was referring to a Facebook post that a customer had lost 50,000 baht after she tied her bank account to purchases from Shopee.
On Saturday, a Facebook user going by the name Guft Sichol said her Siam Commercial Bank account tied to her Shopee account had been nearly emptied. She said she had more than 50,000 baht, but on Saturday she found only 400 baht in her account.
Her statement showed that nine transfers had been made from her account to Sips Shopeepay (Thailand) Co Ltd on December 1 and 2. The total amount transferred was 49,396 and there was no sign of the money in her ShopeePay e-wallet either.
The complainant said she had made no purchases from Shopee on those days.
She said she had searched and found that several other Shopee users faced similar issues.
“We understand the distress this may have caused. We are in contact with the individuals, and we are committed to supporting them and the relevant authorities in any investigations. Our users can continue to shop safely and securely on Shopee. Our platform is compliant with all relevant regulations,” Shopee said in a statement on Wednesday.
“The phasing out of internet bank transfers as a payment method on Shopee is completely unrelated to this matter. To improve the user experience, we have been streamlining our payment methods by phasing out redundant options, including payment via offline bank transfers such as bank’s counter.
“This was communicated to our users in November. Users may continue to shop as usual on Shopee using various popular payment methods, including ShopeePay wallet, Direct Debit, Promptpay and credit cards.”
