Debated in Parliament on 5 Oct 2022.
Mr Murali Pillai asked the Minister for Law having regard to the current adoption rate of electronic fund transfers and cases involving payments to erroneous accounts, whether the Ministry will consider amending the Small Claims Tribunal Act 1984 to provide cost-effective and quick civil measures to recover misdirected funds.
If a person has made an electronic fund transfer in error, he should inform the unintended recipient or his bank of the mistake and request for the funds to be returned. The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has issued guidelines on this issue. Under these guidelines, the sender’s bank should help to engage the recipient’s bank to inform the unintended recipient, so that a refund can be initiated. This framework helps parties resolve erroneous payments without the need to commence legal proceedings. If the recipient refuses to return funds that have been transferred in error, the sender should make a police report. It is an offence under the Penal Code for the recipient to retain or use the funds when he has been informed that it was transferred in error.
It is also possible for the sender to bring a civil claim against the unintended recipient. Such a claim must, depending on its value, be filed with the Magistrates’ Court, District Courts, or the General Division of the High Court.
I thank the Member for his suggestion, which we will study in future reviews of the Small Claims Tribunals Act.
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