Aunty's "Crypto"? Singapore Redditors Stunned as CDC Vouchers Surface as Debt Payment

A curious tale unfolded recently on a Singapore-based Twitter account, quickly making its way to r/SingaporeRaw, where users were left both bewildered and amused. The original tweet by user @M4lev0lent (Metalcore Mami) shared a bizarre discovery: their mother had received "STACKS" of CDC (Community Development Council) vouchers, not from the government, but as payment for money owed!

The original tweet read:

Few days ago my mum came up to me to pass me $100+ worth of CDC vouchers and I realised she has STACKS of it so I asked where and how she got thousands worth of it and she said ppl owed her money so they used the cdc voucher to pay it off??? 😩 wtf ???

This revelation sparked a flurry of reactions, with many Redditors dubbing the mother an "Aunty crypto" or "debt collector extraordinaire."

The immediate reaction was a mix of shock and humor. User Alarmed_Allele joked:

The loanshark they told you not to worry about:

AsTah_38 offered a more playful theory:

She is mahjong queen 👑😂, her mates keep losing their pocket money till they bet with CDC voucher..

Beyond the initial shock, questions quickly arose about the legality and practicality of such a transaction, especially regarding the existence of physical vouchers. Cheap_Objective7744 asked:

How come got hardcopy cdc voucher one

User noobieee provided clarity on this, explaining:

For elderlies who don’t know how to use smart phone

And cheesetofuhotdog added:

Can go cc print

Another common query was about how vouchers could be transferred. D4nCh0 clarified the process:

Sure, log in with your SingPass. But enter the phone number you want to send the vouchers. Doesn’t have to be your own.

It quickly became apparent that using CDC vouchers as a form of currency, or even selling them, wasn't as uncommon as some might think. Chemical_Are_Us stated:

People been selling their CDC vouchers from the very beginning.

However, some users raised valid concerns about the practicality of holding large amounts of CDC vouchers. Tehogaokosong warned:

Your mum just got pwned. Good luck trying to clear thousands of dollars worth of CDC vouchers before they expire.

CybGorn, a Top 1% Commenter, pointed out the limitations of the vouchers:

But your aunt stupid. CDC voucher only valid for one year and then cannot spend in a lot of places like shopping malls retail stores. Cannot pay bills with it. Next time garnish the GSTV instead.

Despite the limitations, other users shed light on how people in certain demographics might resort to such informal payment methods. Used-East-1438 offered insights into "low SES sinkies":

You know how it is with low SES sinkies. It's probably either that or don't expect the money back. Or maybe auntie got conversion rate for CDC ($500CDC settle $400 debt), you'll never know. There's also friendly shop owners that will help them settle the vouchers... convert to cash or shop credit.

This informal "CDC voucher economy" highlights the ingenuity, and sometimes desperation, of individuals finding alternative ways to settle debts or gain liquidity within the constraints of government-issued vouchers. What started as a simple, surprising anecdote quickly evolved into a broader discussion about financial literacy, the informal economy, and the unexpected ways government aid can circulate within a community. It seems that in some circles, CDC vouchers are indeed becoming a form of "aunty crypto."