Surviving the digital pickpockets of Bangladesh

We live in a beautiful time. Want Biryani? Tap. Electricity bill at 2 AM? Tap. Sending money to Chittagong? Just tap and hold. MFS apps like bKash and Nagad have turned our phones into magic wands.

But just like any crowded place, where there is a wallet, there is a pickpocket. The only difference is, this one isn't standing behind you; he is sitting miles away with a notebook, a phone, and an Oscar-winning script.

Here are common digital pickpocket scenarios you need to watch out for.

The emotional blackmail

It's Friday afternoon. You've just had a hearty lunch and are ready for a nap. A message pops up in your phone. It looks like a bKash notification: "Cash In Tk 10,200.00 from 017XXXXXXXX. Successful." You stare at it confusedly wondering who sent me 10,000 in broad daylight?"

Before you can check your app, the phone rings. A man on the other side is sobbing. "Hello? Bhaiya? Assalamualaikum. Bhaiya, I am finished! I am a poor rickshawala. My mother is in the ICU. I went to the shop to send money for her medicine, but the shopkeeper accidentally sent it to you! Please, Bhaiya, send it back. My mother will die!" And your brain stops thinking. You don't want to be the reason someone's mother suffers. You feel guilty for money that isn't even yours. You quickly send 10,000 Taka back to him. A few moments later, you check your balance. Wait, why is it lower than before?

That was just a fake text from a personal number. You didn't return money; you gave away your own. Too late, you remember your friend's warning about this exact trick. If only you had stayed cool and checked the app first, you wouldn't be left with just regret.

The "Head Office" call

It's Monday morning, the busiest time of the week. You are stressed sitting in traffic. You get a call from a random number. "Good Morning, Sir. bKash theke Tanvir bolchi. We have noticed suspicious activity on your account. Did you just try to withdraw 50,000 Taka from Barisal?" You freeze. "No! I'm in Dhaka!" "Okay, Sir. It seems your account has been hacked. We have paused the transaction, but we need to verify your ownership RIGHT NOW to block the hacker.

If we don't do it in 2 minutes, the money will leave your account permanently."

He continues, "I have sent a 6-digit verification code to your mobile. Please check your SMS and tell me the code quickly." In your panic to save your money, you give him the code. He assures you now your fund is safe.

Then you try to log in several times, but it's not working. Now it occurred to you that it wasn't a verification code. That was the OTP (One Time Password) to reset your PIN. He hung up, changed your PIN, and drained your account while you were still holding the phone, wondering why the line went dead. If only you remembered the messages, advertorials from bkash: "bKash will never ask for your PIN or OTP."

The "LUCKY Winner" trap

You are cooking the meal for the day. You are rushing to turn it off because it's time to pick up the kids from school. Your phone rings. The person on the other side sounds super excited. "Madam! Assalamualaikum! Do your children study at XYZ School? Congratulations! The Government has selected them for a fully funded scholarship!" You pause. He knows the school's name perfectly. It must be real. "Madam, the fund is expiring in 30 seconds! I sent a code to your phone. Give me that quickly! Also, take your bKash PIN. Add 2025 to it. Now multiply the total by 2026. Tell me the final answer immediately!"

Your brain is scrambling. You do the math, read out the big number, and give the OTP  he asked for earlier. "Thank you! Hang up now so the system can process the money!" You hang up. You check your App to see the stipend. And you are met with "Login Failed."