Scammers’ new ploy uses bKash transaction history to trap victims

The incident is part of what appears to be a new and increasingly sophisticated fraud pattern exploiting customers' transaction histories, with several victims reporting nearly identical experiences

It began with what appeared to be an ordinary phone call from a restaurant the victim had genuinely visited weeks earlier.

The caller knew the exact date of the visit, the amount paid through bKash and even the mobile number of the customer; details convincing enough for the victim to trust him.

Within minutes, the call evolved into a carefully orchestrated scam involving a fake police officer, a fabricated criminal complaint and an attempt to obtain a one-time PIN that could have given fraudsters access to the victim's mobile financial account.

The incident is part of what appears to be a new and increasingly sophisticated fraud pattern exploiting customers' transaction histories, with several victims reporting nearly identical experiences.

One of the victims, Wasiul Islam Nafeu, said that he received a phone call on the afternoon of 28 June from a man identifying himself as "Afzal", claiming to be the manager of Avano Restaurant in Mirpur-12.

Nafeu had indeed visited the restaurant earlier that month and paid Tk 3,430 through bKash.

The caller accurately mentioned the date of the visit, the payment amount and his mobile number before claiming the restaurant had mistakenly lodged a complaint against his bKash account.

According to the caller, another customer whose mobile number ended with the same three digits had allegedly paid a restaurant bill partly through bKash and partly using counterfeit currency. The caller claimed the restaurant had intended to report that customer but accidentally submitted Nafeu's number to law enforcement due to the similarity.

Apologising repeatedly, the caller urged Nafeu not to take any action against the restaurant and warned that police officials might soon contact him regarding the complaint.

Shortly afterwards, Nafeu received a WhatsApp call from another individual identifying himself as "ASI Salman" from Bangladesh Police Headquarters.

The caller claimed a "highly sensitive complaint" had been lodged against Nafeu's bKash account and offered to help remove it. After listening to Nafeu's explanation, the impersonator asked about his most recent bKash transaction before informing him that a verification PIN would soon arrive from Bangladesh Police on his phone and instructing him to share the code.

When the PIN arrived from bKash instead of Bangladesh Police, Nafeu became suspicious and instead asked the caller to identify himself by providing his full name and official rank.

The caller immediately became aggressive, allegedly threatening to have Nafeu's account frozen through Bangladesh Bank before abruptly disconnecting the call. Nafeu escaped the scam by refusing to disclose the verification code.

However, he is not alone.

Another victim, Abu Bakar Shaim, said that he encountered an almost identical fraud attempt following the same pattern.

"I narrowly escaped because I became suspicious at the right moment," he said.

Seeking clarification, this correspondent visited Avano Restaurant in Mirpur-12.

Mahadi Hasan, an executive of the restaurant, said several customers had already informed them about similar fraudulent phone calls.

"We have received numerous complaints from our customers and have already informed the law enforcement agencies," he said.

Asked how fraudsters were obtaining customers' transaction information, Mahadi said the restaurant itself does not have access to complete customer mobile numbers.

"Even we cannot see customers' full phone numbers. Only the last few digits are visible in our system. So it is highly unlikely that the information is leaking from our end," he said.

"In my opinion, someone may be abusing access from within the mobile financial service ecosystem to misuse customer information for personal gain," he added.

Responding to a question on whether anything could be done to stop criminals from exploiting customers' bKash transaction histories, Shamsuddin Haider Dalim, head of corporate communications and public relations at bKash, emphasised that user vigilance is paramount in preventing financial fraud.

"Most fraud occurs when users inadvertently share PINs or OTPs with scammers. bKash never asks for this information," Dalim said.

He noted that while bKash runs continuous awareness campaigns and collaborates robustly with law enforcement and the BFIU to trace offenders and report suspicious activities, "there is ultimately no substitute for customer awareness in avoiding fraud."

Assistant Inspector General of Police AHM Shahadat Hossain said law enforcement agencies were conducting regular operations against cyber fraud syndicates.

"We are continuously carrying out drives against these criminals. Our Criminal Investigation Department (CID), in particular, is handling such offences very effectively," he said.

At the same time, he urged the public to remain vigilant.

"I would also request people to be more cautious. Greater public awareness can prevent many of these incidents," the police official added