Are we prepped to use Google Pay?

Google Pay has officially launched in Bangladesh, starting with City Bank's Visa and Mastercard users. Now, we can simply tap our phones to pay bills or buy groceries, no need to carry cash or even a wallet. Sounds amazing, right?

 

But before we celebrate too much, we should take a moment to ask: are we really ready?

 

In Bangladesh, we already use mobile money services like bKash and Nagad in our daily lives. Many of us send money to our families, pay for rides, or shop online using these platforms. But how often have we heard of someone being cheated through a fake call or message? Maybe a friend got a call saying, "Your bKash account is blocked, give me your PIN to fix it." Maybe someone fell for a message promising a prize. These scams happen every day.

 

Now think about Google Pay. It connects directly with your bank card. That means if someone gets your card number and the one-time password (OTP) sent to your phone, they can link your card to their Google Pay and use it without even having your physical card. Just like that, your money could be gone.

 

Let's look at a simple example. Suppose you get a call: "Sir, we are calling from City Bank. Your card is being upgraded to use Google Pay. Please share the OTP we just sent." You trust them, read out the number, and five minutes later, your card is added to someone else's phone. They walk into a shop, buy a new mobile phone by just tapping their screen, and you're the one paying.

 

Sounds scary? It is. And it gets worse.

 

Google Pay can also be misused for illegal money movement, what experts call money laundering. In the past, people in Bangladesh used fake bKash accounts to send money for online gambling or shady businesses. Now imagine using Google Pay to buy gift cards, expensive electronics, or even gold, and then reselling those for clean money. All of this can happen fast, quietly, and across countries.

 

 

Some people may even use fake documents to open bank accounts, get cards, and use those cards with Google Pay. If we don't have strong rules for verifying identities, criminals can take full advantage of this system while staying invisible.

 

Another big concern is that Google Pay doesn't come under the same tight rules as bKash or Nagad. It works through banks. So who will make sure everything is safe? Will Bangladesh Bank track suspicious payments? Will Google share fraud reports with our authorities? These questions still don't have clear answers.

 

That's why we must be careful. The government should make sure Google Pay follows the same strong rules as other mobile money services. Banks should double-check customer identities before allowing card use on Google Pay. And most importantly, we, the users, must stay alert.

 

Never share your OTP with anyone. Don't trust random calls or messages, no matter how convincing they sound. Use screen lock and app lock on your phone. If you see a strange transaction, report it to your bank immediately.

 

Digital payments can make life easier, but they can also make crime easier, if we're not careful. Let's welcome Google Pay, but with our eyes wide open. Because one wrong tap could cost you everything.

 

The writer is a student, Department of Mass Communication and Journalism, University of Dhaka