Why does opening a mobile money account need a face scan?

Because holding an ID and owning it are different things. Getting hold of someone’s ID is not hard — a lost card, a photocopy, even a photograph will do. The face-matching step establishes that the person opening the account is the person the card belongs to.

It addresses a real problem. Accounts opened in another person’s name are typically used for fraud or illicit transfers, and the consequences land on the innocent person whose ID was used. One extra step removes much of that risk.

On privacy, the practical answer is that the sector is regulated and these institutions fall under Bangladesh Bank. There are rules on how customer information is stored and used, set out in the regulator’s published documents.

🚨 One caution, though: give a face scan or ID photograph only inside the provider’s own app. Never send them to a third-party website, a link, or a request over a messaging app — genuine registration always happens within the app itself.

Sources:

• Guide to using a bKash account
• Guide to using a Nagad account
• Bangladesh Bank — regulations and guidelines