30th July 2021, Kathmandu
Nepal’s Digital Wallet Has Become An App That Violates Privacy Like ‘True Caller’
What is a True Caller?
True caller is a smartphone application that has features of caller-identification, call-blocking, flash-messaging, call-recording, Chat & Voice by using the internet.
It requires users to provide a standard cellular mobile number for registering with the service.
The app is available for Android and iOS.
Increase of Risk for using Digital Wallet
Many may not be aware that digital wallets, which provide payment services for various services and goods through mobile, are becoming a means of disclosing and identifying personal privacy.
However, in the case of Nepal, this is a bitter reality.
Mobile wallets have recently been misused as a tool to find out who owns a mobile number. Let’s understand this risk more easily.
Some users have the True Caller app on their mobile. This app is used to find out whose name is in a number. But the name in it may not be authentic or realistic.
But what if digital wallets were used to make up for this lack of true caller? This is not a fictional subject but a reality.
Now the Wallet app is being used to get official information about the name of a certain mobile number. In which there are all the wallets including Esewa, Khalti, IME Pay, Prabhu Pay.
Using this feature you can send money to any other wallet user. If you go to the ‘Send Money’ or ‘Wallet Transfer’ option and click on ‘Verify’ after entering a new mobile number, mentioning the amount you want to send under it, the reason for it, you can find out whose number it is.
You don’t even have to send money in someone’s name for such information. But, for that, the account of the wallet related to the number you are looking for must be open. This is not just a problem of anyone’s wallet company, it is in almost all wallets in Nepal.
Some wallets are also providing the facility to see the information including the photo of the person in it which includes pocket and IME pay.
The information is also official. If you search for similar information through True caller, it may not be confirmed.
This is because True caller provides information based on the name saved and referred by the user on the mobile. Like your friend’s name is Ram but, if you prefer to True caller as ‘Rame’, ‘Shyame’ then True caller shows the same name.
Even if your friend has saved your mobile number as Rame, True caller informs other users based on that. In this regard, you will not be able to be sure that the information in True caller is official.
However, such information available in the wallet is verified by filling KYC with the complete information of the person as per the policy of NRB. That is why the data available there is completely official. There is no room for doubt.
It may not be possible to find out from the wallet who picked up the phone before picking up the phone from the new phone number like in True caller.
However, you can easily find out who owns a new mobile number through True caller, just like you can find out from a wallet.
We can get various information that the apps are being misused.
If not, how?
If anyone needs information on any number, they have to go to the office of the police and telecommunication service provider and apply. Such a request does not mean that such information is readily available.
Because such information is personal, the service provider may provide it on the basis of a letter sent by the police for investigation. Why bother when such information is available in the wallet?
That is why many people have been abusing it lately, according to a police source. In some cases, the police themselves have been found to be using this weakness of the wallet.
What does Cyber Security Researcher say?
Cybersecurity researcher says that it is very sensitive to have information with a photo of a person. ‘Such information is not made public at the international level. Even in Nepal, banks have been showing the name of a person only half-hidden.
NRB spokesperson also admits that this is a weakness of the service provider. “It’s just like Truecaller,” says Dhakal.
Necessary steps will be taken immediately after studying this issue. ‘
