Yim Leat, Deputy Governor of the National Bank of Cambodia, urged people to be vigilant when paying by scanning a QR code on their phones. Before confirming a transaction, they should check the recipient’s name, the payment amount and the currency to avoid losing money through mistakes or fraud.
Yim Leat made the remarks on November 6 while attending a seminar on the riel, the Bakong system and the Khmer QR code standard (KHQR).
He said the riel is both the currency Cambodians use in daily life and an important symbol of national identity and monetary sovereignty. As financial technology has advanced, people have gone from using the riel in banknotes alone to using it for digital payments on their phones as well.
He said wider adoption of the Bakong payment system and the KHQR standard allows people to make everyday payments simply by scanning a QR code with their phones. This reduces the need to carry cash and makes paying in riel more convenient.
But as digital payments become more common, account security becomes more important. Yim Leat urged people to keep account passwords and one-time passwords (OTPs) private, verify transaction details before paying and watch out for digital scams.
He also called on government departments, law enforcement officers, teachers, students and residents in Kep province to continue supporting and using the riel. He said promoting the national currency, in banknotes or through digital payments, could strengthen public confidence in the riel and support stable economic development in Cambodia.
