Beware of the ill effects of digital hongbao

A user logs on to the WeChat service on a smartphone in Boao, Hainan province. [Photo/Xinhua]

Mobile payment technology has indeed made life convenient for people, but it has also given the country's anti-corruption watchdog a headache. For example, anti-corruption agencies fear WeChat hongbao (red envelope), or the small amounts of lucky money people send through the Internet service portal of Tencent Inc, could have opened another door for officials to take bribes.

The service is an online extension of the traditional gifting of hongbao to relatives and friends during Spring Festival. By simply linking a debit card with your WeChat account, you can send a digital hongbao to any relative or friend in your contact group.

The service became a huge hit during Spring Festival in February this year with millions of people frantically tapping on their mobile phone screens to send small amounts of money to their relatives and friends.

Anti-corruption officials point out that, thanks to this new digital payment technology, people can now send money to officials through cell phones instead of carrying large bags of gifts and knocking on officials' doors. In fact, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, the country's top anti-corruption watchdog, has repeatedly warned officials to not fall in the corruption trap by accepting red envelopes or other types of gifts through the Internet.

Expectedly, the authorities' warnings triggered heated online discussions, with some saying it would be stupid of people to bribe officials through digital red envelope because the 200-yuan ($31) cap on such transfers and the daily transfer limit of 8,000 yuan would force a person to spend nearly two weeks to transfer 100,000 yuan.

Of course, 200 yuan is not a "decent bribe" for even the lowest-level officials, and nobody would be expected to send a large amount to an official through hundreds of hongbao.

The problem, however, is that such money can also be given on occasions other than Spring Festival. So people with vested interests can invite officials to a WeChat group to play a game of grabbing the hongbao on the pretext of celebrating a festival and transfer the desired amount of money to them.