The convenience of contactless payment systems, an integral part of our daily lives, is not synonymous with invulnerability: there are scenarios in which they can be able to take advantage of NFC -based systems (Near-Field Communication) and RFID (Radio-Frequency Identification) to perform thefts or scams. We are talking about the so -called contactless thefts, which take place through Pi Pirate, which allow criminals, the 2.0 handbags, to withdraw money by exploiting the inattention of their victims simply by bringing the reader closer to the victims of the victims. Or episodes such as skimming, i.e. the illegal acquisition of data through hidden devices that intercept paper information, or unauthorized transactions with stolen or lost cards, since they do not always require the PIN under a certain threshold. Contactless transactions make payments quick and practical: closer the paper or smartphone to a terminal and complete the purchase without inserting a pin is now a very common practice, and this simplicity has accelerated the spread of this technology. Just think that between 2019 and 2021, the use of contact payments went from 37% to over 53%, thanks to the push towards hygienic solutions and minimal physical contact during the Covid-19 pandemic.
To defend yourself from the scams, adopt adequate measures must be taken, including monitoring transactions in real time, exploit the safety of digital wallets with biometric authentication, set alert for each movement and immediately report any anomalies are effective strategies to reduce risks. In the next paragraphs, we will see more closely how to defend ourselves from the portable pos used by scammers to perpetrate contactless scams.
Use the Wallet functionality of Android and iPhone against contactless thefts
Digital wallets such as Google Wallet, Apple Pay and Samsung Pay offer a higher level of protection than physical paper. This is because each payment requires biometric authentication (fingerprint or facial recognition) or a pin, and the real number of paper is never sent to the POS, thanks to the so -called tokenization. Translated in poor words: a criminal cannot authorize a payment by approaching a POS to your phone, because without unlocking the transaction is not activated. If possible, privilege these tools and make sure they are protected by a safe and updated lock system. Potentially it may be enough to put this advice into practice (and leave your contactless credit card at home) to be able to stem a large part of the potentially dangerous situations.
Attract the Alerts of banking movements to defend themselves from pickpocketing
Almost all banks allow you to set real -time notifications for each transaction performed with paper or through wallet. This function allows you to immediately identify a suspect operation and block it by contacting the bank. The Alerts via SMS or App are a powerful deterrent against invisible fraud, especially those of a small amount that often go unnoticed as long as the monthly account extract is not required of their institute.
Check the ATM counters
Another form of theft, a little different from the contactless thefts practiced by modified POS, is that of skimming. Some scammers may apply near the ATMs of the devices that read the data when the card is brought closer to withdraw. Before using an ATM, check that there are no suspicious mobile parts or cameras on the keypad and, when you type the paper pin on the latter, cover with your hand “free” the one you are using for the insertion of the secret code. You never know.
