How to prevent scams when using contactless payments.
With contactless technology, you simply touch your physical or digital card to the payment device. In most cases, you don't even have to enter a password.
A ‘contactless’ payment uses radio frequency identification technologies incorporated in credit cards, debit cards and mobile phones, with the aim of facilitating transactions by simply bringing one of these elements close to the point of sale.
While it is true that the adoption of this technology allows for easy payments and its use is growing every day worldwide, it is also true that criminals have taken advantage of this ‘contactless’ technology to commit various crimes.
Fraud with contactless cards, also known as skimming, is increasingly common.Criminals use different techniques to steal your data and carry out fraudulent transactions without you realizing it;Among the most well-known types of fraud are:
Proximity fraud: Criminals can use radio frequency reading devices to steal information from cards while they are in the wallets or pockets of users. This type of fraud is known as skimming, and can allow criminals to make fraudulent purchases both online and in physical stores.
Identity theft: This stolen information can also be used to impersonate the user.
Spending limits: These cards generally have a maximum spending limit for transactions.If criminals obtain this data and stay below the limit, they can accumulate a significant amount of money.
Physical theft: If a criminal manages to steal the physical version of a card, they can make fraudulent purchases in stores without having to enter a PIN code on the card.
But the risks are not only the cloning or theft of cards, but also the excessive trust of users who do not verify the amount charged.
SECURITY TIPS:
- Check that the total recorded corresponds to the amount of the purchase.
- Save the receipt to check that the amount of the charge matches the amount of the purchase, and it will also serve as proof that you have made a payment through a point of sale.
- Review the purchase charges to keep track of the operations.
- Check with the bank about the possibility of sending a notification for each purchase made.