Are Contactless Credit Cards a Safe Bet?
There’s a lot to love about contactless payments with credit cards. For one, these transactions are far quicker than using a chip reader so you can get back to your day.
A second benefit is more recent: COVID-19 safety. With contactless payments, the cashier doesn’t have to handle your card so there’s less risk of sharing germs. In fact, that’s probably part of the reason for the 150% increase in contactless payments in the past year.
For all their pros, though, contactless payments have serious cons you need to think about.
Dangers of Contactless Payments
Cybersecurity is a common concern for people today, and with good reason. But did you know merely having a contactless card could put you at risk? Let’s dig into the dangers your credit card company won’t tell you about.
Risk for RFID Skimming
Contactless cards communicate with card readers through a technology called radio frequency identification, or RFID. The problem is that these RFID signals are active at all times, not just when you’re trying to pay.
Hackers have found ways to make RFID scanners that read and store your credit card information. Anyone you walk past in the store could be skimming your card without your knowledge.
Ease of Using Fraudulent Cards
Let’s say a hacker gets access to your card information through RFID. From there, all they have to do is make a fraudulent card with that data, which is a simple task for people with this skill set.
The hacker can then use your credit card any time they want at physical locations or online. When was the last time a cashier requested your ID to verify your credit card? Chances are that it’s been a while, and that shortcut lets thieves use your card.
That’s even easier with a contactless card. The cashier doesn’t even have to handle the card, so they won’t see the name or realize that it’s fraudulent.
How to Protect Yourself from Contactless Scamming
The scariest part about the risks of contactless cards is that you don’t have to use contactless payments to be at risk. If you have a contactless card in your wallet, you’re at risk.
You may have a contactless card without realizing it because these cards also work with chip readers and card swipers. If you have any card with a wi-fi symbol on it, that indicates it’s contactless.
The only way to stay safe is to block the RFID signals from your cards. A product like the SkimSure Credit Card Protector does this for you. It’s a protective card you slide into your wallet and it blocks RFID readers from accessing your information by jamming the hackers equipment.
You can still use your contactless card because the blocking stops when you take your credit card out of your wallet. You get the convenience of contactless payments without the security risk.
Securing Your Wallet
Contactless payments have definite advantages but only if you manage the risks along the way. To stay safe without a second thought, shop our contactless credit card protectors today.