How to stop 'Contactless' transactions

JohnB47

Hi.

I've just been given a replacement credit card and it has the contactless feature which I think is sheer madness.

I've asked my CC company how to disable it but they say there's no way this can be done.

Any advice on how to proceed, apart from changing CC company? (How does the contactless feature work anyway - is there a little chip somewhere on the card?)

THanks.

Jam_Buttie

I thought contactless only works upto £15?

JohnB47

Jam_Buttie wrote: »

I thought contactless only works upto £15?

Yep, it does but the principle is the same.

Why would anyone want to risk losing their card and have someone free to go around buying everything and anything they wanted without having to enter a pin, provided each transaction was under £15?

My opinion of course but I think this is daft.

Jib111

Jam_Buttie wrote: »

I thought contactless only works upto £15?

Yeah that's what I thought too, well I know that's the case with Barclay's anyway.

peadars

i wonder how long it will take before criminals will be able to transfer the data while card is in your pocket? will bank be liable? worth asking them yes/no.

chattychappy

Yep, there's a risk. But my view is that overall it's safer - I think there is a risk every time you type in a PIN or worse still hand a card to someone else.

The risk is, of course, supposedly on the CC not on the user.

I've used the system in Hong Kong and Taiwan for a while. Speeds up queues. Also reduces the need to carry cash - another risk.

I do think it would be wise for CCs to give consumers the chance to opt out though.

cse

I don't think you need to worry too much - I've never seen anywhere that accepts contactless payments in my neck of the woods anyway! Besides the liability rests with the CC company if any fraud does take place

The technology does already exist to read the CC information while it's in your pocket, but it requires something the size of an airport scanner to read anything from more than 6 inches away - you'd probably notice. In any case you wouldn't get any particularly useful information that couldn't be obtained much more easily by other means (e.g. you won't be able to access PIN, CVV2 or any cardholder information)

izools

cse wrote: »

The technology does already exist to read the CC information while it's in your pocket, but it requires something the size of an airport scanner to read anything from more than 6 inches away - you'd probably notice. In any case you wouldn't get any particularly useful information that couldn't be obtained much more easily by other means (e.g. you won't be able to access PIN, CVV2 or any cardholder information)

Right but the pocket devices that can read within 6-12 inches are, well, pocket sized.

All a fraudster would need to do is walk around crowded places with the thing in his front / back pocket collecting details onto a smartphone, and no one would notice - he / she would be able to collect the details of everyone who kept their cards in their pocket who walked within about a foot of their own pocket. Wouldn't around any suspicion in any busy, metropolotain area really...

Vortigern

If its contactless there must be some sort of antenna embedded in the card. You could possibly punch/drill a hole in it. This would probably arouse suspicion if a retailer saw the mutilation. Do it at your own risk and let us know what happens

[Deleted User]

I don't think it's going to be possible to avoid these cards in the long run.

I remember a few years ago being amazed when Firstbus Scotland changed their their ticket machines and started insisting the pensioners hold their entitlement card against the machine - without anyone mentioning it we'd RFIDed all our old people!

I don't think we're going to see any attacks for quite a while but I can certainly imagine someone with a scanner in their pocket or bag just bumping into lots of people in a busy place stealing details.

RFID blocking wallet/purse might be the way to go if you're worried.

martinthebandit

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IWFZFBDxn8