How to stop 'Contactless' transactions

AMG762

The contactless cards will do random checks where you will still be requested to enter your PIN.

It will also ask you every 5th transaction to enter the PIN number.

So the actual risk at £15 max per transaction is not that bad.

I have a contactless card myself and think its great at places like Mc Donalds, Coffee Shops etc.

If your still not convinced then watch this video link below:

http://youtu.be/-Gj--jfeJ1I

sb2_2

Its pretty much the same as oyster cards. It has a small chip with a (I assume in CC) copper wire to act as an antenna.

The oyster cards are readable by special devices and im sure so are the credit cards.

TBH I would be much more worried about card skimming than the wireless technology. All your details could be stolen in the time it takes to swipe the card by a dodgy waiter/ess / petrol attendant. It was covered in the real hustle a while ago but it definitely should be watched by anyone worried about data theft.

Russe11

JohnB47 wrote: »

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.

Let me guess you use cheques that have all your details nicely displayed on a piece of paper and could get into the hands of anyone.

So people are just don't understand anything new!

Russe11

sb2 wrote: »

Its pretty much the same as oyster cards. It has a small chip with a (I assume in CC) copper wire to act as an antenna.

The oyster cards are readable by special devices and im sure so are the credit cards.

TBH I would be much more worried about card skimming than the wireless technology. All your details could be stolen in the time it takes to swipe the card by a dodgy waiter/ess / petrol attendant. It was covered in the real hustle a while ago but it definitely should be watched by anyone worried about data theft.

The real hustle is the biggest load of trash ever, it was exposed most of the "scams" they did where using actors or the more sophiscated ones they didn't have the technology. Though the scams may be possible, if they did some of the crap they aired to even the slightest astute person they would of come across someone very quickly that would of just kicked there heads in.

vuvuzela

Russe11 wrote: »

Let me guess you use cheques that have all your details nicely displayed on a piece of paper and could get into the hands of anyone.

So people are just don't understand anything new!

:T for the lack of comprehension displayed.

To get the details from a cheque, you need to get the cheque. To get the details from a contactless card (and there will be attacks like this in the near future, it's just a matter of time before the dodgies figure out how it's done...) then in theory you simply need to walk by or stand close by someone.

Vortigern

sb2 wrote: »

Its pretty much the same as oyster cards. It has a small chip with a (I assume in CC) copper wire to act as an antenna.

If you hold the card up against a strong light, you can see the circuit board track(s) forming the antenna. This will not work if the card is a particularly dark colour.

The Oyster card seems to have a single antenna track around the edge but the chip is hidden under the darker blue part.

I checked a credit card and that has a much more complex structure with the antenna formed by multiple concentric rings around the chip. Probably not easy to disable without also destroying the chip & pin function.

Looks like the foil wallet (or a change of CC) is the only solution for the OP

chattychappy

cse wrote: »

but it requires something the size of an airport scanner to read anything from more than 6 inches away

Went through Heathrow T3 last week. They had an airport scanner the size of an airport scanner....

Had better get my cards stopped rightaway!

cgk1

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

By 2014 or so they will be completely standard - forget the card, it's the chip which is the important bit, which is why people will be using mobile phones to pay and so on (because they have a chip embedded).

malc_b

USA is similar to this with normal credit cards. Above some figure you swipe and have to sign. Below that figure you just swipe. So same thing applies to all credit cards in USA anyone who steals your wallet can run round making small purchases until it he hits the security sign one. Then it is worst than UK since he just has to sign on a electronic pad with a stick, i.e. a signature than looks like a 2yr old did it. Anyone could fake it. And of course since the signature is so easy to fake and the only security there is no security. I'd guess contact-less was 1st thought up in USA as it is no worst than the security they have already.

sb2_2

Russe11 wrote: »

The real hustle is the biggest load of trash ever, it was exposed most of the "scams" they did where using actors or the more sophiscated ones they didn't have the technology. Though the scams may be possible, if they did some of the crap they aired to even the slightest astute person they would of come across someone very quickly that would of just kicked there heads in.

I agree that not all of the scams were 'real' to the sense that some were actors but not most.

Even if they were actors, it still doesnt discredit the fact that there is technology available to criminals that can read your card. I know for a fact that the card skimmer devices are real and the information can be copied to a pre pay top up card. Even if they dont copy the card, they still have all your details. Obviously not all criminals would have access to it but its not that hard to get if you want it.

Just because some situations on the show arent real doesnt mean the threat they are showing isnt (as rare as it may be).
Have you seen 'catch me if you can'?

You can buy lockpick kits, lockpick guns and other non destructive entry tools online without any checks whatsoever so it cannot be that hard to get tools for illegal uses.