MSE Blog: Don’t let contactless cards make you look a fool

macliam

oldagetraveller wrote: »

I told smile just the same thing, on receipt of a new "contactless" debit card, but they do/will not provide a chip and pin replacement. Therefore the card has been destroyed and will not be used.

This is NOT necessary. A simple hole drilled through the card will disable the RFID technology without disrupting its "normal" functionality. Look on Google and you will see how.

As a tip, if you shine a very bright light through the card you will see the RFID loop. On mine there is a spot just below the mag strip and immediately above the top right-hand corner of the signature strip. Drilling a 3mm hole there breaks the circuit.

Still annoyed at the inability to opt out though......

bsms1147

How about people present the card they want to use to the reader rather than wafting their whole wallet at it...?

para69

IMO The sooner NFC is embraced the better as it cots down problems like this.

Hominu

macliam wrote: »

This is NOT necessary. A simple hole drilled through the card will disable the RFID technology without disrupting its "normal" functionality. Look on Google and you will see how.

But don't forget that if staff notice the modified card they have a right to refuse payment using it and may also inform the card issuer who may cancel the card.

howzer82

All this contactless technology can give you a headache.
It is very easy to scan data from the card from the distance. It can be done with a NFC mobile phone loaded with simple software.

I recently found our here: idblock.co.uk
that it is not only money you can lose but also your personal details can be cloned (like e-passports or work passes).

This is scary.