Security of contactless payment cards

dog_nanny

I'm seeing lot of ads lately for RFID wallets/cards to stop fraudsters taking your card details. When looking at the reviews of these products there are always some reviewers who say they've tested them and they don't work. I'm wondering how serious a threat this really is, or whether it's being hyped up just to sell these products. Has anyone had this happen to them? Does anyone have one of these products that definitely works?

Tildaplum

If you are worried and can live without the contactless feature, simply make your card non-contactless.
Do this by ordering a non-contactless card (eg NWide, First Direct) or by cutting a small (about 1 cm long) thin 'V' in the middle of the short edge opposite the chip.

Gers

If you have more than one contactless card then store them together. 

DCFC79

dog_nanny said:

I'm seeing lot of ads lately for RFID wallets/cards to stop fraudsters taking your card details. When looking at the reviews of these products there are always some reviewers who say they've tested them and they don't work. I'm wondering how serious a threat this really is, or whether it's being hyped up just to sell these products. Has anyone had this happen to them? Does anyone have one of these products that definitely works?

Not had an issue with contactless, if your concerned you could try lining your wallet with silver foil.

Migster

dog_nanny said:

I'm seeing lot of ads lately for RFID wallets/cards to stop fraudsters taking your card details. 

I'm not sure that there are any real-world examples of fraudsters exploiting contactless to steal card details.

born_again

More chance of losing the card than someone using a device to copy a card....

[Deleted User]

Anti-contactless wallets definitely don’t come with a 100% guarantee so they can’t be totally relied upon.
The best way to stop contactless is to cut into the card to damage the functionality.

Vortigern

It's hard to find a wallet that doesn't claim to have RFID protection these days.

With at least 5 contactless cards in my wallet currently, I doubt that any of those cards could be read successfully by a passing cyber-criminal.

SnowTiger

dog_nanny said:

I'm seeing lot of ads lately for RFID wallets/cards to stop fraudsters taking your card details. When looking at the reviews of these products there are always some reviewers who say they've tested them and they don't work. I'm wondering how serious a threat this really is, or whether it's being hyped up just to sell these products. Has anyone had this happen to them? Does anyone have one of these products that definitely works?

I don't think contactless is really contactless.  I always have to physically tap the receiver for my card to be accepted.

When contactless was launched there were lots of horror stories about the potential for criminals to brush up against punters with a CSI type device, downloading their card details and go on spending rampage.  We haven't seen much of that.  I'm not aware of any friends or family members how have had their contactless card 'cloned'.

At launch, card companies promised to refund fraudulent payments.  I guess they didn't (and don't) have a choice because payments are not physically authorised by the card holder.

I keep my cards in a card holder like this.  Not through fear; but through convenience.  I have an NFC reader app on my phone.  It can't detect any cards inside the holder.

From The Independent in January 2019: 

Data quietly released this week shows the instances of thefts relating to contactless cards doubled in just 10 months last year, according to Action Fraud, the national reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime. Up from 1,440 cases worth £711,000 over the same period in 2017 to around 2,740 cases worth almost £1.8m in 2018, the average amount stolen last year was more than £650.
[...]
Compared with total spending of £31.9 billion over the same period, “this means the level of contactless fraud is just 2.5p in every £100 spent, the same as it was in the first half of 2017,” a UK Finance spokesperson said.

Contactless fraud is pretty small.  It may reduce now that most contactless payments are 'online' and punters are asked to enter their PIN more often.

sausage_time

dog_nanny said:

I'm seeing lot of ads lately for RFID wallets/cards to stop fraudsters taking your card details.

Don't waste your money.  As has been said, the risk is losing your card, not somebody stealing you details.  Even if they could, there is nothing they can realistically do with them.

dog_nanny

Thanks everyone. I'm happy that the risk is small, so will stop worrying and waste my money on something else.