Contactless skimming

[5teep]

Now that ATMs are being used less and contactless readers are cropping up in remote places, criminals are targeting contactless on things like parking meters. It won't be long before we see them on chargers too so just be aware and as with any ATM that you look twice before offering your card up to the reader.

Take a look at item 4 in this BBC anti fraud story.

Parking fines: How to protect yourself from common scams

Four simple tips to make sure you don't fall victim to fake texts or payment demands from BBC expert Nick Stapleton.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[dsimpkins]

Haven't read the article, but assume they also mention QR code scams at parking meters (known as Quishing)

 

[5teep]

Haven't read the article, but assume they also mention QR code scams at parking meters (known as Quishing)

Not that I read but if you have a source feel free to add it, the more the better where safety info is concerned.

 

[dsimpkins]

Here's a news article about QR code scam in South Gloucestershire. Similar happened in Bristol too.
Scam warning at car parks after 'suspect stickers' appear

 

[tsedge]

Another option is to pay using your phone's Apple Pay or Samsung/Google Pay, not a credit or debit card. Phone payments are more secure, can't be skimmed without your authorisation and don't leak your real account details when you do make a payment because they generate temporary one-time-only details.

An advantage with these kinds of phone payments is that they also won't be declined randomly by your bank every so many purchases.

Just remember to leave your credit cards or wallet in the car, so your phone is all you have next to the payment terminals.

 

[siteguru]

Another option is to pay using your phone's Apple Pay or Samsung/Google Pay, not a credit or debit card. Phone payments are more secure, can't be skimmed without your authorisation and don't leak your real account details when you do make a payment because they generate temporary one-time-only details.

An advantage with these kinds of phone payments is that they also won't be declined randomly by your bank every so many purchases.

Just remember to leave your credit cards or wallet in the car, so your phone is all you have next to the payment terminals.

Maybe it has changed, but up until about a year ago I did encounter my phone payments being rejected after a certain amount of usage. (I don't know if it was quantity or value).

When we have our "Jolly Boys" trips to York, me and my brother are in a round together. For simplicity I pay for every round (usually using my phone) and then we settle up the following morning. Until last year I would reach a point where the phone payment would always be rejected so I would have to use my physical card ... still contactless but the physical card was needed. Come the next day I would be able to pay by phone again.

 

[tsedge]

Maybe it has changed, but up until about a year ago I did encounter my phone payments being rejected after a certain amount of usage. (I don't know if it was quantity or value).

When we have our "Jolly Boys" trips to York, me and my brother are in a round together. For simplicity I pay for every round (usually using my phone) and then we settle up the following morning. Until last year I would reach a point where the phone payment would always be rejected so I would have to use my physical card ... still contactless but the physical card was needed. Come the next day I would be able to pay by phone again.

That may be a bank specific limitation you have. I have never had an ApplePay payment declined (except when the car reader is broken).

I think it is fair to modify what I said to: "less likely to be declined, depending on your bank's security policies". My bank never declines authenticated transactions.

 

[siteguru]

Bank of Scotland (Lloyds group) current account, held for decades. I've also used phone-based contactless payments for many years. I'd be surprised if the BoS specifically limited such payments where other banks don't.

As I'd said though ... in the past year I've not encountered this issue. So your original statement is probably correct now.

 

[tsedge]

Bank of Scotland (Lloyds group) current account, held for decades. I've also used phone-based contactless payments for many years. I'd be surprised if the BoS specifically limited such payments where other banks don't.

Yes indeed. Some banks do seem to have taken longer to get their heads around these new technologies than others. I did some consulting work for BoS three or four years ago, let's just say: "no comment".

 

[5teep]

Just remember to leave your credit cards or wallet in the car, so your phone is all you have next to the payment terminals.

In a past life I serviced cash machines for a living, your contactless card is in no danger of being cloned unless it's within a couple of centimeters of the reader.
To give yourself an idea, try it with your rfid card, they might be read from a little further away but you'll still not activate the charger unless you get it right up to the reader.

 

[siteguru]

A drive-by skim by a contactless reader is very easily done - if your card is in a pocket that is reasonably accessible (e.g. back pocket of your trousers). It's for this reason that many people now have shielded wallets for their cards.

 

[5teep]

A drive-by skim by a contactless reader is very easily done - if your card is in a pocket that is reasonably accessible (e.g. back pocket of your trousers). It's for this reason that many people now have shielded wallets for their cards.

This is true but also not relevent to this scenario and also extremely rare, in fact as far as I know there have been demonstrations of the method but no recorded instances of it happening 'in real life'.

 

[5teep]

As I said above, take whatever precautions you think are needed. I myself carry my cards in a metal framed card wallet just because.

 

[siteguru]

This is true but also not relevent to this scenario

My answer was very relevant to the scenario of this thread ... the thread is about skimming not cloning.