Contactless payment and ID cards are commonplace in our busy lives today. It is a fabulous addition to the convenience and speed of payment and ID requirements for the individual, retail business and hospitality/events businesses.

It does however come with some easily overcome weaknesses.

From Accidental Payments to data skimming leading to Identity fraud and Card Clash, it is important to be aware of the potential risks and take simple, permanent, convenient, and affordable steps with BLOCKTEK products to protect yourself.

These threats can affect your daily life, often without your knowledge, so it is important to stay informed and take action to safeguard your contactless cards/devices, personal information, and financial security.

Learn about the different types of threats and the steps you can take to protect yourself, your identity, and your financial assets.

Data Skimming

RFID/NFC e-skimming is a form of mobile theft that occurs when a criminal uses a device to steal the information stored on the RFID chip/NFC of a credit card, ID Card or mobile. This information can, once obtained, be used to make fraudulent purchases online on a variety of websites around the world. Even without the CVC security.

Personal data on ID cards and ePassport’s can be read and this can lead to Identity Theft and Fake documents utilising a person’s Identity. As a result, this type of skimming can affect a victim’s daily lives, often without them even knowing it.

If you have experienced this type of identity fraud ,then you will know how difficult it is and how long it takes to repair the damage done.

Accidental Payment

Can you afford to pay for someone else’s shopping in the current climate especially, we would suggest not.

Accidental contactless payments occur when a person’s credit or debit card is unintentionally scanned by a contactless payment reader, resulting in a transaction. This can happen if the card is in close proximity to the reader, such as in a wallet/purse or pocket, and can affect people who are unaware that their card has been accidentally scanned.

How can this happen? A contactless reader on Transport or at the till, sits passively waiting for a contactless rfid/nfc chip to ignite it. VoyagerBlue research under a Government grant and with two leading UK universities, proved that at the point of ignition, the reader scans at a distance of at least 1.5 meters for a timeframe of 1.2 seconds (tests saw examples of this event at 13 feet occasionally). The reader does not always connect to the chip in the closest card we are using ,but will take from the first chip that responds to its scan.

This results in a payment being taken from the wrong card of your own or someone close to you or serving you without anyone’s knowledge as the reader shows a successful transaction.

This happens each and every day to many of us on Transport systems, Retail, Hospitality, and we do not know at the time and only find out if we notice it on our statements.

Card Clash

Card clash is not as rare as you may think and is not as described sometimes.

This is a problem that can occur when a reader is ignited, and two cards react at the exact same time to its scan. The reader therefore does not understand which chip to use and so cancels the scan as it is unable to choose which is the correct chip.

Instances of this that you may have experienced would be for example, when a Retail reader cancels a transaction when there is money on your card and on transport when the barrier does not open. In both these instances it can be as a result of Card Clash as described above.

When this happens, it can be frustrating for the person trying to make a purchase and for retail/event businesses as it can lead to delays in the checkout process and footfall through.