Contactless credit cards

[gaz_l]

Greetings, Citizens.

My credit card account was hacked last month, to the tune of £850 . I report it, the wheels are put in motion, I should get refunded in a few days. Fairly smooth so far then, apart from the fact I will have to get a new card.

New card turns up today, with an unasked for contactless payment chip. So, less secure than the old one then, giving the criminal fraternity the opportunity to rip me off just by standing next to me with a pocketful of electronics bought off eBay. Great.


I had the same issue with my debit card, I complained and they sent me a chip and PIN only one. I ring the credit card company, "Oh no sir, you have to have the contactless one. But don't worry, you're protected in the event of fraud".


I will never use the contactless payment. It's only good for £20, and for that amount I'll always pay cash. So no use to me, but give the bad guys another attack vector - hey, why not?


Well if that's the way the t wats at Lloyds want to play it, good luck to them. Once the current situation is sorted out I'll be voting with my feet and closing the account.


Anyone know a reputable credit card company who will issue me a chip and PIN only card? My credit rating should be good (I hope last's months fraud hasn't affected my rating adversely) so I shouldn't have too much trouble getting accepted, particularly as I'm not going to look for a massive credit limit.


Cheers,


Gaz

 

[KillerHERTZ]

Contactless payment is great - embrace it and dont be scared of new technology!

I had my card hacked a couple of months ago, sorted no problem by HSBC - (they alerted me) hasnt stopped me using it.

 

[Spinal]

1- Embrace them, they're quite nice

2- Contactless cards have a small wireless antenna running the circumference of the card (rather than just a chip on one side). A holepunch well placed will sever the antenna, making it a non-contactless card...

m.

EDIT: The attached is a drastic solution, a holepunch on the far side should work, the wire runs all the way around.

 

[Deleted member 6183]

If you are unsure of credit file have a look at it via Noddle, it's free.

 

[Palfrem]

I asked Lloyds and Santander to cancel my contactless cards and give me a normal one.

No problem.

The Santander 123 credit card however seems to be a bit of an issue. I have raised a complaint.

I'll bet that if I lost my card and some scroat used it to spend numerous £20 hits I'll bet it wouldn't be simple to get my money back.

 

[C240Sport97]

I love contactless cards.

you can use them like Oyster cards on the tube, I pay for lunch and other small things with a mere swipe .. utterly fabulous and completely convenient.

 

[GLK]

RFID shielded wallet*, or at the very least card sleeve will help, just the same as you have (I hope) for your passport ...

* Or an insert - I wasn't ready to give up my Montblanc wallet when this contactless nonsense came up, so cut one out of a spare passport sleeve - works perfectly.

 

[gaz_l]

I asked Lloyds and Santander to cancel my contactless cards and give me a normal one.

No problem.

The Santander 123 credit card however seems to be a bit of an issue. I have raised a complaint.

I'll bet that if I lost my card and some scroat used it to spend numerous £20 hits I'll bet it wouldn't be simple to get my money back.

That's interesting, thanks. Perhaps I'll go down to the branch and bang the table. The first gonk I spoke to at Lloyds customer services said it wouldn't be a problem to have a chip and PIN card but then I was transferred to card services and they weren't having any of it.

Too right about the multiple £20 scenario, too, I think.

Cheers,

Gaz

 

[gaz_l]

I love contactless cards.

you can use them like Oyster cards on the tube, I pay for lunch and other small things with a mere swipe .. utterly fabulous and completely convenient.

I don't deny that it's useful for some, and if you've bought into it then good for you. Personally, I like good old dirty cash and as I always have a bit of walking about money on me, I don't need to pay by card.

I live in a sleepy town and TBH the likelihood of a wireless attack walking through the shopping centre is pretty minimal, but I wouldn't be so sure on the tube. And anyway, the risk can be eradicated completely by not having the facility in the first place, so I don't see the bank's problem.

Cheers,

Gaz

 

[gaz_l]

RFID shielded wallet*, or at the very least card sleeve will help, just the same as you have (I hope) for your passport ...

* Or an insert - I wasn't ready to give up my Montblanc wallet when this contactless nonsense came up, so cut one out of a spare passport sleeve - works perfectly.

I've got some metallised PCB bags at work, which I think will work as a reasonable Faraday cage. Heat seal to size, pop the card in and slip in the wallet, slimmer than a card sleeve.

I'm going to get an RFID card reader (off eBay!) and have a play to see if it works. I don't need to read the card, just to detect if it's present or not. If only I still had access to all the RF test equipment I had in my previous life..

Cheers,

Gaz

 

[GLK]

I've got some metallised PCB bags at work, which I think will work as a reasonable Faraday cage. Heat seal to size, pop the card in and slip in the wallet, slimmer than a card sleeve.

Yes, I too used those, before getting ready-made ones:

IDStronghold, or no-frills sleeve here: SmartCardFocus

 

[guydewdney]

All this talk of potential fraud reminds me of the last cards that lloyds sent out. Two cards for the same account (with over 10k in it at the time) AND both pin numbers, all at the same time..... i thought there had to be a couple of days in between for security?

 

[Palfrem]

I don't like the way these cards are now the default option.

The banks should seek our permission to issue the card "for security purposes"

I, like others, will always use cash for spends around £20 or so. You still have to open your wallet for the card or a note, so where is the saving?

I'll bet my 88 year old mother will have one of these soon and will have no idea of the way it works or the vulnerabilities. I wonder how sympathetic the banks will be if she loses money as a result of the facility?

 

[tec]

Sounds like a lot of paranoia on here.

All newly issued cards that I have received have the contact-less chip built-in.
It's not something that I will ever use unless cash is eventually scrapped, so why worry about it.

Fraud will happen at some point, but that's the banks responsibility to refund you if it ever happens.
In the past my card suppliers have spotted suspect fraudulent activity before me, which is how it should be.

 

[Meldrew2]

My contactless card is brilliant for the M6 toll - no need to count coins.

There's loads of ways to "hack" your card - it might not have been the contactless aspect that was to blame.

There was a certain hotel where a dishonest staff member took my cc details from my booking. Barclays repaid me and sent a new card promptly.

 

[C240Sport97]

You still have to open your wallet for the card or a note, so where is the saving?

I have a single credit card in my wallet, which means I don't have to take the card out, I just put the wallet over the card reader.

so incredibly convenient.

 

[C240Sport97]

there is software that banks use to detect unusual contactless use .. sometimes, it is refused and you have to enter PIN.

you only get debited if the card reader is nearby (no more than 3 inches away?), so the risk of being debited while the card is on you without your knowledge or consent is minimal to non existent

 

[Deleted member 6183]

People probably felt the same about cheques at one time then debit card readers and now contactless.

The future will, no doubt, be mobile phone apps or maybe we will all be chipped in the way that pets are.

Either way the vast majority will just get on with it leaving the cranks to kick back at technological advancement.

 

[whitenemesis]

Never really understood why we can't pay by fingerprint recognition?

 

[Deleted member 6183]

Never really understood why we can't pay by fingerprint recognition?

Or iris recognition, I understand that the technology is there.

Just imagine the detractors though:

'Fraudsters might try and gouge out my eyes to raid my current account, all £750 of it!'

'They might chop my finger off.'

'I was hypnotised by the machine, it must have been tampered with.'