How to protect yourself from portable sales scores

Looking at the widespread spread Using payment systems without connection, it is not surprising that the portable selling point is stolen. This type of theft has a new wave of popularity, and is much difficult to determine the extent of the speed of these transactions. But what is the amount of danger, really? And how you can protect yourself from the points of sale Fraud operations?

Sorento case

A recent event to steal points recently in Italy, when the topic exploded again a few days ago when the news agency ANSA I mentioned An arrest was made in Sorrento after someone tried to steal 100 euros from a cash record in a bar in the city center. During search, Law enforcement It was claimed that the modified mobile points station.

This was not the first time that the alleged thief was stopped with such a device; Ansa stated that they were previously arrested in Rome. It seems that the device shown in the images that are circulated by SUMUP, or POS portable is able to work independently without connecting to a smartphone. It is a common type of devices in stalls and markets, given the ability to withstand costs and ease of use.

This is also not the first time that thieves have been arrested with technical equipment. Indeed, last year Ansa It was reported A similar issue with concerns that occur in the stopping of the highway.

Difficult, but not impossible

There are two possible types How to make For this type of fraud. The first is more convenient for thieves: they steal a wallet, and later, they make a series of small transactions with a stolen card that does not require the entry of the pin, as if it were simulating a series of short -term purchases. When the limit is reached, the wallet is thrown.

The second method can be described as a kind of hunting. Thieves choose crowded places with high densities of people who are likely to communicate with each other, such as public transportation or lines in commercial institutions. Then they continue to create a payment request on portable sales points, hold them with their hands or hide it in one way or another, and put it in the back pockets of pants, bags, fans packages, backpacks, etc.

The success rate is very low due to a number of factors. The first is that it takes about 30 seconds to receive the confirmation of the transaction, before the request is repeated from the points of sale. The second is that the points of sale should be almost connected to the card, usually within 0.5 to 4 cm. The third is that there should be no overlapping elements, such as other cards. Therefore, the thief should face a series of fortunate conditions to be successful. Although the success rate is very low, it is not zero, so it is better to reduce your risk as possible. Here are some tips.

How to defend yourself

It goes without saying that if you adhere to your wallet in the back pocket of your trousers in a normal show, you are not only risky of theft in the traditional way, but you will also create the best scenario for this latest fraud. You can choose wallets with integrated RFID protection, which creates a real barrier on these types of fraud.

For the maximum protection, you can receive notifications even for small transactions without contact with your bank application settings. The fraudsters usually choose small sums, and confidence in the victim will not receive notifications – the victim may not notice the amount that is withdrawn, and may raise it with other small transactions. If it falls for the fraud, it is advisable to contact the bank immediately to object to the transactions: since everything can be followed, it is possible to determine the device used by the fraudsters, although it has turned into a new device in the meantime.

Finally, almost all modern smartphones are equipped with a NFC chip for the payments without connection. Thefts that use portable points stations can often be prevented by the fact that the smartphone lock should be canceled, so even if someone puts the points of sale on the unable, there is no treatment.

This story was originally appeared on Italy wireless It was translated from Italian.