In Chile, they warn against the risks of contactless payment cards

In Chile, experts in cybercrime have warned that the contactless payment system integrated with the country's new, rapidly growing credit and debit cards was not free from the risk of cloning by cybercriminals .

"We must not forget that the methods used by cybercriminals evolve and evolve at the same pace as technology" warned Efe Miguel Pérez, general manager of the security company NovaRed.

recommended a series of safety measures that users of these cards can use, for example, avoiding clusters in which the plastic may be exposed, taking into account that its recognition is between 20 and 30 centimeters.

How to prevent

A criminal with the necessary equipment can approach and try to scan the chip data, he said, and recommended using metal cases to cards or wallets made with materials preventing any digitization.

Also check the status at any time. account and before any suspicious transaction, immediately notify and install on your mobile applications offered by banks configure each transaction and activate notifications.

It is also advisable, said Perez, never to lose sight of the card during a purchase and check that there is no device strange near the place where payment is made.

Mbadive Use of Cards in Chile

Up to now, however, the expert noted that no complaints had been received in Chile for the cloning of contactless cards, which are those in which the customer you do not need to insert the plastic in a machine and, in many cases, write the secret code to specify the operation.

In traditional cards, criminals clone the magnetic stripe of a forged payment terminal to access them. to the secret key and use it to perform transactions claiming to be the owner of the account.

The contactless system has expanded rapidly in Chile, which is currently operating. At the head of Latin America and the Caribbean in its use, 86% of payment terminals are already able to exploit them.

These cards allow you to make purchases faster and more comfortably and the user should never deliver them or insert them into a card. machine, but nevertheless, according to Miguel Pérez, precautions must be taken given the traditional capabilities of criminals who, in general, end up breaking different systems.