How to protect you from portable scams

Considering the widespread Use of contact systems without contact, it is not surprising that the portable theft of the store are returning. This type of robbery is enjoying a new wave of popularity and is much more difficult to identify given the speed with which these transactions take place. But how much risk is there really? And how can you protect you from POS scams?

The case of Sorrento

A recent example of POS theft has occurred recently in Italy, when the topic exploded a few days ago when the Ansa news agency shown An arrest made in Sorrento after someone tried to steal € 100 from a cash register in a bar in the city center. During research, the police have found a modified portable POS terminal.

It was not the first time that the alleged thief had been stopped with such a device; Ansa reports that she was previously arrested in Rome. The device shown in the photos spread by the media seems to be a sumup solo or a portable POS capable of operating independently without being connected to a smartphone. It is a popular type of device in stalls and markets, given its convenience and ease of use.

This is also not the first time that thieves with technological equipment have been arrested. In fact, last year Ansa reported on A similar case with apprehensions that occur at a highway stop.

Difficult, but not impossible

There are two possible ones Modus operandi For this type of scam. The first is the most convenient for thieves: they steal a wallet and, later, they make a series of small transactions with a stolen card that does not require to enter the PIN, as if to simulate a series of short -term purchases. When the limit is reached, the wallet is thrown away.

The second method can be described as a kind of train fishing. Thieves choose crowded places with high density of people who could get in touch with each other, such as public transport or lines in commercial establishments. Then they proceed to create a request for payment on a portable POS, keep it in your hands or hide it in some way and place it in the rear pockets of pants, bags, flames, backpacks and so on.

The success rate is very low due to a series of factors. The first is that it takes about 30 seconds to receive confirmation of the transaction, before the request must be repeated by the pos. The second is that the POS must be almost in contact with the paper, usually within 0.5 to 4 cm. The third is that there must be no interfering elements, like other cards. Therefore, the thief must meet a series of fortuitous circumstances to be successful. While the success rate is very low, it is not zero, so it is better to limit the risk as much as possible. Here are some suggestions.

How to defend you

Needless to say, if you stick the wallet in the back pocket of the pants in plain sight, not only risk being robbed in a traditional way, but also creates the best scenario for this new scam. You can opt for wallets with integrated RFID protection, which create a real barrier to these types of scams.

For maximum protection, you can also receive notifications for small contact transactions through your bank’s app settings. Scammers generally choose small amounts, trusting that the victim will not receive notifications: often the victim may not notice the amount withdrawn, perhaps confusing it with other small transactions. If you fall in love with the scam, it is advisable to immediately contact your bank to contest transactions: since everything is traceable, it is possible to identify the device used by the scammers, even if in the meantime they may have passed a new one.

Finally, almost all modern smartphones are now equipped with an NFC chip for contact payments. Thefts that use portable POS terminals can often be prevented by the fact that the smartphone must be unlocked, so even if someone places a POS terminal on the unattended phone, there is no transaction.

This story originally appeared on Italy wired And it was translated by Italian.