Tap and Steal: COVID-19 sparks contactless payments crime spree
The $200 limit for contactless payments with no PIN or signature has led to an apparent crime spree. This kind of theft was in decline before COVID-19.
During the last three months, Police in Australia and New Zealand have issued more than 48 warnings, public statements and social media posts about contactless card fraud.
Since the 3rd of April 2020 when the limit was doubled from $100 to $200, criminals seem to have targeted Visa payWave and Mastercard Tap & Go cards.
The $200 limit was introduced after pressure from Visa and Mastercard, who said they were exploring ways to support Australians.
“Many Australians are being hurt by Tap and Steal card fraud,” said Tim Wildash, CEO of Next Payments and a leading advocate of the cash economy.
“Banks cover theft from bank accounts but do they cover the costs of broken car windows, lost handbags and personal possessions?
“The work required to replace the card and the days without a card is frustrating and it’s not convenient to open a new account and re-establish direct debits.”
The FULL LIST of 50 times the cops warned us about PayWave card fraud
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