Contactless payments have become part of everyday life in Portugal, increasingly replacing the use of physical cash. The speed and convenience of paying just by bringing your card or cell phone to the terminal has won over millions of users. But a new investigation has warned of a problem that goes unnoticed by those who trust this technology: the system can be fooled.
Failures under investigation
According to Executive Digest, a website specializing in economics and business, a study conducted by the universities of Surrey and Birmingham, in the United Kingdom, identified serious vulnerabilities in the EMV system, the basis for card payments from Europay, Mastercard and Visa.
The detected flaws allow, under certain conditions, high-value transactions to be carried out without the need to enter a PIN or resort to biometric authentication.
Researchers discovered that certain recent features, such as the possibility of making payments even without a network or without unlocking the cell phone, open the door to manipulation.
In tests carried out, it was possible to trick payment terminals into accepting cards when they should only accept mobile devices. In one case, a fraudulent operation reached a value of 25 thousand pounds (€28,355).
The rush to innovate and the price of convenience
Ioana Boureanu, director of the Cybersecurity Center at the University of Surrey, said the accelerated pace of innovation could compromise user protection. “The rush to introduce new features to improve the shopping experience can sometimes come at the expense of security,” explained the researcher.
Tom Chothia, a member of the research team, added that the problem is not the result of direct failures by the companies, but rather the complexity of the system. “When new functions are added independently, unexpected loopholes can emerge,” noted the researcher.
Measures after final results
The results were communicated to the entities involved in 2024, leading to the implementation of mitigation measures. However, experts warn that vulnerabilities continue to require constant vigilance, as each new update can introduce additional risks.
According to , although contactless technology has revolutionized the way we pay, research reinforces that convenience and security do not always go hand in hand.
Ongoing monitoring, regular updates and cooperation between suppliers remain essential to ensure that speed does not become a threat.
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