Your Expired Visa Card Could Be 'Zombified' to Make Contactless Payments

Your Expired Visa Card Could Be ‘Zombified’ to Make Contactless Payments

🚨 Attention all Visa cardholders! Did you know that your expired Visa card could potentially be used for contactless payments? Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst recently revealed a shocking technique that fraudsters could exploit.

At the Usenix Cybersecurity Conference, they warned that if an expired Visa card is left unattended or discarded intact, it could be discovered by a fraudster and “zombified”. This means that through a man-in-the-middle app, fraudsters can relay the card’s data using a pair of phones, allowing them to make payments from the unwitting owner’s account.

The issue lies in the authentication chain of contactless payments. Visa has a particular flaw that allows out-of-date cards to pass its checks. While some banks have measures in place to prevent the use of zombified cards, others do not. This could lead to fraudsters dumpster diving for expired cards and using them to make unauthorized payments.

The lesson? When your Visa card expires, make sure to cut it up with a pair of scissors ✂️ to prevent it from reanimating in someone else’s hands!

For more details, check out the full article: Read full article