Utility: Is this symbol on your debit card as well? Get it tested immediately and be careful!

Contactless debit cards are fast replacing chip-based debit cards. If you've bought a new card in the last year or two, chances are you're using a Wi-Fi-enabled card or a contactless card. If you don't know whether your card is Wi-Fi enabled, you can look for a Wi-Fi icon on your card. If so, then this facility is available on your card. With this card, you can pay without entering your PIN at a point of sale i.e. in any shop, or restaurant you can pay through the card without entering your PIN.

Being Wi-Fi enabled doesn't mean that these cards work over Wi-Fi. It works on NFC (Near Field Communication) and RFID (Radio Frequency Identification). It consists of a chip, which is connected to a very thin metal antenna.

How can fraud happen:

You do not need a PIN or OTP to use the contactless card. All you have to do is touch the card to the POS machine. The range of these cards is 4 cm. In such a situation, if you do not go near the POS machine, but bring the POS machine near you and bring it in contact with the card, then the money will go from the card without your knowledge. There have been several reports of fraudsters taking POS machines to people and stealing money from their cards. In such a situation, the card kept in a crowded place in your wallet can get trapped in the net of the POS machine.

How to keep the contactless card secure? ,

If you keep such cards in your wallet, then there should be a metal barrier in it. Either you can wrap this card in aluminum foil or you can use a metal wallet. You also get RFID-blocking wallets, which keep your cards safe.

When paying with your card, always ask for it to be processed in front of you. Process payments yourself at restaurants, etc. Instead of handing the card over to the merchant, touch it yourself and check the payment details. Also, check your bill and message after the deduction.