Ever since we’ve been able to tap our payment cards on a terminal rather than sticking them in and typing a PIN – or, worse, signing a piece of paper like something out of the 20th century – criminals have been looking for a way to exploit this convenience and relieve us of some money.
In theory, anyone who brushes up against you on the tube or in the street could be carrying a terminal that could operate as if you were making a purchase. If the terminal is brought close enough to you - the optimum distance for contactless payments is 4cm and doesn’t exceed 10cm - a transaction could be made, unbeknownst to you.
