See how to protect yourself from the scam that blocks payment by credit card approximation

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The aim of criminals is to induce the victim to use a physical card and enter a password to capture data. The discovery of a new type of scam with cards, which targets payment by approximation, requires care from consumers and, mainly, from retailers. According to the cybersecurity company Kaspersky, a gang is able to remotely access the electronic payment system on the computers of stores, to which the card machine is connected by cable. The malicious program installed on these computers allows the crooks to detect when a transaction will be via approach, and they block this attempt, generating a false error message on the machine’s screen. Illustration of card payment machine connected to a computer Wagner Magalhães/g1 The idea is to force the victim to insert the physical card, whose data can be captured. From there, the card could be used for another purchase by the scammers, without the store’s knowledge. See below for tips to protect yourself from the scam. At the time of payment Consumers who receive the error message when paying by approximation should not insert the physical card into the machine to complete the purchase, explains cybersecurity specialist Rafael Franco. The ideal is to insist on payment by approximation, in another terminal. “(Approximation) is a safe technology”, says Fabio Assolini, from Kaspersky. If the error message also appears on another machine, the customer must look for alternatives, such as payment via PIX or cash. Be even more suspicious if the machine screen displays a message asking you to insert the card. This warning is not common: the machines usually only inform that there was an error. Instead of using a physical card for approximation payments, Franco says it is safer to “register your cards on your cell phone, always linking (the use) to facial recognition, and leave the physical cards at home”. After payment Always check proof of amounts issued on card invoices; if there are undue expenses, contact the responsible financial institution and file a police report. If possible, register your cell phone in the bank’s application to receive a message whenever a purchase is authorized with your card. For shopkeepers Shopkeepers need to be extra careful with any request to check their machines. Before downloading any requested software, they should contact the card company to find out if this is customary or if something is wrong. This is because, according to Kaspersky, the crooks can contact merchants in person or by telephone, pretending to be employees of electronic payment companies, and ask the merchant to click on a link that would be related to maintenance, but, in truth, it is what infects the devices with the malicious program of the scam.

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