Scam operations by numerous fraudsters throughout the city are on the rise and according to Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan, using debit cards to make payments at cashless parking lots seems neither reliable nor secure.
The use of debit cards might be easily manipulated using malware software, a program designed to damage, exploit, or otherwise disrupt a computer, including providing illegal access to specific data.
Ahmad Maslan said, “I agree with what was mentioned, so we have to continue to be careful, and from the figures I stated in the Dewan Rakyat regarding scam fraud in the country, almost 22,000 people have become victims and have lost around RM850 million.”
Throughout his report, Maslan did not mention what tactics are being used by scammers to obtain private information from one’s debit/credit card via cashless parking payment.
“That number is high and we hope that people will always be careful, especially using cards that can be accessed using special software for accounts,” he said.
The information is encrypted when a debit/credit card is tapped to make payments to authorized or registered businesses, allowing the embedded EMV chip to generate a dynamic code to finish the transaction.
Through a malware software, scammers/hackers are able to access a database to obtain sensitive information including passwords, account numbers, passwords, etc.
Though customers can file a complaint when an unusual transaction is made with their cards or freeze the account since every transaction is documented, this process can be tedious and requires a lot of documentation. Reports will also need to be filed with the police.
To avoid these problems, we recommend to use a secondary debit card with limited cash in the account or a Touch ‘n Go card to make contactless payments.
