Debit card info stolen

[josenca]

This is the 3rd time a got my debit card info stolen. The only two places a have my debit card is my fiscal wallet and my Samsung wallet app. When I go the buy I don't even carry my wallet with me because I have my cards on my phone. But this is the 3rd time someone tried to make online purchases on a security company (ADT) and two online games sites (ebony and I don't remember the other one) 

Thing is, it looks like Samsung wallet and Samsung pay are no secure enough. 

[realaud]

Do you keep NFC off when you are not actually using the app? Is your debit card the only card in the wallet? It's possible that your card was compromised in another way at another time. In the wallet, your card number is encrypted and assigned a virtual card number, so it would be impossible to be stolen. Sometimes card thieves wait months or years before using a stolen number. Also, you have your card in another app, what makes you so sure Samsung Wallet is the culprit? You may have paid for something online with the card and whatever site you used was compromised. If you used it at your bank's ATM, it could have been compromised. I've never had a card compromised since using digital wallets, but I have when using a physical card.

[josenca]

Well, thing is every single time a blocked and replaced my card, a different number was assigned to the new one. I use that card and account on specific just for deposits and transfers. Never to buy with it. That's why I started thinking about Samsung wallet safety features

[realaud]

If you don't use it for purchases, you shouldn't keep it in your e-wallet.  You can't use it at an ATM or in the bank.  As I said, not that it can't happen, but it would be extremely difficult for it to happen once, let alone 3 times, unless your bank account was somehow compromised). Even though your new debit cards have new numbers, the number is not exposed at all in Samsung Wallet.  Once you add it to your wallet, it's assigned a virtual account number that is only associated with that wallet.  If you have the card in both Google Wallet and Samsung Wallet or even a second Samsung Wallet on a watch or other device, the virtual account number will be different.  So, even if someone managed to glean the virtual account number from your wallet, it would not do them any good, as they would have to actually be using that specific wallet to make their purchase. I have half a dozen credit cards in both my Google Wallet and Samsung Wallet (no debit card), and have been using both for years and never had a card compromised. 

The last time I had a debit card compromised was 8 years ago (before e-wallets).  I had just gotten a debit card for my mom's account as her POA.  I had the card for a while and then couldn't remember if I chose the PIN I thought I did, so I went to the bank's ATM to check.  I had used that debit card exactly that one time and there were some loiterers in the ATM lobby, which gave me some unease, but I went ahead anyway.  Six months later I found a charge to that card that was not mine.  So, your card could have been compromised at the ATM - as many times you have to activate it at an ATM.

[josenca]

I appreciate your advice my friend. Maybe I should be careful with my cards and real wallet. I always have it in my pocket but here in the USA is pretty normal that scammers find the way to use some tools or gadgets to scan and stole your cards info. Thank God my bank always asks for a yes or no confirmation via text message to approve any online purchase.

[realaud]

Use a wallet with RFID protection or an RFID sleeve for the card.

[Jon796]

Actually the Samsung wallet is very secure in fact credit card companies recommend you use your phone instead of your physical card. Your first line of defense is they would need your finger or your face to unlock your phone. And also when you use your credit cards on your phone it does not actually transmit your actual number. Under the cards you have in your wallet you will see a digital number. That number is the only number that is transmitted and actually changes for each and every purchase. And I can guarantee you that your debit card was not hacked through your phone. If they hacked into your phone that's not the card that they would have chosen. And to use your ATM card, going to wallet where you see all your cards. On the upper right hit the three dots then choose Transit card. Now you will see that you can only pay for things and you normally would but it allow you to even transfer money but for your ATM card to work properly you need to turn that on. And if you have one particular credit card that you prefer to use, hit the three dots again choose the card you want to use and set that as your default payment if you want to pay using a different card open your wallet slide over to the card you want to use and use it to pay for stuff as you normally would. And remember when using it as a way to get money out of your ATM make sure you do not see any strange devices or what looks like a new cover where you would put your credit card into those are devices designed to pick up all your card information once they have that they can go to town. I suggest you also go into your credit card app and turn on notifications. The second I paid for something I get it an alert on my phone telling me it was used where it was used and how much that way you would know instantly if anyone was using your card. The most important thing is when you install an app and they have you check off those little boxes before allowing you to install the app will you're giving them permission to sell your information. Go into the app after installation and take those permissions off. Cuz if you don't those apps will sell your information to brokers we didn't sell your information to many people. Also do you have a VPN? Using a phone without a VPN can be dangerous because you could end up on an unsecured Network from a coffee shop or something like that and without a VPN anybody can just tiptoe through your phone. There's a few apps you can use for free that will send companies that take part in this program that will automatically remove your information tell them not to sell it anymore if not you have to do each and everyone separately. And as many ways for you to find out what information about you is online mainly the dark web you will be shocked what is on there. If you don't find your social security number your phone number your address and all that I'll be shocked. You can get free software usually from your cell provider such as McAfee if you are a T-Mobile customer but they all have similar free software that will enable you to check what information about you is online. I hope this answers your question if you need any other assistance let me know.

[Jon796]

In general, using a phone for payment through a digital wallet is considered safer than using a physical credit card due to features like tokenization and biometric authentication. Digital wallets use a unique, single-use code for each transaction, protecting your actual card number, while physical cards are more susceptible to theft and skimming. 

Here's a more detailed look:

Digital Wallets (Phone Payments):

Tokenization:

Instead of your real card number, a unique, one-time code is sent to the retailer for each transaction. 

Biometric Authentication:

Using fingerprint scans or facial recognition adds an extra layer of protection, making it harder for someone to access your payment information even if they get access to your phone. 

Encryption:

Digital wallets use encryption to scramble your financial information, further protecting it from unauthorized access. 

Physical Credit Cards:

Risk of Theft and Loss:

If a physical card is lost or stolen, it can be used before you even realize it's missing. 

Skimming:

Physical cards are vulnerable to skimming, where criminals can install devices on card readers to steal card information. 

No Protection Against Theft:

If your card is physically stolen, the thief can potentially use it before you're even able to report it. 

In Summary: While both methods have security measures in place, digital wallets offer more protection through features like tokenization and biometric authentication, making them generally considered safer than physical credit cards. 

[Popsicle20]

I got skimmed once years ago by sticking my card into a compromised gas pump. In my area this is a big problem with gas pumps and sometimes even the card readers inside the stores.

There are websites and videos online that can show you how to check for skimmers in gas pumps, ATMs, etc. before you insert your card.

Be careful and good luck out there.

[Jon796]

Yeah that can't happen when using your phone only when using your physical card because your phone does not transmit your credit card number in any way