Be careful if you pay with your mobile! These are the tips from the Bank of Spain so you don’t get scammed

New technologies have brought with them many changes in day-to-day life, also in terms of the methods to pay for your purchases. Until now, the most common thing was to do it with cash or, depending on the case, with a bank card. Now, however, there are other possibilities, such as the one that includes your mobile phone.

Paying with your mobile phone is convenient and effective, especially now that almost everyone always carries it with them, thus avoiding having to handle bills and coins, or even carrying your wallet with you. But like everything, this resource It has its risks, and the Bank of Spain itself has warned about it.

Paying with your mobile phone, an increasingly common option

Not too long ago, seeing someone pay with their mobile phone seemed nothing short of an eccentricity. In fact, not all businesses were prepared for it. Now, however, it is more frequent every day. The speed at which technology increases allows the alternatives to traditional payment methods to become greater every day, but also their dangers.

In reality, paying with your mobile phone is not too mysterious, if you think that it uses contactless technology in a similar way to how bank cards now do it.

For it, The device uses what is called a virtual wallet or “wallet”. That is, the places where the card or cards from which you want to operate through your mobile device are previously registered.

The Bank of Spain’s advice so you don’t get scammed

Unfortunately, scams and theft have always existed, although probably not as much as now. Phishing cases are multiplying and it is common to see authorities such as the National Police or the Civil Guard warning of the most dangerous cases.

Something similar also happens with contactless technology. Since fewer people go to ATMs to withdraw money every day, at least routinely, criminals have also adapted to new technologies to do their thing. An issue that becomes especially sensitive if you pay with your mobile phone frequently.

On this occasion it was the Bank of Spain itself who referred to this situation, and who gave a series of advice to avoid falling into the scams of cybercriminals.

First, creating a lock setting on the mobile phone, to make it more difficult to access it. It is recommended to have a double authentication factor to access the digital wallet.

Furthermore, no matter how convenient it is to pay with your mobile phone, the Bank of Spain insists on always maintain a minimum amount from which you have to enter the pin code before finalizing a payment or purchase. When not in use, finally, it is advisable to deactivate the NFC option.

Taking into account all these recommendations from the Bank of Spain, you will not be invulnerable, but criminals will have more problems scamming or robbing you if you pay by card. It is worth remembering it.