Tests show that thieves armed with scanners can capture the numbers and expiry dates on the cards and use them for online purchases.
Touted as a boon for shoppers making small transactions, the ‘tap and pay’ cards do not need a PIN number.
Instead they have a tiny antenna that links with a till terminal through near-field communication, or NFC.
But a scanner held nearby can pick up this NFC data, according to the consumer group Which?.
