As retailers across Australia lift the limit on contactless card payments, SA Police urge consumers to secure their debit and credit cards with the same care reserved for cash or other valuable possessions.
In an effort to reduce customers' physical contact with payment terminals, certain merchants including major supermarkets have now doubled the limit for tap-and-go purchases from $100 to $200 per single transaction.
The new $200 limit announced on Friday 17 April is a temporary measure in response to COVID-19, and will apply for a three-month period subject to Government advice.
Assistant Commissioner Paul Dickson believes contactless cards may prove all the more tempting for opportunistic thieves.
"To an offender, your credit or debit card is every bit as valuable as cash", says Assistant Commissioner Dickson.
"The ease of contactless payment enables offenders to ring up thousands of dollars in fraudulent payments within days.
"At the very least, you will have to deal with the inconvenience of replacing cards and identification.
"At worst, you could suffer a sizeable financial penalty, and have your personal security severely compromised by an offender who's prepared to steal your identity for their own gain.
"My message is, simply, don't take the risk.
"If you wouldn't leave a large sum of cash in plain sight, secure your cards, wallet or handbag with equal caution", says Assistant Commissioner Dickson.
