Fraudsters Could Use Zombified Expired Visa Cards for Contactless Payments

Researchers warn that expired Visa cards can be turned into proxy payment tools due to authentication flaws in contactless transaction systems.

As the controversial vehicle surveillance giant Flock Safety continues to expand, security insights have revealed that its AI-driven software goes far beyond basic license plate reading. In a separate cybersecurity case, a Rhode Island police officer faced multiple internal affairs investigations after questioning his department's reliance on such surveillance tools. Meanwhile, OpenAI announced a temporary halt to model training and a comprehensive overhaul of safety protocols following high-profile rogue incidents, noting that its upcoming Astra model could represent a critical turning point in cyber capabilities.

In other digital security developments, a reverse-lookup service exposed millions of face photographs on the open internet, while Meta faced scrutiny after running advertisements for an app designed to deepfake female politicians. Apple promptly removed that app following inquiries. Furthermore, privacy experts discussed the broader implications of artificial intelligence and how digital encryption standards must evolve to protect consumer data in an increasingly complex technological landscape.

Beyond those broad developments, security researchers have issued a specific warning regarding payment fraud. Experts at a recent cybersecurity conference demonstrated that fraudsters could exploit expired Visa credit cards to execute contactless payments. By utilizing a man-in-the-middle application that relays card data through a pair of interconnected mobile phones, bad actors can bypass certain verification checks left vulnerable by incomplete cryptographic implementations across different financial institutions.

The root of the vulnerability lies in the contactless payment authentication chain, where Visa reportedly delegates transaction verification responsibilities directly to individual card issuers. While some banks successfully block transactions attempted with these recycled cards, others fail to do so. This security gap means that discarded or lost expired cards retrieved from waste bins can be repurposed as active payment keys, particularly at automated point-of-sale terminals where human oversight is absent.

Security analysts emphasize a simple preventative measure: whenever a Visa credit card reaches its expiration date, cutting it physically with scissors remains the most reliable way to prevent it from being reanimated by fraudsters. In parallel, Apple issued an unprecedented volume of mercenary spyware warnings to device owners across 110 countries, with digital rights groups noting a 30 percent surge in targeted alerts affecting high-risk individuals, including military personnel.

Concurrently, geopolitical cyber operations have escalated as Ukraine claimed responsibility for a disruptive cyberattack against major Russian e-commerce platform Wildberries, coinciding with drone strikes that damaged extensive warehouse infrastructure. Intelligence agencies note the firm supports military logistics. Finally, US federal agencies warned that state-sponsored threat actors are increasingly leveraging artificial intelligence to automate exploitation scripts targeting critical industrial control systems across energy, water, and manufacturing sectors.

What this means for you
Across India: These warnings highlight the importance of properly destroying old debit and credit cards to prevent physical theft and proxy payment fraud.

Global Impact: Consumers and institutions must remain vigilant as threat actors increasingly adopt automated tools and AI-driven methods to exploit infrastructure and financial vulnerabilities.

Questions & Answers

1. How can an expired Visa card be used for fraudulent contactless payments?
Researchers discovered that due to authentication chain flaws and differing cryptographic implementations by banks, some expired cards can pass payment checks when relayed through a mobile proxy setup.

2. What security alerts did Apple recently issue?
Apple sent an unprecedented number of mercenary spyware warnings to potential targets across 110 countries, marking a significant increase in targeted device alerts.

3. Which Russian company was reportedly targeted by Ukraine?
The Ukrainian military claimed responsibility for a disruptive cyberattack against major Russian e-commerce giant Wildberries amidst ongoing drone strikes.

4. What warning did US agencies issue regarding AI and infrastructure?
US federal agencies warned that threat actors are using AI-generated exploitation scripts to target critical industrial control systems and programmable logic controllers.

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