Reporter Sai Zhiming

前不久，山西消費者楊先生早晨醒來後發現，自己的微信和支付寶在淩晨3點左右莫名出現了7筆扣費，共計4526元。扣費帳單信息顯示，這7筆款項先充值進了他的蘋果帳戶，隨後在一款手機遊戲中購買了13次遊戲道具。但楊先生從未玩過這款手機遊戲，他懷疑自己的帳戶被人盜取，對方利用免密支付將錢轉出。

Mr. Yang's story is not unique. Recently, the China Consumers Association has received complaints from consumers claiming that the "passwordless payment" function has led to the theft of account funds. Their WeChat or Alipay had multiple deductions for no reason, ranging in size, and many of the victims' stolen money was used to buy game items or bonds.

In the era of digital economy, "password-free payment" has become the choice of many people. The so-called "passwordless payment" (i.e., "payment without password" confirmation) is a feature launched by some payment platforms or applications to improve the convenience of payment. After the user activates, the amount of a single transaction can be directly deducted within a certain limit. However, if this feature is exploited by criminals, it will pose a serious security risk. It can be seen that the majority of consumers should be cautious when using the "password-free payment" function of mobile phones when shopping online to avoid financial losses caused by excessive opening of account permissions.

為何“免密支付”易成盜刷漏洞？

One is the surge in risk when a phone is lost or an account is compromised. If someone else obtains their account or device, they can directly consume or purchase virtual services through "passwordless payment" without the need for secondary authentication. The second is the accumulation of large losses in small amounts without secrets. Although the password-free quota of some platforms is limited to a single transaction, high-frequency and small-amount fraudulent transactions in a short period of time will still cause large economic losses. Third, it is highly concealed and difficult to detect in time. Fraudulent transactions are usually completed through virtual services (such as game recharges, app subscriptions) bound to the payment platform, or during the early morning when the owner is asleep, and consumers often have already incurred multiple deductions when they find out.

How can you proactively prevent related risks?

First, do not open "password-free payment" unless necessary. Consumers can give priority to disabling the password-free function, check whether Alipay, WeChat or bank cards are bound, and turn off the "password-free payment" permission. If you want to retain some password-free services, we recommend that you set them separately. In addition, regularly check authorized apps and remove payment authorizations from third-party apps that you don't use or trust. The second is to strengthen account security protection. For example, set strong passwords and change them. Avoid using simple passwords such as birthdays and consecutive digits, and enable two-factor authentication to prevent malicious logins to your account. Another example is to turn off non-essential payment permissions, such as iPhone users who don't need to make app purchases through their accounts. Also, be cautious about using public WiFi to avoid making payments on public networks to prevent phishing or data interception. The third is to develop the habit of regular reconciliation. Consumers should check the bill notification in time, pay attention to the deduction SMS sent by Alipay, WeChat or the bank, and check immediately if they find unknown consumption. Periodically review your subscription and cancel auto-renewals that you no longer need.

How to quickly respond to a swipe?

The relevant person in charge of the China Consumers Association said that if consumers find abnormal transactions in their accounts, they should first immediately freeze the payment channels, and urgently freeze the associated accounts through bank customer service, Alipay or WeChat platforms to prevent subsequent deductions. Secondly, keep evidence and complain: keep screenshots of stolen records, transaction time and other information, and complain to the payment platform. If the amount of loss is large, it is necessary to report the case to the public security organ in a timely manner and cooperate in providing relevant evidence materials.

The relevant person in charge of the China Consumers Association reminded that the convenience of mobile payment should not be at the expense of security, please be vigilant, actively manage payment permissions, and do not ignore potential risks for convenience. In case of consumer disputes, rights can be protected through the "National Consumer Association Wisdom 315" platform.

People's Daily (10/0/0 0 Edition)