Can Car ETC Be Stolen and Swiped?
2 Answers
Car ETC can potentially be stolen and swiped. Here are methods to prevent ETC from being stolen: Remove the card after getting out of the car: Because a POS machine attempting to steal and swipe an ETC card must maintain a distance of about 3-4 cm, transactions cannot be conducted beyond this range. Disable the quick payment function at the bank: Any bank card labeled with "Quick Payment" has this function enabled by default when the card is issued. While it may facilitate daily life, it can lead to financial losses if encountered by malicious individuals. To avoid future troubles, you can directly disable this service. Enable SMS notification service: Keep track of every transaction. In case of theft and swiping, you can immediately report to the police and use this as evidence to claim compensation from the issuing bank. To alleviate cardholders' security concerns, various banks have set up exclusive compensation funds, offering "full risk coverage" services for lost cards.
I heard some people worry about ETC being fraudulently charged. As a veteran car owner, I've researched this. The ETC device itself only supports highway toll deductions—it can't be used like a regular bank card for POS transactions. The banking system has specialized protections; each deduction requires verification of license plate and route information by the toll station, making it impossible for unauthorized devices to connect. My car has had ETC installed for five years without any issues. However, if your card has financial functions, remember to ask the bank to disable small-amount contactless payments—this setting completely eliminates risks. Nowadays, newly issued ETC cards mostly default to disabling non-highway transaction functions, so drive on the highway with complete peace of mind!
