In recent days, several users reported theft of their Mercado Pago accounts and they had a common denominator: they had access to their phones.
Scams at Mercado Pago They are the order of the day. being done Most used wallet in the countryWith over six million users, the application is one of the favorite targets of cybercriminals.
To avoid these frauds, the platform provides a Second Factor Authentication or 2FAWhich requires that every time the application is opened on a new device, it must have a special code.
How do accounts get stolen in Mercado Pago?
One of the most common ways for cyber criminals to commit Mercado Pago Fraud is through cell phone theft or pin card hacking cell phone key
That way, anyone who gets access to a person’s chip will be able to download it. digital wallet and “install” it on another device, Since then check By default this is done via a message WhatsApp, an SMS or an automated call,
Another very common modus operandi for criminals is to study on social networks that complain about Mercado Libre and impersonate a consultantFor steal your passwords,
To avoid these frauds, the user must Configure Two Factor Authentication or 2FA, To do this, you must first have Google authenticatorone of a kind app similar to tokens offered by banks, but it can be used with a variety of applications, typically financial. it is available in stores Android and of iphone,
This way, if the phone number is accessed by a cybercriminal, You will not be able to install it on other devicesbecause it would require the key of yes or yes google authenticator Which has some security measures in place so that it is not so easily installed on other devices and allows for better security.
Step by Step: How to Protect Mercado Pago Accounts to Avoid Scams?
First, both Mercado Pago and Google Authenticator must be installed on your cell phone. Then the following steps should be followed:
1. Enter Mercado Pago and press the button Ahead, which allows access to the advanced options of the app. squeeze your profile and then option Security
2. After this you have to select the button 2 Step VerificationS, then press google authenticator, The system will ask you to enter the Mercado Pago password
3. You have to choose one for the application means of verificationWhat can happen; what can be done WhatsAppso come with a message the code, Once received, go to Messenger and press the six digit number copy it and press paste in Mercado Pago continue
4. If Google Authenticator hasn’t been installed, do so now. In Mercado Pago you have to press set up on this device and then press copy key
5. Once done enter Google Authenticator (screenshots are not included, because for security reasons, the app doesn’t allow you to do this). Press the button symbolizing the plus sign and select enter config key option, Then paste the Mercado Pago code.
Ready. The Google Authenticator password will be required every time the user wants to configure Mercado Pago on a new computer, so they’ll need to open the app to find the password that changes periodically, like a home banking token.
As a final step, it is advisable to make a Backup with Google Authenticator Data In case the cell phone is lost or broken. To do this, you have to press the button with the three dots in the upper right corner of the screen and choose transfer accounts,
Then, you have to choose the accounts to export and press next, A will appear QR that it would be possible scan from another device (cell phone or tablet, for example), to configure the authenticator on more than one device.