Handheld scanners which thieves can easily come by can read these chips through wallets and clothing up to several feet away. Think of it as electronic pickpocketing or identity theft. Identity theft via RFID readers is growing. Credit and identification cards now have RFID technology embedded into them. The chip contains all the data that is on the first page of your passport including your photo. RFID, Radio Frequency Identification, is the technology that lets you simply wave your credit or identification card, passport or license in front of a nearby scanner instead of having to slide the magnetic stripe through it.
Unfortunately, criminals with minimal technical skills can construct their own RFID readers with a few simple supplies.
These devices can steal your private financial information quickly and silently, all the perpetrator needs to do is come near your wallet with the hidden card reader. If your card is equipped with PayWave or blink, indicated by a logo on the front or back of the card, then it has an RFID chip embedded in it. The absence of a PayPass logo, however, does not mean that your card does not have an RFID chip—call the customer service number on the back of your card to verify if your card is RFID chipped.
If you cannot get an answer from your bank you should protect your cards anyway to ensure that you do not fall victim to identity theft. Imagine how the theft of your identity while travelling could negatively impact your trip! Travellers and people who live in urban areas and frequent public places like coffee shops, airports or commuter trains, are at the greatest risk for falling victim to theft by RFID scanner.
If you have a rfid blocker card, do you put it in front of the credit card, at the back of, or both? Security passes, keys, product tags typically use kHz as well as Most RFID systems are designed to work at short-range, typically a few inches. Thus, contactless cards are not secure.
Generally, RFID blocking cards, shields, and protectors work in several ways. They are either passive or active. Passive shields or protectors can absorb the RFID signal or deflect it.
Active RFID shields or protectors use a microchip. They typically send out an interfering signal. It is effectively pretending to be another card causing a card clash issue in the reader.
There is an easy way to find out: can you hold your up credit card to a payment terminal, and without inserting or swiping it, pay for something? Not all cards can do this. The little metallic square on your new credit card does not indicate RFID but is actually a microchip meant to enable more secure transactions. These cards use the chip to secure RFID communications by generating a single, encrypted code for each transaction.
As RFID continues to fall out of favor, the world is now going to wireless payments via mobile devices. Apple Pay, for example, had more users in its first day in the market in than all active users of RFID credit card products combined. While it is theoretically possible to steal information wirelessly, actual occurrences are basically slim to none.
So back to the question—are RFID wallets really necessary? Probably not. Get critical information for loss prevention professionals, security and retail management delivered right to your inbox. Get critical infromation for loss prevention professionals, security and retail management delivered right to your inbox. The trusted newsletter for loss prevention professionals, security and retail management. Get the latest news, best practices, technology updates, management tips, career opportunities and more.
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