Gone are the days of bartering, exchanging goods and services for other kinds of goods and services. Cash was king but it lost some of its glory as more and more people search for a faster and safer method of payment and information storage and transmission.
RFID is the new kid on the block, the new technology that is trusted by banks, businesses and border agencies. Now RFID technology has become the new gold standard. But what is RFID?
What Is RFID?
The acronym RFID stands for ‘radio frequency identification’. The transmitted radio frequency is certain credit and debit cards that can transmit automatic payments without being “swiped.” The card is tapped on the card scanner at the shops, the card readers would then read the specific radio frequency ID being emitted from the card in order to complete financial transactions.
There is a popular theory that hackers or scammers can use a scanning device to steal your personal information from off your card just by walking close to you, but is it true, am I safe? Do I need RFID protection for my cards and identity documents (identity cards)?
The quick answer is NO, you do not need any special RFID protection because chances of your card being skimmed by a crime are minimal. Furthermore, if you were even skimmed the banks would return the money so you would never be out of pocket.
The use of RFID technology got even more popular in recent years. It is used in all types of bank cards (credit and debit cards), passports for identification at border control, bus passes to pay for trips, identification tags to enter a private building, and much more for faster processing.
Do I Need RFID Protection? Not Really, But It Can Help.
RFID use made the world move much faster, but this comes at great risk. It is said that criminals are using a special scanner to read the information on your RFID enabled card without even touching you.
It is claimed also that you wouldn’t even know that you were robbed until it is too late, stealing your financial and/or personal information for their own gain.
All is not downhill from here because of the good guys, the real heroes in this situation if it is ever to be materialised have created RFID protected wallets to intercept the signals between your cards and the bad guys with the RFID readers.
With these products, it is like you have your very own RFID Wallet Shield to protect your personal information and your hard-earned money.
The risk is there but it is quite low because the majority of credit cards used in the USA don’t even have RFID chips.
Most bank cards rely on chip-and-sign EMV technology, rather than waving your card near a card reader. If you get a Global Entry card, it comes in a foil-lined sleeve, which suggests that the government may be worried about it.
How To Tell If Your Wallet Is RFID Protected?
Wallets that are RFID protected will be clearly labeled as such. I sure it would be false advertising if it is labled as RFID protected when it is not.
If you like, I am sure you can test it by buying an RFID scanner your self and cycle through the frequency to ensure that no signal is seeping through.
I would not suggest it though because it is quite expensive for what it will be used for. If you have the $100 or so to spend your money would be better served to buy a much nicer wallet.
You Can DIY Your Own RFID Wallet
If the wallet you have is not labelled as being RFID protected, you can make it RFID protected by making your own RFID Wallet Shield. All you need to do is create a pouch for the cards by using a bit of duct tape, aluminum foil.
Get a piece of one of the very thick aluminum foil, wrap it around the card and tape it together. Alternatively, using the foil as the protective material you can just stick it in the cash section of the wallet so that when the wallet closes the cards ended up in the middle of the foil.
If that is too old school for you, do not worry, there are special RFID sleeves that you can purchase on Amazon for a very cheap price that can offer you the right protection. Just place it in your wallet and put the cards in the sleeves.
These RFID blocking sleeves will block RFID signals from getting through the wallet to the scanner. This will protect your vital financial data if the criminals get smarter.
Conclusion
The threat of RFID skimming has given rise to an enormous industry of RFID-blocking products. It’s a standard feature in smart wallets. It’s where criminals with RFID readers sneak up behind us and scan the credit card or passport in our pocket or bag to steal information they can use for fraudulent transactions or identity theft.
However, there are various ways to tell whether or not your wallet is RFID protected. Even though the risk is low of you actually getting scammed it is better to play it safe than to be sorry.
