What can help steal your credit card info?

Contactless payment cards have radio frequency identification tags in them which can be read from a distance by using a scanner. The same RFID technology ensures the operation of building access cards and transport cards. Therefore, data on all types of contactless cards are not secure.

A number of publications, such as NBC New York and The Sun, have conducted experiments showing that contactless card information can be stolen at close range. To do this, experts simply held a reader disguised as an iPad to the victim’s pocket, wallet, or bag. Now, scammers don’t even need to buy any devices to do this. Google Play has apps that can be used for the same purpose.

If you are in a public place where a lot of people have gathered, the risk of such fraud increases significantly.

What information can be stolen?

As a result of using RFID readers, fraudsters can get access to different types of data, for example, credit card numbers, information about the expiration date of the card. This data is sufficient for resale on the darknet, and after this information is supplemented with other personal information, it could be used for making transactions on a number of sites or opening an account in your name. If a fraudster has received part of your personal data, the chance that they will receive all the information necessary for making a transaction or opening an account increases significantly. At the same time, security experts say that 80% of credit cards are compromised in some way.  Their data was stolen as a result of phishing, skimming, malicious software on websites, fraudulent phone calls, and data violations.

How to protect your cards from skimming and other types of fraud

Of course, credit card companies are trying to improve the technology with encryption, but thieves are also using increasingly advanced technologies that allow them to steal personal information.

Therefore, we recommend that you follow the simplest preventive security measures against RFID skimming:

• Do not store your cards in your pockets or money clip wallets. Only in your wallet, and your wallet is in a zippered bag. The wallet must have a separate slot for each card so that you can see each card in its place.
• Use a special blocking wallet, holder, or blocking card to protect your contactless card from skimming. Do not wrap the cards in foil, it is not intended for shielding.
• If you see someone holding a mobile phone next to your wallet or bag, or acting strangely in the checkout line, step back and ask the store’s staff for help.
• Before using the card anywhere, check for card skimmers.
• Use one card for autopay accounts and the other for everyday purchases. The autopay and everyday strategy helps you save your money and personal data.
• Do not store photos of your cards on your phone, or write their data to your phone.
• Keep cards that you don’t use at home in a safe place. You can also keep a list of all your card numbers, expiration dates, and security codes, as well as contact information in case your cards, are ever stolen.
• Destroy any documents containing your credit card information, including documents containing the last 4 digits.
• Keep track of your account statements. If you see a suspicious purchase, immediately notify the card Issuer.
• Periodically check the personal accounts of the online stores that you use most often (Amazon, Target, etc.). if you find any transactions that were not made by you, contact the seller immediately.
• If someone asks you to provide your card details over the phone on behalf of the card Issuer, do not agree. Call the customer support number on the back of your card and ask the Issuer’s representative what to do in this case.
• Use a credit card instead of a debit card whenever possible. In General, the losses will be less if the thief drains your credit limit, rather than having access to funds from your debit card. If your debit card is compromised, you may lose access to all the money in your current account until the Bank deals with the fraud. This could take several days.
• Periodically change your passwords and update your card pin codes.

Keep your data and funds safe at all times.

‘If you are worried about someone reading your cards, there are several RFID blocking products that can prevent skimming.

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When you leave a house one of the things you always carry with you is a wallet. Probably like most people, you like to carry your stuff with you all the time. Money, credit cards and ID card are the things that we carry with us all the time.

Secure travellers wallet

If you are often travelling and use public transport, train or any other means of transportation, the imperative is a good wallet. When we say good we think it's safe, it's invisible because of the pickpockets, slim and one-handed type of a wallet. Travel wallets are all about getting rid of a jumble, keeping your valuables safe and organised, and making sure you enjoy your trip.

Good wallet for travellers

When you are travelling, you need a good wallet. A good wallet means that you can put inside all the things you need, it is big enough for all your cards, cash and other documents, but on the other hand, it is safe and you have to be sure that all your things will be secure.

Capacity and function

Even the best traveller wallet is something between capacity and function.

What a good traveller wallet contains:

-Slim and minimalistic

-RFID blocking

-The minimal organisation and streamlined

What type of travel wallet do you need? There are a lot of travel wallets on the market. Some are super slim minimalist only holding a few things, while others are much bigger and full-sized made for purses. It depends on what sort of trip you’re taking, is it a day trip or a weekend getaway. Depending on your travel trip, your wallet might need to hold a lot of coins, or a lot of cash, or credit cards.

Travel wallets come in some various materials—leather, carbon fibre, aluminium, and even a waterproof and travel RFID blocking type of a wallet easy credit card access, hidden stash pockets, tons of room for your cash and cards.

Minimalist slim traveller wallet

The best type of wallets when you are travelling is a minimalist slim wallet. Why is that? It is small, with this kind of wallet you avoid being the target as someone pickpocket victim, it is accessible and one-handed use.

RFID travel wallet

If we are talking about travel wallets, we have to mention RFID wallet. It is important that your wallet is secure and that your money and cards will be safe all the time. The RFID blocking wallet is a for a bounce the better option on travel than the minimalist wallet.

Accessible wallet

Most of these wallets are very practical, which is very important. You can easily take off them from your pocket or a purse, use them with one hand, which is important if you need to use the card for the subway or a train. Choose some accessible, one-handed and durable wallet for your travel. If you are going to spend a lot of time in a crowd, choose minimalist and slim wallet, that can fit in your pocket.

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Consumer adoption rates for contactless methods are consistent across the continent with a 97% upswing in contactless transactions so far this year, MasterCard reports.

While consumer faith in the security of contactless may be increasing overall, reports in the UK press of the risks of paying for your daily coffee, train journey or sandwich with a quick point-of-sales card tap suggest growing public concern.

In late August for example, an Aberdeen couple told The Guardian newspaper of how £600 was spent on their contactless cards at home despite having taken the cards with them on holiday to Poland.

Evidence has also been mounting that it is possible to grab information using card reading technology that can then be used to steal a cardholder’s identity.

Consumers are countering this with innovative ways of protecting their cards against data theft, ranging from covering their cards in tinfoil to specially-designed wallets employing radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology.

While the specialist wallets do block radio waves, they also have the side-effect of preventing the cards from being used without first taking them out of the casing.

This can be particularly frustrating to commuters who rely on moving quickly through ticket barriers with a quick tap in or out.

However, Exeter-based start-up RFID Cloaked is aiming to correct this with their new RFID wallet.

As well as offering security for your data, these wallets allow users to pay on the move, giving data protection without sacrificing convenience. What is more, the new wallet prioritises style, allowing users to choose from a range of looks.

“We are different by design,” says co-founder Julian Ghail. “I really think our product is design-led, not for design’s sake, but to be intuitive to use.”

Due to launch their second Kickstarter campaign in October, the team is offering its first backers a fifty percent discount on the wallet. To be one of the first to sign up, check out their page here at https://rfidcloaked.com/pro/.

*this is a paid promo*

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