RFID fraud and you

 Many people dont realise the cards in their wallet are going contactless! After reading about this technology take a look at your cards and see if they are contactless. Bank cards, membership cards, seaon tickets etc.

A contactless credit card uses RFID technology to store information about your account and to transfer it to the merchant. Standard credit cards carry data on a magnetic strip; when the card is swiped against a reader, the data is transferred.

Contactless credit and debit cards are now becoming the norm for many financial institutions. Similar technology is now being used in many other “plastic card” variations such as loyalty cards, membership cards and in some cases hotel room key cards.

 The primary advantage of the cards lies in the speed of the transaction; bringing the card within a short distance of the reader is sufficient... There are now readers for various applications that can read at 1.5 metres and we would expect this to be exceeded.

Contactless cards are shipped out in RFID shielded envelopes.

These cards contain a chip or tag which in these instances is known as a passive RFID tag. When the tag is scanned the coiled antenna in the chip creates a magnetic field, this allows the chip to become energised and create enough power to transmit the encoded memory data.

An RFID reader is a device that is used to interrogate an RFID tag. The reader has an antenna that emits radio waves; the tag responds by sending back its data.

Most new android phones are now supplied with what is known as NFC capability; (near field communication) they are basically short range RFID readers. You can also buy RFID scanners for as little as £50 on the internet. Combine the availability of NFC reader apps with some unscrupulous technology aware organisations then we can all see the possibility

Your e-passport or Biometric passport contains exactly the same kind of chip. By using the downloadable apps you can copy all your passport info including the digital photo.

 

Why not protect your own “tags” by shielding them with a VoyagerBlue® credit card shield or passport shield from Gizmo Promotions. As an alternative to these shields some people wrap their cards in tin foil,"Fry" the chip in a microwave or buy an expensive metal wallet. 

You can help protect your ID for just a few pounds whereas if your ID is stolen it may not be “just a few pounds”.

 

Thanks to technovelgy