What kind of protection do you use?

Annie H.

Annie H.

Egalatarian
As I'm starting to carry more cards I've become more concerned about protection from scammers and scanners. I understand newer, portable scanners can be had for $100 or less and that RFID chipped cards are especially vulnerable. I was looking into the "Signal Vault" card but then saw a demonstration showing it didn't work.


Do you use RFID blocking wallet, sleeves, tinfoil or???
 
F

Fuerza

Guest
Plain leather, I don't use anything. I'm more curious in the devices used to read our cards. I mean the device in that video was pretty big.
 
Matt

Matt

Administrator
Staff member
Thus far I haven't worried overly about prevention, as it has seemed to me that the remedy is pretty well covered.

I think tracking purchases and tracking credit scores cover quite well- if you are exploited either on an owned card, or by a fraudulent new card application it can be flagged, and resolved, by monitoring and contacting the issuing firm.

I wonder if I'm missing anything here, because the planning world upsells identity theft protection- but from my cursory glance it seems over played.
 
P

PainCorp

Level 2.14 on Dining/Travel until 12/15
The only card that I carry has a RFID type chip in it is my Discover it. I'm not worried about that card getting skimmed and becoming unusable temporarily, as I don't use it regularly. I think you're falling prey to media hype about something that isn't a huge concern.
 
Skywardbd

Skywardbd

Level 2 Member
Just folding a piece of tin foil around any card with a chip will block the chip being scanned.
 
InstinctX

InstinctX

Level 2 Member
REI carries various protection sleeves / wallets... search RFID
rei rfid.jpg

There's a set of 3 for $6.50. Lightweight and compact, the REI RFID Credit Card shield combats potential ID theft by keeping personal information private. It blocks access to personal data stored on credit card micro chips.
 
Skywardbd

Skywardbd

Level 2 Member
Matt said:
Do you fold foil around such cards in your wallet?
Click to expand...
I have a wallet with a thin divider. I put a sheet of aluminum foil in the side that's on the outside when the wallet is folded closed so that everything on the inside is protected. (Actually, I acquired enough chip cards to warrant buying a RFID protection wallet that I mostly use when traveling internationally. It is bulkier than my standard wallet, so a bit of a trade off.)
 
R

raccah

Level 2 Member
Are we talking about the chip and pin or chip and sign cards? In the end who cares! If my card is hajaked - sure it is a PAIN, but I call my company, or they call me and this is handled 123 - no?
 
tmount

tmount

Administrator
The thing that concerns me more are the chips in passports. But I'm not sure if they are better (or worse) encrypted...
 
P

Paul

Level 2 Member
Considering huge numbers of POS terminals have malware scooping up your info (Google "Backoff malware"), and the gargantuan data breaches, it's the least of my worries that someone will scan my info.

And if you're playing the game with any regularity/volume, you are checking your various accounts daily and any fraud is quickly discovered. SO and I had two different small fraud issues last year - caught both the same day they went pending to our accounts. A quick call to the card issuers took care of it.
 
ElainePDX

ElainePDX

Level 2 Member
raccah said:
Are we talking about the chip and pin or chip and sign cards? In the end who cares! If my card is hajaked - sure it is a PAIN, but I call my company, or they call me and this is handled 123 - no?
Click to expand...
This is my thought too. In fact, I try to use good PW protection on my various accounts too, but also figure that if an account gets hacked, I will be made whole. It will be an inconvenience, for sure, but is manageable. I am more uneasy about identity theft than someone scanning my cards or stealing my PWs. Although one could lead to the other.... We do have ID theft protection insurance. It was just a few bucks a year when we renewed our insurance so we did it.
 
Annie H.

Annie H.

Egalatarian
tmount said:
The thing that concerns me more are the chips in passports. But I'm not sure if they are better (or worse) encrypted...
Click to expand...
SO just bought protected passport holder. I'm not sure if older passports are vulnerable or not. RFID passports started Jan, 2007. Also vulnerable are driver's licenses in some states:

http://archive.wired.com/wired/archive/15.01/start.html?pg=9

Do you remember the days when tinfoil hats and protection was only for crazies? Oh, wait--we're MSers...;)
 
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T

TheBOSman

Moderator
Staff member
I think that is a rather personal question ;).


Annie H. said:
SO just bought protected passport holder. I'm not sure if older passports are vulnerable or not. RFID passports started Jan, 2007. Also vulnerable are driver's licenses in some states:

http://archive.wired.com/wired/archive/15.01/start.html?pg=9

Do you remember the days when tinfoil hats and protection was only for crazies? Oh, wait--we're MSers...;)
Click to expand...
I actually have a similar one of these for my passport, though I bought it because it actually organizes cards well in addition.
 
Annie H.

Annie H.

Egalatarian
TheBOSman said:
I think that is a rather personal question ;).
Click to expand...
Heh-- better than "do you know where your RFID chip is embedded?"

I just bought a new regular wallet for my cards (four months ago I would never have suspected I would do such a thing). If you have a link to the wallet/holder, SO would appreciate it since he needs a new device (double entendre not intended).;)
 
B

Brian

Level 2 Member
For credit cards, just microwave them for 5 seconds. This will kill the RFID, but the mag stripe will still work fine.
 
F

f0xx

Level 2 Ninja
I don't personally use anything. If anyones getting close to my wallet in hand... Then they're way too close and I'd know about it.

Though I did carry my CAC card in a RFID type little "pouch" when off base. Like the one that was posted here.
 
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