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Credit Card Fraud

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Identity Theft

Credit card fraud and identity theft, let's face it, It's prevalent in our society nowadays. Seems you can't turn around without something on the news about the latest gadget credit card thieves have to make our lives harder or some poor soul that just lost their life savings!

Electronic Pickpockets
Have you ever thought twice about walking through a mall or restaurant, even standing in a check out line? No? Bet I can change your thoughts on that. Imagine your walking through the same mall or restaurant and someone's got a laptop out or a briefcase sitting beside them or even a backpack, now imagine ALL of your personal data, credit card numbers, bank account numbers even your address and phone number going directly to them!

It's called Electronic Pickpocketing and soon every credit card, debit card and most of your other cards are going to be vulnerable to credit card fraud.

Nervous Yet?

In the age of technology we've go to be especially vigilant about the things we use everyday. Namely our easily accessible cards. On the way out are magnetic card readers with the black stripe on the backs. The new cards are RF enabled which came into market several years ago. Over 100 million RF credit cards were distributed to Americans everywhere. In the next few years all but a few cards will be contact-less credit card enabled.

These new cards have a chip embedded in them that sends off a radio signal making them particularly attractive to thieves. The chip responds to certain radio frequencies, that when "pinged" by an RFID scanner, sends back encoded personal information. When the thief captures this data they can then program their own "cloned" cards with YOUR information.

Perhaps You'll be as Amazed as I Was!

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Don't Think This Can Happen To You?

Think Again

You don't have a card that you wave to check out instead of swiping? So you're thinking that this article can't possibly help you. Wrong! Do you have a drivers license? Perhaps a passport from 2006 or later? How about an electronic hotel key? Or even one of those mini cards that grocery cards give out when you sign up?

Yes each and every one of these have embedded chips in them and are just perfect for credit card fraud. Those radio signals are always on and certainly can be "pinged" anytime.One last thing did I happen to mention that the microchip you put in Fido can be scanned too? Imagine identity theft from your dog!

Be Viligant

So what do you do to protect yourself. For the simplistic, an inexpensively made an RFID blocker can be as easy as a piece of aluminum foil. Easier yet is to take two pieces of cardboard wrapping aluminum foil around each one and slipping credit cards between these!

I received an Aluminum Wallet which I love. Easy to purchase and just like those strips of aluminum (only better) you can fit all your cards into the fold out sleeves, even a little bit of cash. As you can see men's, ladies and even passports can all be protected.
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My First Aluminum Wallet

Ogon RFID Aluminum Large Smooth Wallet (Black)

The good news is, it's easy enough to foil would be thieves, the devices they use rely on Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) or RF which is what your cards emit. Soon these hand held RFID scanners will easily fit into a wintertime coat or that backpack I was speaking of. Less expensive RFID scanners don't have as much range as the more expensive ones that can be several hundred feet away.

The less expensive ones with lesser range would have to be standing right next to you in line, perhaps even bumping into you. Which is pretty easy if you were at a sporting event or say waiting for a concert to start, if you think it can't happen so easily it really only takes fifteen or so seconds for that bump to have pinged your card and taken you information.

Yes it CAN Too Happen to YOU!

Regardless of what you decide to do, be vigilant and please remember identity theft and credit card fraud is as easy as someone bumping you in line and it can happen to you.

Have I Forgotten Anything?

  • erickdaniels8 Apr 1, 2012 @ 9:46 pm | delete
    Hey ingrid, I found this to be useful. I deal with credit card fraud almost daily from consumers. Do you mind if I link to it from my website; http://www.credit-cardconsolidation.net/ ?? Do let me know, thanks.
  • Anthony00 Mar 22, 2012 @ 8:32 am | delete
    I am sure that majority of people will love this information on credit card fraud and they will consider it. This information is also best among other posts on other blogs.Quick Loans
  • Anthony00 Mar 22, 2012 @ 8:32 am | delete
    I am sure that majority of people will love this information on credit card fraud and they will consider it. This information is also best among other posts on other blogs.Quick Loans
  • muffin_man Mar 4, 2012 @ 1:19 pm | delete
    Hello Ingrid, great lens! thanks for shedding more light on this issues. It would be helpful to mention that placing a fraud alert on your credit is a great way to potentially avoid fraud.
  • JohnsonSmith1 Dec 31, 2011 @ 4:00 am | delete
    Is it really possible that aluminium wallet can save us from aluminium identity theft?I will do a little research for gathering information about this wallet and if it is truth ,I will surely use this..
    Kwik Quid
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Ingrid_A

Hello!!
I'm Ingrid and I love to dabble in just about everything. I've got three children, I own my own business and I've written several articles for... more »

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