Electronic Pickpocket Protection

Most people realize that their credit cards information is vulnerable to theft every time they hand one to a store clerk, waiter, or cashier. But there is a new type of credit card theft which many people are unaware of. It is called electronic pick pocketing and current estimates say 140 million consumers are at risk of it.

Credit card companies have been producing cards embedded with radio frequency identification (RFID) chips for several years now. This chip is basically an electronic tag built into the card which contains all the card's information. If your credit or debit card shows a radio wave symbol on it then you are at risk. The same technology is also used in drivers licenses and passports In fact, every U.S. passport issued since 2006 contains a RFID chip.

The problem with the tiny RFID chip is, it can be read remotely without the need to physically swipe the card. This means anybody using skimmer (available for less than $100 on EBay) can retrieve your information just by walking past you. It doesn't help if your cards are in a wallet or purse since the radio waves just go through them. All manner of travelers and consumers are vulnerable to this threat.