Almost all credit cards now include a chip that allows for ‘tap to pay’ functionality, the ability to wave your card over a sensor to authorize payment instead of sliding your card into a credit card reader slot. This tap to pay process uses a technology call near field communication (NFC), which typically has a range of between 0 and 5 centimeters with a best-case maximum of around 20 centimeters.
Unfortunately, portable sensors are now in the hands of those who would want to steal your credit card information and authorization. Anyone walking past you close enough to trigger NFC in a crowded store or restaurant could have one of these devices.
You can protect yourself from this type of asset stripping by purchasing a fairly inexpensive RFID shielded wallet. There are many options available for under $20. Look for one that provides shielding in the 13-14 Mhz range, which is used by NFC.
You can verify your wallet is shielding correctly by keeping the card inside the wallet and running it over a card reader when you are ready to pay. The sensor should not be able to read your card inside the shielded wallet. This is an effective way to verify your RFID shielded wallet has not been tampered with, since targeted individuals often have their online purchases and belongings tampered with.
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