Pickpockets no longer need to steal your wallet to get access to credit card information thanks to RFID!
Did you know that scammers do not need your physical card? Access to information electronically for a moment is all it takes.
Your card has a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) chip, which communicates with the reader when paying “contactless”.
It is that ability that opens the door for scammers with hidden readers.
Cards stored in a normal wallet can be read without you knowing. Someone brushing up against you in the market, for example.
The worst thing is that, at the time, you have no idea your card data has just been compromised.
To protect yourself, you just need to secure your cards in an RFID blocker device such as the PBC wallet.
The blocker stops your card from being read. To use the card, take it out of the RFID blocker.
The PBC RFID-blocking wallet comes in two colours: Black and Coffee.
They hold and protect up to 5 debit/credit cards plus a money clip for your notes.
There are also two slots for things like driving licences or health cards.
With a PBC wallet, you can walk around a market knowing that a handheld RFID scanner will not work.
The contactless ability is easily switched off for virtual cards on your phone, but doing so with physical cards is a pain.
That is why the RFID-blocking wallets are perfect as long as you do not hand over your card when making the payment. Touch the terminal and put it straight back in the blocker.
NEVER hand your card over when using it because it only needs to be passed over a hidden scanner to be compromised.
When out walking or in a busy environment, your cards are always protected whilst in the wallet. You only need to be careful when taking it out to pay for something. NEVER hand over your card.
Purchase in Euros in Spain or GBP in the UK.
RFID scams have not caused ripples in the bank card world yet because they are considered low-level crimes thanks to contactless limits. That said, it is no joke for people to have to destroy their cards and wait for new ones to arrive, even more so if they happen to be abroad when their cards are compromised.
Each wallet holds up to five bank cards, your driving licence and some banknotes. You must remove a card from the wallet to use the contactless feature. In the wallet, there is ZERO risk it can be scanned.
For that gift idea, why not give someone an RFID blocker PBC wallet? You will be giving them more than a gift.
When presenting a regular wallet with a bank card to the contactless reader, there is a good chance the payment will go through.
Place the RFID PBC wallet on the reader, and nothing!
The card has to be removed from the wallet for the payment to go through.
It offers a good level of security. The RFID-blocking wallet comes in several colours and is offered by dedicated distributors in the UK and Spain. The links below give you options to make your purchase using Amazon, PayPal or a bank card.