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RFID blocking sleeves/wallet. Value?

Passepartout

Passepartout

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We are planning (booked, actually) on a European cruise or two this year. DW spends time on Cruise Critic, where someone related 'someone I knew, knew someone who claimed' their cards were remotely scanned and accounts cleaned out. I am skeptical. Yes, I suppose a chipped card can be scanned, but my understanding from info gathered at my bank, is that each transaction, using the chip is discrete. Every time it's used, the chip generates a new code, then either or a signature or PIN is necessary to get authorization from the bank.

Now, $5 or so for a sleeve to put a card in is not going to keep me from buying the kids new shoes, but it seems like overkill. You can spend over $50 for a new RFID blocking wallet. Yet another solution in search of a problem IMO.

Opinions- or better yet, knowledge?

Jim
 
Never even thought about this non-problem. Since the Chinese hacked into the Government OPM data base and now have my whole life history and all identifiable data, what else can happen?:shrug:

Besides, all my cards are now chipped so I seriously doubt any compromise is possible via some remote reader.

I have enough credit alerts from various data hacks and breaches, I see zero value added from an RFID blocker.

YMMV
 
Jim, if you're in need of a new wallet, and you happen to find an RFID blocker you really, really like, I'd say go for it. Can't hurt to have it. But otherwise, I doubt I'd bother. The first time you take your card out of the wallet, it's at risk of being scanned.

The last time I had a credit card compromised, it was due to a clever cab driver in New York claiming his credit card swiper didn't work right. "Here, try this one instead. It works better." Looking back, it was a real Homer Simpson "D'oh!" moment. I was a dope who was duped. Luckily, my cc company caught the fraudulent charges, and I didn't have to pay. Sneaky bugger.

Dave
 
BMWguynw said:
The last time I had a credit card compromised, it was due to a clever cab driver in New York claiming his credit card swiper didn't work right. "Here, try this one instead. It works better." Looking back, it was a real Homer Simpson "D'oh!" moment. I was a dope who was duped. Luckily, my cc company caught the fraudulent charges, and I didn't have to pay. Sneaky bugger.

Dave
Click to expand...

Those NYC cabbies are a clever bunch. I had one drop me at Grand Central Station, and while I was standing beside the taxi with luggage, he asks me, " Hey, you got change for a $hundred?" I say, 'Sure', and hand him 5 $20's. He thanks me and jumps in the cab and drives away. Sometimes being a hick from Idaho shows.

Jim
 
There is a difference between the new chip based cards and the old RFID type chips that were embedded in the card. Those were associated with products like Visa Pay Wave, where all you had to do was pass the card close to the reader and it would read the embedded RFID chip. The new cards with big chips that you see on the front of the card actually need to be inserted in to a reader. They are not RFID, they are EMV chips. Someone can't read the information on them just by passing a reader close to them. RFID chips are being used in a lot of hotel room key cards instead of magnetic strips. Those sleeves are to protect RFID based cards, they aren't needed for the new EMV chip based cards of today.
 
Thanks Dioxide. That's the info I was seeking. I just needed to be able to explain it to a less technically savvy person in a way that makes sense.

Jim
 
You'll find these products in reputable stores like REI. I'm always amused when I see them. (And now that I've tempted Murphy, I'll have some credit problem on my upcoming European trip...).


Sent from my iPad
 
A small piece of aluminum foil wrapped around the RFID card does the trick.

Of course the newer vintage of U.S. Passports includes the RFID chip, so maybe the foil wrapper would be cheaper than the retail envelope.
 
Last edited:
Raising hand, he stupidly asks...

dioxide45 said:
<snip> The new cards with big chips that you see on the front of the card actually need to be inserted in to a reader. They are not RFID, they are EMV chips. <snip>
Click to expand...

I know what RFID is, but please allow me to take this opportunity to once again admit and openly demonstrate my technological ignorance by asking...

What does EMV stand for in the above quoted reference to "EMV chips"? :shrug:
 
Today I received a invitation in the mail from II to extend my membership by 5 years for $356. But guess what, it comes with a free gift -- an RFID travel document holder!

II's gift to you when you sign up for 3 or more years of membership.
 
There have been a number of reports in the media regarding incidents where people have had funds removed from their accounts by criminals utilising the contactless payment ability afforded by current chipped cards. It's usually achieved by standing behind the victim and placing the machine close to their wallet (usually back pocket with most men).

It's never happened to me and I don't know anyone personally who has been a victim however it evidently does happen but I'm not sure how widespread the practice is.
 
Pompey Family said:
There have been a number of reports in the media regarding incidents where people have had funds removed from their accounts by criminals utilising the contactless payment ability afforded by current chipped cards. It's usually achieved by standing behind the victim and placing the machine close to their wallet (usually back pocket with most men).

It's never happened to me and I don't know anyone personally who has been a victim however it evidently does happen but I'm not sure how widespread the practice is.
Click to expand...

As dioxide noted and a quick look at my chipped cards verified, the current version of my cards do not have RFID capability.

I wonder how long it will take to read and steal Apple Pay or other contactless phone payment info. :rolleyes:

Cheers
 
Since so many merchants still don't use EMV technology and use the old slide system, it makes me think that skimmers and things like that would still work to steal the info. It seems like the scanners could still pick up the information and use that to make online purchases.

I looked into buying a wallet that would block scanners, but nobody in any reviews I could find ever tested if it worked. There'd be pages of excellent reviews about how awesome the wallet was, but nothing about how they tested it using a scanner.
 
Kal said:
A small piece of aluminum foil wrapped around the RFID card does the trick.

Of course the newer vintage of U.S. Passports includes the RFID chip, so maybe the foil wrapper would be cheaper than the retail envelope.
Click to expand...

Great! I'll just tare a small piece of foil off my aluminum hat that protects me from aliens... :eek:
Ron
 
A few years ago I saw an aluma wallet at the Daytona Flea Market and bought it. I had decided that I didn't like my wallet in my back pocket any longer for a couple reasons.

The new wallet is slim and fits in my front pocket easily. It has forced me to not carry all the unnecessary junk I was hauling around in my wallet.

It also prevents any scanning of my CCs, another plus.
 
presley said:
Since so many merchants still don't use EMV technology and use the old slide system, it makes me think that skimmers and things like that would still work to steal the info. It seems like the scanners could still pick up the information and use that to make online purchases.

I looked into buying a wallet that would block scanners, but nobody in any reviews I could find ever tested if it worked. There'd be pages of excellent reviews about how awesome the wallet was, but nothing about how they tested it using a scanner.
Click to expand...

I don't think there is anything that can lift information off of a magnetic strip without passing it through a reader or some type of skimmer. So a card that had only the new EMV chip and magnetic strip on it is not susceptible to being scanned from a pocket.

To know if your card has an RFID chip in it, it will have a symbol that looks like this. No symbol, no need for tinfoil or special sleeve or wallet.

1b07_visa-paywave-01.jpg
 
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