Imagine going into your favorite store to look around and make a purchase. You get to the register and your items are scanned. You take out your card to either swipe or insert the chip and your purchase has been declined. Confused, you try it again but the results come back the same. You know you have more than enough to make the purchase so you step away from the register and use your phone to check your balance using a mobile app where all of our information is stored. You see that your account has been cleaned so how and you have no idea what just happened. Odds are you have just become a victim of skimming. But how?
Skimming is classified as a form of crime or fraud if you will. It involves the action of using an RFID reader with a very strong directional antenna that can read RFID enabled devices and read your important financial or personal information without your notice or consent and obtained. With today’s technological advances, there are plenty of ways someone can snag your information. While bank companies withing the United States provide very few cards that are RFID enabled, it is a much high risk outside of the states. Tons of companies have produced items to protect against RFID fraud with things such as jackets, bags, and totes to name a few, but is all of this really necessary? What is RFID?
An RFID or Radio Frequency Identification is defined as a short distance electromagnetic method for transmitting small pieces of information. It was originally used for inventory tracking but has grown to become of use in instances like your key fob for your car, or your garage opener, toll areas and even if you scan a card to get into a gate, Passports and previously discussed bank cards. If you read the scenario above and cringed at the thought of credit card info is taken from someone with a device scanning your wallet or purse, then here is a cost-efficient and simple way to help put you at ease as many vendors can be overwhelming and expensive. Aluminum foil. That’s it. A few sheets of Reynolds wrap should do it, especially since there has been millions of cases where credit card info was stolen, but not a single real case of it being from RFID. All of that was said to say that it’s time to protect yourself much better than just buying into the hype.
If you read the above scenario and cringed at the thought that the information was stolen through the information within your cell phone, then you are right. There are many more cases where people have their information retrieved through their mobile devices. A vehicle can even be accessed with an application from a smartphone, with no key physical required. Now how can you protect yourself from an attack of this magnitude? With an RFID blocking cell phone case. This of this as the aluminum foil trick for your phone instead of your wallet. With spam and robocallers, 5G advancement, fake websites that contain viruses and people being able to track your location, and even long term health. we are constantly at risk with our mobile devices being unprotected.
A Faraday bag is a pocket-sized bag that can block wifi, cellular connectivity, GPS and satellite navigation, Bluetooth, radiation flares and is an overall NFC and RFID blocking cell phone case. If you are serious about protecting your data or a business professional, then you may have already heard of this item. If not, it is recommended that your protection.
