Secretly Swiped: Your Account Numbers Taken Out Of Thin Air

Photo credit:ABC 7

Would it surprise you to know that a thief could get your credit card information without actually stealing your card from your wallet?

It turns out that credit and debit cards that employ radio technology, which let you conveniently wave and pay, are at risk since hackers can use remote devices to access them.

Security specialist David Bryan of Chicago’s Trustwave explains: “They have everything in just a few seconds. The card sends data back to the device, right. So that means it’s wireless, so if it’s wireless, it can be read through clothing.”

So what can you do to protect your card? You can purchase card sleeves and special wallets, or just use something you may already have in your kitchen cabinet. Apparently wrapping your card in tin foil works just as well in blocking the radio frequency.

ABC7, 2/9/15

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