Side profile of a young man reaching for his wallet (Getty Images/Stockbyte Platinum)
Criminals can now steal your credit card information without ever laying hand on your purse or wallet. The crime is known as “electronic pickpocketing” and it’s made possible by a computer chip the credit card companies are imbedding in most new cards, called radio frequency identification, or RFID, Fox KDVR reports.
RFID chips are meant to make paying for things easier—just swipe your card and you’ve paid.
You can tell if your credit card has the RFID chip by the 4 wavy lines on the front. But that “pay wave” technology is also making it easier for thieves to get your credit card information.
Unfortunately, the credit card companies used Colorado as a test market for RFID chips, so we potentially have more credit cards with computer chips than any other state.
To protect yourself from electronic pickpocketing, you can buy secure sleeves for your credit cards for less than a $1 each, with 20 per packet, by clicking on this website www.idstronghold.com.
If you have a debit card with the RFID chip, most banks are happy to exchange your card for one without it.
Get a daily look at what’s developing in science and technology throughout the world.