As the years have gone by and cards have become more popular than cash, there have been increased concerns about RFID-skimming. RFID-blocking wallets have become almost the norm in response, claiming to keep all electronic thievery at bay. The question is: do they truly make a difference, and do you actually need them? Let’s explore that. Here’s how these wallets work and if they’re worth it.
The RFID Blocking Process
For a good chunk of us, RFID-blocking more closely resembles magic than a real technology. Since you can’t see it working, it’s easy to become half-convinced it doesn’t exist at all. Surprise, surprise, then. It does truly exist, although the complete science behind it is a little difficult to understand. The basics of it lie in electromagnetics. Essentially, debit, credit, security, and other similar cards have something called “radio frequency identification tags,” which store all the important information that makes them tick. They then rely on systems that use radio waves to read and capture these tags.
In practice, this looks like all those card readers we’re so used to, card scanners, building/door access sliders, etcetera, which all tend to involve directly sliding or inserting the card you want it to read. However, something that most people don’t know is that our cards’ RFID tags don’t even have to directly interact with a scanner to be read. The frequencies can still be captured from several feet away – even if your card remains snugly in your wallet. RFID wallets were created to stop this in its tracks, typically using RFID-blocking materials like layers of aluminum, carbon fiber, or mu-metal (not to be confused with nu-metal –two very different things) to block credit and transit cards’ 13.56 MHz frequencies. Meanwhile, hotel and building cards rely on 125 kHz and require more heavy-duty shields or protectors made of materials like copper.
The result is that these passive shields either deflect or absorb the signals that would interact with your RFID chip, allowing your information to stay private. There are also ways to actively protect against these signals, namely with jammer cards like the Vaultcard. Instead of reflecting or absorbing them, it automatically sends an electromagnetic signal that will jam RFID readers at the source. It’s pretty sophisticated stuff and can go a long way to combatting skimming.
Do You Need an RFID Wallet?
So, now you know that RFID-blocking tech can actually work. Going back to the even bigger question, though, is it really necessary? Should you go out and buy an RFID wallet right now or is it all too cautious at best or a money-making scheme at worst? Well, the honest answer is that it’s all up to preference. RFID-skimming does happen. Your information can be read and stored even without your knowledge, potentially opening up a whole can of grubby, thieving, problematic worms. It can put bank account information in danger, potentially allow unauthorized access to hotel rooms, buildings, and restricted areas, and generally compromise security at large. Nobody wants that. Well – you know – barring the criminals who benefit from it.
In all likelihood, your odds of having a card maliciously scanned are fairly low, especially for those of us who carry few cards or who mostly stay home now in the era of social distancing. This means having an RFID wallet isn’t a total necessity. But the reality is that skimming stats have seen shocking increases over the last couple of years. According to the FBI, skimming now costs institutions and individuals upwards of a billion dollars annually. The theft is, unfortunately, becoming more common. If you usually opt for a “better safe than sorry” approach, it definitely warrants either investing in an RFID wallet or Vaultcard.
