Your wallet is one of the first safety devices you ever used. It is designed to make sure you can have your money in a convenient place but also so you don’t lose it. If you’ve ever been without a wallet, you know how disconcerting it can be to have to find, sort, and organize your money in a convenient way. Also, because you wallet folds up and holds your money, it is a great way to keep it from slipping out and into the hands of someone else. However, with recent technology, the safety facets of wallets are starting to fail. There was once a time when your wallet, kept tight in your back pocket, was the pinnacle of personal monetary safety. Now, however, you have to be careful. There are skimming devices that can steal your valuable identity and leave you in a vulnerable—at best—and broke—at worst—position. It’s important to remember that as is the case with any technological advance that threatens your way of life, there are also ways to combat it. We’re going to talk about that in this article.
How Does an RFID System Work?
On a basic level, an RFID system is one that allows information to be transmitted without touch or visual aids through a radio signal. A lot of info can be sent through these devices. Your wallet is a relatively easy target because even though it has barriers that can shield from moisture and impact, they are not impenetrable to RFID signals.
Because of this vulnerability, people can use RFID technology to your disadvantage. They can utilize skimming machines to access important payment information of various cards inside your wallet and then use that info to rob you. This can be done without them even touching you. They can walk by you and do it, and you won’t even know it. In a world where we constantly think about Internet security, home security and vehicle security, it’s ironic that we can go for so long without considering a vulnerability right in our back pocket. It doesn’t matter if you have an easy access wallet, or one that’s more difficult to get into with multiple layers. It also doesn’t matter if you have a thin wallet, or even a super thin wallet; they are all vulnerable to these readers.
What You Can Do to Protect Yourself
In order to keep yourself shielded from RFID theft, you will have to be proactive. Simply hoping it happens to the next guy and not you is not a good defense. It’s always better to be safe than sorry, and when it comes to your identity, the safer the better. There are wallets you can buy that help shield your information from RFID readers. You can even get an aluminum wallet with money clip that can block these signals if so equipped. An aluminum wallet with money clip is going to give you a nice, sleek way to present and carry your cash and cards. At the same time, it can also have the ability to safeguard your identity from bad actors. An aluminum wallet with money clip also has the added feature of being low profile, so it won’t take up a ton of space in your back pocket or another place you choose to keep it.
Keep Track of your Wallet at All Times
Wallets are a two-edged sword in many ways. They keep all of your most valuable things in one central location, but at the same time, if the wallet is misplaced, everything is gone. If someone has an RFID reader, and your wallet falls out of your pocket or you leave it somewhere, they may pick it up. They will instantly realize the reader can’t get through it, and it would only take an extra few seconds to take your cards out and read each one—not to mention your passport or other valuables. So whether you have a cool one like an aluminum wallet with money clip or a normal credit card wallet, make sure you have a checking system. Before leaving anywhere, ask yourself, “Keys? Wallet? Phone?” This way, you will always be making sure you have your wallet. This will keep your identity safe and give you peace of mind.
