If you have a credit or debit card that bears a Wi-Fi icon or bears text that reads “PayWave,” congratulations. You now have a huge bullseye on your back.
And identity thieves know it.
A thief with a pocket-size card reader can get the information off your card while it’s still in your wallet or purse, without even touching you, thanks to the radio frequency capability of the little chip in your card. Use of radio frequency identification chips is becoming more widespread, and so is the theft.
LifeLock, along with the FBI/Law Enforcement Executive Development Association, presented a seminar on identity theft, including this newer form, in Lexington, Ky. for about 40 law enforcement professionals recently.
Carol Frederick, special agent supervisor with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, said lawmakers need to understand the value of stiffer laws against identity theft.
“Businesses could maybe stop handing out credit cards like blackjack dealers,” she added. Frederick also said that specialized training is needed for police officers so they can learn to spot the tools used by identity thieves more easily.
If you have a card that a bears the RFID chip, you can ask for a regular card, or you can put the card you have in the microwave for three or four seconds, which will disable the chip but leave your magnetic stripe intact.
There are sleeves for these cards available from various venders, and some banks and card issuers also provide them.
