RFID - MONEY BELTS

How would it help?

Don't thieves use devices that read your card by standing next to you with some device they have?

No, they don't. They try to pick your pockets and take the cards.

I think what you mean is RF shielding, so someone cannot read an RFID device (chip card) remotely. Since almost no Americans have chip cards, we don't need RF shielding, but I hear that can be accomplished with something like a piece of foil wrapped around the card (but that might make going through security difficult). For us, I bigger threat is probably giving a magnetic strip card to a waiter, who takes it and copies the information while he has it (why I only use cash in Europe).

I believe the RFID protection sold in wallets is just a sales gimmick aimed at separating paranoid people from their money. I once bought a piece of the stuff, cut it to size and carried it in my wallet. It was just a nuisance and I threw it away. If you would have piece of mind using it then use it.

Sarah, Actually there are RFID Money Belts and similar products available. Have a look at www.magellans.com/store/Small_Bags___Wallets___Wallets___Money_Belts for the details. I believe the threat of card data being read by scammers is minimal at this point, however this will likely be an increasingly severe problem. Have a look at www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiAd9GSzOjI for some very revealing information. I've been storing some of my cards in RFID-protected sleeves, but don't have enough sleeves for all cards. Just to clarify one point. The RFID portion of cards is different than the Chip portion. RFID cards simply have to be in proximity to a Reader (which is why they can be read by scammers), while Chip cards must be placed inside the Reader for the duration of the transaction. Most people in North America likely have PayPass (or similar), which are RFID cards. They have a small "radio wave" logo on the front. The TV show MythBusters were reportedly planning to do a story on how easy RFID cards are to hack, but they were prevented from doing the show. Have a look at www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnKXSf96NWA for a description of what transpired there. Cheers!

Dear Ken: Thank you for your explanation. It's a dismal state of affairs when the responder does more thorough research than the questioning poster!
Grazie mille!

"...Since almost no Americans have chip cards, we don't need RF shielding, but I hear that can be accomplished with something like a piece of foil wrapped around the card (but that might make going through security difficult)..." Not so. At least here in the Northeast, PayPass card are in widespread use. I use the feature almost everyday to make purchases, and there are quite a few vending machines around which accept them as well. In terms of security, the odds of ones card being scanned by someone with a homemade antenna connected to a laptop are astronomical. The bigger worry is pickpockets. RFID blocking wallets exist but they kind of defeat the purpose of the technology. With my PayPass debit card all I have to do hold my wallet up to the reader to make a purchase; it's very convenient! Paypass has been in use the UK and Switzerland for a while, but Mastercard is now aggressively pushing the feature in other European countries.

I agree that the greater worry is pickpockets, certainly this year, but it just struck me odd that there are so few RFID options for this purpose. I use a PacSafe briefcase, and I have a bulky RFID pouch, but it wouldn't do in a Naples crowd.
Thanks for the explanation, folks. It's great to talk through these notions.

Michael, "With my PayPass debit card all I have to do hold my wallet up to the reader to make a purchase" That might not be a good idea in my case, as I have several PayPass cards. Unless the POS Terminal is outfitted with "anti-collision" technology, I may end paying several times for the same purchase. If anyone is concerned about whether they have PayPass (RFID) cards, check to see if your cards have the "radio wave" logo shown in the bottom left of This Website. Cheers!