Or should I use paper security sleeves for credit cards?
It’s interesting how many people think RFID is a scam. Our AMEX card info was stolen by someone standing near my husband in a store. I’d rather avoid the aggravation of having another card canceled and replaced. In all the posted comments, no one answered the question.
Translation of question: Does something that is mostly unnecessary also serve as a totally unnecessary scam article?
A money belt is only useful if you are travelling for carrying your valuables so you don't expose them to view. I.e. not for day trips, leave your valuables behind in the hotel. It may be useful if (and only if) you are carrying a large amount of cash on your person, which is unnecessary in countries where they have ATM's and accept credit cards.
RFID blocking is a total scam.
Let’s save the energy and use thread #53,832 on this vital topic:
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/packing/do-you-use-rfid
lol, there certainly is a plethora of packing and money belts threads.
probably op's don't realize they can use the search box in the upper left-hand corner for subject titles or keywords.
First, research RFID crime. It is literally not a thing.
The RFID protection is mostly marketing hype to sell a marginally useless product. Don't give it a second thought.
While I don’t care about RFID, I used the paper sleeves to protect the cards and identify them. So one sleeve was “ATM”, others were “Back-up ATM”, “VISA”, “Back-up VISA”, etc. Handy solution so I didn’t have to look at each card to find what I wanted, neat and organized.
That is a good suggestion. The sleeves also help prevents the card from accidentally de-mag the mag strip. With chip cards that is less important.
The sleeves also help prevents the card from accidentally de-mag the mag strip.
What Frank said, is the first reason why I use them...although these days I have all chip and wave, except for my ATM card.
And, Horsewoofie said she ID's her cards with the sleeves, that's the other reason I use the sleeves.
she ID's her cards with the sleeves, that's the other reason I use the sleeves.
Me too.
If it is a paper sleeve it cannot do anything to block any radio waves. If it has a layer of foil, perhaps.
How do you know it was stolen by a person near to him?
Is/was the AmEx card in question one of the contactless versions? The only way someone standing next to you could have stolen the card info would be if it was that type of card. Mag stripe or chip requiring you to insert the card into the terminal cannot be compromised that way. Also, unless AmEx specifically told you that is how the card info was compromised, you will never know. It could have been a skimmer on a pay at the gas pump, it could have been practically anywhere mainly with physical contact with the card.
Paper security sleeves will do nothing to prevent RFID scams. The sleeve must have copper or aluminum or some other similar metal in it and be designed for RFID protection. It is called a Faraday cage when it can protect your card.
Most money belts also do not offer any additional RFID protection being a simple silk or nylon single layer of cloth. The ones I have seen with claimed RFID protection are bulky, heavy, and very uncomfortable to wear.
But actual RFID theft of credit card info is not a problem compared to other easier ways for thieves to get your card info.
Rather than waste your money on this blocking technology, if you see someone standing on top of you holding a machine trying to scan you knee them. these credit cards are not transmitting any distance. This person has to be standing on top of you.
And if you can actually find a report Of this happing from someone other than a person selling products at a profit, I’ll be shocked.
And of course the time when it’s going to be scanned it when you take it out to use it.
