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Should You Purchase a Hack Proof Wallet Before Your Trip?

April 20, 2013 By Catherine Burdine

In case your not aware, the newest way for thieves to get your money is to simply stand behind you and point a scanner at your wallet.  In fact, at the Defcon hacker conference in Las Vegas earlier this year, an Android software app called NFCProxy was introduced that can read data from contactless credit cards.

A number of popular models of Android phones now come enabled with technology intended to allow for mobile payments with platforms like Google Wallet.  But unfortunately, the savvy hacker can turn the technology intended to allow for mobile payments into a mobile card scanner.

In fact, they tested the app right on stage by using a Nexus S phone to read the hosts own contactless Visa card onstage, which was in his wallet, inside his pocket.  The presenter then used the phone to relay the data a moment later to a point-of-sale device, where it was accepted as a payment.   In a matter of minutes, he was able to steel his own credit card information and make a purchase.

More than 100 million contactless credit cards are currently in circulation.  Brands like PayPass, Zip, payWave, and ExpressPay by Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express, are susceptible.   So combining vulnerable credit cards with cell phone technology that can scan those credit cards, pick pocketing has never been easier.

The Good News

The good news is that a wallet with a piece of metal that blocks your credit cards stops the scanners from working.  There are several companies on the market today offering hack proof wallets such as Identity Stronghold or Magellan’s.   If your really handy, you can make your own hack proof wallet!

Filed Under: Expatriate Life, Insurance News

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