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Thread ID: 118348 2011-05-31 16:40:00 Are Cards Actually Readable By Electronic Pickpockets? SurferJoe46 (51) PC World Chat
Post ID Timestamp Content User
1205955 2011-05-31 16:40:00 Is it just a scare or some urban myth that credit and debit cards can be read by someone with a reader just walking near a person?

Sounds kinda Sci-Fi to me .

If so (open mind here - for once at least) is there any way to thwart this 'reader' with foil or shielding?

How about a ferrous wallet? :waughh:

I keep several mag-strip'd cards in my wallet and they are all layered back-to-front in the same wallet pocket, so I imagine the fact that they are in such close proximity, they should be unreadable (if the above premise has an inkling of truth to it) from each other .

Right? Tell me it's so - please .
SurferJoe46 (51)
1205956 2011-05-31 20:40:00 I would hope that it is not able to be done. Scary stuff if it can be done. Bobh (5192)
1205957 2011-06-01 00:16:00 Anythings possible, but....

Next time you make an eftpos payment....
just rub your leg in the general area of the eftpos machine...
eh , the card cant be read like that ??

The card would need to be swiped, else all the data bits in the mag feild would show as a single combined single mag feild.

Sounds pretty improbable to me. How will they get your pin number ???
if in doubt, bundle your cards with a descent magnet. The magnets feild will swamp everything so the hackers reader will see only the magnet.
I put mine under my tinfoil hat :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
1101 (13337)
1205958 2011-06-01 00:18:00 Is it just a scare or some urban myth that credit and debit cards can be read by someone with a reader just walking near a person?

Sounds kinda Sci-Fi to me.

If so (open mind here - for once at least) is there any way to thwart this 'reader' with foil or shielding?

How about a ferrous wallet? :waughh:

I keep several mag-strip'd cards in my wallet and they are all layered back-to-front in the same wallet pocket, so I imagine the fact that they are in such close proximity, they should be unreadable (if the above premise has an inkling of truth to it) from each other.

Right? Tell me it's so - please.
Sounds like a job for Myth Busters.
I doubt that it would work with the magnetic ones but might with the chip ones if you could crack the code.
mikebartnz (21)
1205959 2011-06-01 00:36:00 Mag strips cannot be read remotely, hell, we have enough trouble getting them read in swipe machines, let alone being subject to swipe-by raiding of the virtual piggy bank.

It might be the RFID-chip type you are getting the hebbie-jeebies about SJ, they can be read at a pretty close distance, but they would be encoded so should be safe. However, given that the bad guys could buy William and Kate's first born if they threw enough dollars at them, I suspect that reading and decoding ability is probably out there in the wild already.

The new generation of 'tap to pay' cards will be limited range RFID types so I guess the rumour machine is starting to wind up.

All you need to foil an RFID enabled card is foil, literally! Wrap it in foil, or carry it under your anti-CIA satellite beam hat if your paranoia is being provoked.

Cheers

Billy 8-{) :D

P.S. I'm serious about the foil.
Billy T (70)
1205960 2011-06-01 00:44:00 I think ewes been watching too many sheep videoes................. Zippity (58)
1205961 2011-06-01 04:38:00 OK - I can se that the mag strip is gonna be tough to decrypt if all the little magnetic fields are all just read en-mass.

Thankfully I don't use the chips (Mobil Gasoline's 'Fast Pay' is one) so I should be safe unless the flying saucers want to scan my brain.
SurferJoe46 (51)
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