The art of the modern pickpocket

(5:42) This is what real daylight robbery is, you don't even know it happened. More credit and debit cards are now equipped with the RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) chip that allows them to be easily read with the right equipment.

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Guest: PeterLondon (397 days ago)

Scaremongering. For years when you handed your card over in a shop or restaurant, they could "skim" it to get these details or just write them down. AND they would see the CVV number on the rear AND they would see your signature. But RFID does not get the CVV and signature. Plus most EU countries now require you to enter a PIN number when you make a purchase in the real world, and to enter a special password when you purchase online AND enter the CVV number. The only way this would work for the scammers is if they take the card abroad to somewhere without good controls.

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cengland0 (394 days ago)

Latest comment: He's surprised there's no encryption? Well, if it was encrypted, how would the legitimate retailer user it? Obviously it either needs to be in plain-text or have a standard encryption technique that everyone would know anyway.

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Guest: wkdmarty (396 days ago)

PeterLondon, Sorry, but that's bollocks. You can do contactless payments up to £15 at most shops nowdays WITHOUT entering any pin - I did it myself at a key cutting shop - Scary shit. Haven't you seen the BarclayCard advert? RFID readers are about £30 in USB form on ebay, new Android phones will come with NFC. Anyway with a modicom of programming skill can write a car reader and thus a card cloner. This technology is VERY BAD for the consumer. I guarantee that your bank WILL NOT refund any fraudulent transactions because of a cloned RFID. As they said, they only think it's dangers "in the post" and that's where they stop their liability. Just like chip and pin is less secure than a signature was, this is far less secure than chip and pin. Although the banks are moving the liability to the consumer, which is WRONG!

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Guest: Richard J (397 days ago)

Some more thoughts: - this is useful for surveillance as well as fraud. - although most RFID readers are "near-field" devices (i.e. they only work a few inches away), it's possible to read them from 30 feet away if you have a larger antenna and the right equipment. [The same also applies to RFID enabled passports] - If you microwave the card, you can destroy the RFID chip: this works for passports - but it will also destroy the PIN-chip. Better to cut the coil of wire, if you can see it.

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