Does an RFID blocking purse or wallet really protect your information?

Protecting people agaisn’t RFID theft has become a multi-million dollar business. Products include purses, backpacks, wallets, card sleeves, card shields and even jeans. But do you need an RFID blocking purse or wallet? I certainly wondered if I should be lining the new crossbody bags I was working on with RFID blocking fabric. The fabric isn’t cheap, therefore would add substantially to the price of the bags. So I did some research and here is what I found.

What is RFID anyhow?

RFID stands for “radio frequency identification.” Credit cards, passports and driver’s licenses can all have it. They transmit the data they contain through the air to nearby contactless readers. If your credit card has the radio waves symbols (see card in photo above) it is an RFID card.

The information transmitted is encrypted, so while it could be skimmed, it is unusable. Your passport doesn’t transmit information unless it is open. Your credit card transmits when you remove it from your RFID blocking purse or wallet to use it at the register. If someone were to try skimming numbers, guess where they’re most likely to be. But crooks find it much easier to buy hundreds of numbers stolen in online data breaches than to stand around hoping to skim a few encrypted numbers at a register. And the jeans? The people using them found their phones were going dead from constantly searching for a signal while in the pocket of their jeans.

Long Story, Short

The RFID blocking industry is making millions of dollars off your fears. You should be much more concerned about data breaches and phishing schemes. But, if you’re still worried about someone skimming your information, simply wrap your cards in aluminum foil. It’s just as effective.