Quick Tip: RFID Blocking Wallets Aren't What They're Cracked Up to Be

After one of my pre-paid debit cards was recently compromised, I decided to run a little experiment on my Alpine Swiss RFID blocking wallet. It failed.

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[ivangoncharuk]

RFID and NFC are different things but they’re essentially the same technology.

NFC (Near Field Communication) is a subset of RFID (Radio Frequency Identification), specifically designed for secure data exchange within a close range. While RFID encompasses a broader range of technologies for object identification and tracking, NFC operates within a limited proximity, typically a few centimeters, making it suitable for applications like contactless payments and data sharing between devices.

Important to know that RFID does NOT block NFC but does block RFID card skimmers (hopefully). NFC card skimmers targeting contactless payment cards are rare and less practical compared to traditional RFID skimming methods due to the close proximity required and security measures in place.

[JoshuaXiong]

RFID (Radio-Frequency Identification) and NFC (Near Field Communication) both operate within the radio frequency range. While they can use similar frequencies, they don't necessarily use the same exact frequencies. RFID typically operates at lower frequencies (LF and HF), while NFC operates at higher frequencies (HF). However, there is some overlap, especially in the HF range (13.56 MHz), where both RFID and NFC can operate.

[Reza-nzre]

Don't bring a card in your wallet