Everyday commercials are warning you to protect your credit card information telling you to be wary of protecting your card numbers. But what you might not know is your credit card information could be stolen just by standing in a room near a crook. Yes, you read that correctly!
Chris Gillman with the National Crime Stop Program tells KPRC in Houston that these crooks are electronically pickpocketing you.
It’s not complicated like you might think. Have you ever been to a gas station, coffee shop or grocery store that has the self-scanner? It’s a little machine near the cash register that allows you to swipe your card and your information is transmitted by a little chip inside. Well these crooks have a similar device and all they need to do is be within 25 feet of you.
“There is no contact required by the criminal or you. Your card can be in your wallet or purse,” Gillman says. So to demonstrate, Gillman and KPRC went to a Houston mall and were able to collect credit card information on almost 40 people in a 15 minute window.
Gillman says the best way to protect yourself is to buy a signal vault, a card you can place in your wallet to shield your credit cards or a wallet with the same protection.
