What Are RFID-Blocking Wallets & How Does RFID Work?
You might have heard the words RFID, RFID blocking, RFID wallet and RFID theft all over the internet and started to wonder what does RFID stand for and how does it work?
In this blog post we will break down exactly what RFID is, how it works and why you should own an RFID blocking wallet.
What is RFID?
RFID is an acronym for “radio-frequency identification”
It refers to a technology whereby the digital data encoded in RFID tags or smart labels are captured by a reader via radio waves. RFID readers act very similar to barcode readers that you would find in any typical grocery or department store.
The big difference is RFID readers can capture data several feet away (up to 20 feet for high-frequency devices) and does not need to be within direct line-of-sight of the reader to be tracked. Whereas a barcode reader needs to be within a couple inches to capture data.
How does RFID work?
Automatic Identification and Data Capture (AIDC) is the group of technologies that RFID belongs to. All AIDC methods operate the same. They first identify objects, collect data about them, and finally enter that data directly into a computer system. Little to no human intervention is needed to collect the data.
In order to accomplish this, RFID devices utilize radio waves. There are 3 components that make up an RFID system.
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RFID tag or smart label
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RFID reader
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Antenna
RFID tags (i.e. the chip on your credit cards or debit cards) contain an integrated circuit.
These tags are used to transmit data to and RFID reader. Next, the RFID reader converts the radio waves to a usable form of data. Finally, the information collected from the tag is transferred through a communications interface and finally to a host computer system.
You can then view the data whenever you’d like once it’s been collected.
There are several different frequency ranges used in RFID including:
- Low Frequency (LF, 125 kHz)
- High Frequency (HF, 13.56 MHz)
- Ultra High Frequency (UHF, 433 MHz, 860-960 MHz)
- Microwave (2.45 GHz, 5.8 GHz).
What are RFID-Blocking Wallets?
Now that you know what RFID and how RFID technology works you’ll want to know how to protect yourself from RFID theft. No longer do pickpockets have to actually pick your pockets anymore.
All they need now is an RFID skimmer fit with a strong directional antenna and presto your personal information is now stolen.
RFID skimmers can capture information on any RFID enabled tags such as credits cards, debit cards, passports, employee access cards and more.
Nearly 60 million Americans have been affected by identity theft in just 2017 alone.
To protect your identity and the valuable information stored on your chip enabled RFID cards you will want to use an RFID blocking wallet.
It’s always better to be safe than sorry. Nobody wants to be a victim of identity theft or loose their life savings because they didn’t protect their RFID cards.
Axwell specializes in RFID blocking wallets. The Axwell Wallet comes equipped with advanced military grade RFID Secure Technology, a unique metal composite, engineered specifically to block 10 MHz to 3000 MHz signals including 13.56 MHz RFID signals and protect the valuable information stored on your chip-enabled RFID cards.
With the Axwell Wallet in your pocket you can feel safe knowing that your identity is protected from cyber thieves.
