CRIMINALS CAN STEAL YOUR CREDIT CARD FROM STEPS AWAY USING DANGEROUS WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY
New “SkimSure” Card Jams the Signals of Any “Contactless Skimming” Device, Protecting Credit and Debit Cards from Being Stolen
For years, people have worried about someone stealing their debit and credit cards, whether physically or assuming their identities online. Now comes a new consumer nightmare: your card information can be stolen by a thief just by standing close to you or passing you on the street. The same technology that allows cards to be read wirelessly for purchases through a built in chip also has a gaping security hole: criminals can read them too, collecting your card’s account number and expiration dates in seconds (see demonstration here). The method is called “contactless skimming” and it allows criminals to collect your credit card data from a device aimed at your wallet or purse. Fortunately, a new invention called SkimSure is giving consumers a new weapon to fight this digital theft: a card the size of any debit or credit card that jams the signals of skimming devices aimed at your direction (how it works). Consumers can simply put it into their wallets and purses and the card will prevent any illegal device from stealing your information.
“This is a red alert problem every consumer needs to know: criminals are stealing your card numbers wirelessly and using that information to take your money and assume your identity,” said SkimSure co-founder Carl Martinsson. “It’s urgent that consumers protect their account information because the issue is only growing. Credit card fraud is exploding across the US. We invented the SkimSure card to protect consumers from this theft, which can be devastating as people move to cashless purchasing. Our card prevents any device from capturing your information wirelessly.”
Security experts are growing more and more concerned that the migration toward built-in contactless chips in debit and credit cards are giving criminals more opportunities to commit wireless theft. While convenient for consumers, who can simply tap or waive their cards at registers to complete purchases, the action opens them up to the likelihood that someone else is reading it, too. Unfortunately, banks and credit card companies are still using these chips, despite numerous warnings they are leaving consumers vulnerable to theft.
Identify theft in the US is one of the greatest crime epidemics, and it continues to rise. Last year alone, there were more than 650,000 reported cases of ID theft, a 44 percent increase from the previous year, according to the Federal Trade Commission. Credit card fraud in particular has exploded across the US, rising 72 percent in 2019 from 2018 to $9.36 billion in losses. There are 1 billion credit cards in use in the US, and identify theft occurs every two seconds. Walking on busy streets, riding public transportation, paying for gas by card, purchasing groceries and congregating in large crowds pose the biggest risks, as scanners can simply brush past you and collect your account info wirelessly.
“Debit and credit cards have outdated, antiqued systems that cannot keep track of the technology scammers use to steal your account information,” continued Martinsson. “People need to be more proactive in protecting their sensitive data. It’s gotten too easy for criminals to steal your card numbers. This is why we invented SkimSure — its peace of mind in your wallet.”
