[Discuss] Credit Card Capture From Inside My Wallet: This stops now

[ethanms at bu.edu (Ethan Schwartz)]

> On Oct 7, 2022, at 14:00, MC <boumanmcc at mykolab.com> wrote:
> 
> ?If this hadn't happened to me, I would never believe this story. 

Do you recall if you were holding your wallet anywhere near the reader?

Or is there _any_ chance you're mistaken about the card you used?

IME: NFC doesn't have the range to perform a transaction like this from even half a dozen inches away, let alone from a wallet in a pocket... so unless the wrong card was used or the wallet containing the Amex was held very close to the reader I don't know how this could happen...

On the topic -- search for an RFID blocking wallet or card sleeve. They use carbon fiber or metal to block the potential for the transaction. NFC is 13.56MHz.

I opt to use my iPhone -- which is tied to a credit card -- when I do contactless payments... it require a specific press to unlock to enable payment, and requires a clear view of my face w/ eyeballs looking at it, or a passcode.

My US passport card card is NFC equipped and they provided a sleeve for it. 

My MBTA card is also NFC (arguably even more vulnerable because the value is technically stored on the card IIRC because their original system was intended to work offline).

-Ethan