CLAIREMONT (CBS 8) - In this high-tech age, pickpockets could use a new device to steal your credit card information without ever touching your wallet or purse.
A new technology that's come out in the last few years might soon make magnetic strips extinct. Several bank cards come with a chip that allow you to pay for purchases by holding your card close enough to a card reader, but "contactless" cards have not caught on as fast as experts thought, because of fears of being electronically pickpocketed.
During times like the holiday rush when shoppers are in a hurry, a contactless card reader seems necessary. The scan-and-go technology helps speed up transactions thanks to an electronic chip placed in newer bank cards, but the downside to radio frequency identification -- or RFID -- is that it's also ideal for tech-savvy pickpockets.
"They can obtain your information and you wouldn't even know it. It could potentially increase identity theft or any fraudulent use of a credit card numbers," Gabby Beltran of the Identity Theft Resource Center said.
Beltran says it's a way for thieves to get into your purse without having to touch it.
Our sister station in Memphis, Tenn. Put the technology in action. Armed with a credit card reader he bought online for about $100 and a laptop, Walt Augustinowicz of Identity Stronghold demonstrated just how easy it is to snatch your information.
Of all the people he approached who had the chip on their bank or credit card, Augustinowicz could access their card number, expiration date and in some cases, even the person's name.
Since it only takes a matter of minutes, Beltran says since most identity theft victims don't know how or when their information is accessed, this latest crime can make it even harder to trace criminals.
But there are ways to protect yourself. Special card sleeves aim to block thieves from accessing the RFID chip on your cards, reducing the risk of electronic pickpocketing.
According to the Identity Theft Resource Center, having the chip on your bank card is an option. If you don't want it, you can always ask for a new card.
