Staying Safe And Secure While Traveling

If you're like the one-third of Americans planning to travel more than 50 miles from home within the next year, you may spend all year anxiously awaiting your next family vacation. Sadly, all this careful planning and anticipation can be for naught if you're the victim of credit card fraud while away from home -- and even if you keep your wallet securely in your front pocket throughout your trip, you may not be immune from RFID hacking.

Read on to learn more about the dangers of RFID hacking, more commonly known as  "crowd hacking," and how SignalVault can help protect you from credit card fraud both at home and abroad.

What is crowd hacking?

In the past, credit card fraud was limited to two primary types -- physical fraud, in which a credit card is pick-pocketed or stolen after loss and then used to purchase goods or services, and online fraud, in which a credit card used to make an online purchase is compromised.

As long as you were very careful to only enter your credit card on secure websites (or use a single low-limit card for all online purchases) and keep your physical cards secure, you were at very low risk of credit card fraud.

However, the advent of RFID-reading devices now permit thieves to obtain your credit card number and information with the press of a button on a small remote control, rendering you vulnerable to fraud no matter what precautions you've taken prior to your trip.

"Crowd hacking" can take place in any public place but is most common in crowded tourist areas, as this allows the hacker to obtain multiple credit card numbers at once without arousing any suspicion.

Because the RFID-reading device is so unobtrusive, and because there may be no initial indication that your card has been compromised until purchases begin being made, crowd hacking is an especially insidious crime that can put a major crimp in your trip, especially if the credit card compromised is the one you've used to buy plane tickets or pay for your hotel room.

How can SignalVault protect you against crowd hacking? 

Signal Vault has cornered the market on RFID protection in its line of personal security products, including the SignalVault Credit & Debit Card Protector. This attractive wallet operates as a physical shield against RFID hacking, ensuring that your passport, driver's license, and credit card information remain secure from even the most sophisticated crowd hacking attempts.