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RFID technology, or radio frequency identification, has been around for a long time. Along with the convenience, however, comes the risk of having the information contained on RFID-equipped items being stolen in a new brand of electronic pickpocketing known as RFID skimming.

The technology has made its way into a variety of items, including credit cards, driver's licenses and passports. These items, which are mostly found in the wallets of people, use embedded RFID chips to transmit information wirelessly to compatible readers to perform functions such as confirming the person's identity or paying for a purchase.

RFID uses radio waves to read information stored on tags attached to certain objects, and can be scanned from several feet away, without the need for a direct line-of-sight to the reader.

In 2016 many of our credit cards and passports are outfitted with embedded radio frequency identification (or RFID) chips. These chips are what make it possible to pay without swiping your card at the corner store. However, there are concerns out there of "RFID skimming" - the act of using a scanner to steal someone's personal information from their credit card without it every leaving their pocket. It's a bit like digital pickpocketing.

The Threat Of RFID Skimming

Individuals who have RFID readers can possibly activate the RFID chips embedded in personal items, which would allow them to extract sensitive information without the owner of the items even knowing that they were victimized.

Over the years, hackers have demonstrated methods of using handheld RFID readers to acquire information from several feet away. Information that can be extracted this way include the name and country of origin listed in a passport, and more alarmingly, complete credit card numbers.