Duped without anything stolen from your wallet

The new street smart criminals are using hi tech scanners to access data contained on the radio identification chips used in credit cards. The same chip is used in passports, car security systems, security swipe cards for access to a building. Thus the critical information contained not just in your credit card, but also in various other important documents face the risk of getting unauthorized access by these modern criminals, which is becoming an issue of great concern in many countries including Australia.

What is a matter of grave concern is the fact that these scanners capture the data from a distance up to a meter away, and they do not have to steal your credit card to access the data and information contained in your credit card. Thus, your credit card details are stolen even without you becoming aware of anything of that sort happening. These devices are quite advanced, which access the chip, and then break and interpret the algorithm as well as any encryption contained in the chip.

Using information collected from various sources, these criminals are creating a data warehouse and building detailed profiles on individuals in an unauthorized manner. Obviously such an unauthorized access to personal information exposes individuals to various kinds of frauds. The criminals can use this information to steal your car, enter a building or office premise illegally or even use your passport information to indulge in high profile international crimes.

The worst part of this recent development in the crime world is that it does not require spending a fortune on acquiring a scanner, which is actually quite cheap, may give the police force in any country quite a few sleepless nights. During a recent international police conference, the police forces of various countries were informed by FBI about the increasing use of this technology by criminals world over. There is an increasing concern on the identity crimes getting quite widespread in various kinds of offences and handling with this situation requires concerted effort not just at the level of police force, but also at the level of companies that are into the business of manufacturing these chips.

The ease with which the information contained in the chips can be captured using these scanner devices will certainly warrant the companies that manufacture these chips to take the underlying technology a few notches above where it is at present to avoid their detection and access by these new devices with the criminals.

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