Metal wallets promise to protect your credit cards
You can protect your credit cards from skimmers but do you really need to?
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You can protect your credit cards from skimmers but do you really need to?
Nowadays you can simply tap your credit card on a PayPass or PayWave terminal in a store to make your purchases. You don’t need to insert your card or type in your PIN—great news if you’re in a rush. The problem is thieves equipped with inexpensive portable card readers can siphon credit and debit details without you knowing. Should you invest in a metal wallet ($5 to $70) to block electronic pickpockets from getting your data?
Queen’s University technology professor David Skillicorn says metal wallets aren’t necessary. The cards transmit only partial data—not enough to make large purchases, replicate a card or steal your identity. If you’re concerned, simply wrapping a piece of tinfoil around your card will suffice, Skillicorn says.
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