Gear Review Credit Cards, Drivers License, Passport: Are they secure?

Discussion in 'Functional Gear & Equipment' started by Ganado, Nov 15, 2018.


  1. Ganado

    Ganado Monkey+++

    I travel a bit and after having my identity stolen a few years ago I started using RDiF sleeves.
    These cheap ones are perfect for any wallet. I can get 2 cards or a license and a card in one if I need to and they fit in a standard wallet. You have to replace them after a year or so as they are paper and foil but they are easy to use and secure.

    I bought a cheap version of these and have had them for 2 years.
    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BZX5NQW/?tag=survivalmonke-20


    I recently upgraded so I had a passport cover and these are good as well. There is a great review on this site
    https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074N722RV/?tag=survivalmonke-20

    ut of 5 starsGave these the hardest test I could think of, Black Hat Security Conference...
    September 1, 2017
    Color: Black PremiumVerified Purchase
    I don't always leave reviews but this one indeed deserved one.

    I decided to give this product a test at one of the hardest testing grounds available for this kind of product; the Black Hat Security Conference, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

    As a White Hat Hacker/Security Engineer, I'm always looking for and testing products that will help myself, but more importantly, my family, friends and others in the world that do not walk on the same roads in the technical world as I do.

    Have no doubt that there are people out there that are very driven and very good at stealing your information and in the cases of credit cards, passports and IDs they are getting to where they can do it without you ever realizing it until it's too late. The days of having to steal your wallet and/or purse to get this information is long gone. It still happens but that isn't the preferred way for the "smart" criminal. These days it is simply bumping into you.

    At Black Hat it is made a point to try and get all the information you can and everyone walking into the conference area knows this and for the most part comes prepared. My first morning I came with just a prepaid credit card with $50.00 (I wasn't willing to risk too much on an unproven item) on it in the Alpine Rivers credit card sleeve and went to rfid scanning specialists to see what would happen. I asked them to try and get all they could and not tell me if they were successful or not. After 90 minutes of talking to these folks and others I went back to my hotel and checked. The money was still on the card and no attempts had been made to try and access the account in any way.

    Next I took the same card with $50.00, a chip and tap enabled debit card to a bank account where the bank knew what I was doing so that account was limited with its funding and a chip and tap enabled credit card from a major credit card company who also knew what I was doing and sent me a card with limited funding available. Each of these cards was in the Alpine Rivers credit card sleeve.

    I went back to the conference and again approached rfid specialists. It was the same deal, I hang out for an hour and a half then go back to the hotel. I checked and nothing was done to any of the accounts again.

    Next I took the $50.00 prepaid card and the debit card out of the sleeve and left the credit card in the sleeve. I went back to the conference, back to the rfid specialists and within 5 minutes I was getting alerts that both those cards were seeing strange activity. The credit card that was still in the sleeve was not giving me any alerts.

    I hung out for the 90 minutes and went back to the hotel. The $50.00 prepaid card and the chip and tap enabled debit card that were NOT in the Alpine Rivers sleeves were breached, money had been removed and account information taken. The chip and tap credit card that was IN the Alpine Rivers sleeve was perfectly fine.

    That evening I started the real test. I took the test credit card out of the sleeve and put two of my actual credit cards in sleeves and went back. The test credit card was getting hit just by walking around within minutes and my 2 personal credit cards were fine.

    I went back to the hotel, checked and as before the card not in the sleeve was breached and the cards in the sleeves were safe.

    I went back the next day and did the same thing as the evening before with the same results. I decided to go all in (pun intended for this conference being in Vegas. Excuse the cheese ha) and that afternoon and evening I carried my credit cards, debit cards and passport with me but they were all in the Alpine Rivers sleeves.

    Being paranoid I went back to the hotel several times and nothing was wrong with any of the accounts for cards I had in sleeves and I was confident the same was to be said for my passport information.

    Now almost 2 months later I can say that nothing untoward has happened with my identity or any information that resides on a passport and no financial issues have occurred with any card that I had in the sleeves while attending the Black Hat conference.

    The folks that attend these conferences are driven to get the data residing on these items. The majority now do it for the purposes of helping stop thieves but there are always those that are on the nefarious side. They go to the conferences, walk down the same streets as you, shop at the same stores, go to the same movies and the list goes on.

    The Alpine Rivers RFID blocking sleeves impressed not only myself but many others at the conference.

    I use them daily as do my family and friends.

    I have and will continue to recommend these to people with full peace of mind. I trust them to the point that the executives in the company I work for are all getting these so their items are protected especially for travel.

    Thank you, Alpine Rivers, for distributing such a great product.

    Thank you to those that took the time to read this lengthy review but I wanted it to be worth reading as evidence of the effectiveness of these sleeves.
     
    natshare, Gator 45/70, oldawg and 7 others like this.
  2. Motomom34

    Motomom34 Monkey+++

    Thank you @Ganado these are exactly what I need. I think my wallet got scanned. I am up to 3 cards with fraudulent charges. What a mess. Ordering them now.
     
  3. OldDude49

    OldDude49 Just n old guy

  4. sec_monkey

    sec_monkey SM Security Administrator

    shameless plug, a monkey router will also make yer network safer from malicious crackers that are trying to steal everythin

    our survival-fu is gr8 around here, but the network n computer departments are not gettin the attention they deserve
     
  5. techsar

    techsar Monkey+++

    I go double layered...shielded trifold wallet with those rfid sleeves inside as well. No issues yet!
     
  6. sec_monkey

    sec_monkey SM Security Administrator

    [winkthumb] [winkthumb] yall :) :)

    thing is the skimmers are gettin real sophisticated :( :( :mad: :mad:
     
  7. Bandit99

    Bandit99 Monkey+++ Site Supporter+

    Now, wait a minute... Yes, these RDIF sleeves do work; however, most of the cards in the United States are not using this wireless type transfer method and, as such, data cannot simply be transferred. Europe has gone to this method (not sure about rest of the world) but it's pretty limited in the US and Canada. I dug into this deeply about a year ago so things might have changed a bit but as of right now none of my cards would work in this manner so these sleeves not necessary and probably not for most folks here either.

    Now, having said this, I believe (not 100% sure) my wife's new American passport does this however since we don't travel, I'm not too concern but when we do then we'll get one of these sleeves. My old passport definitely doesn't support it either but I don't need a new one for 2-3 years more.
     
    Gator 45/70, Motomom34 and sec_monkey like this.
  8. sec_monkey

    sec_monkey SM Security Administrator

    chip based cards are being used in the US, due to old infrastructure most of the time they still use the magstripe and data gets stolen that way
     
    Gator 45/70, Motomom34 and 3M-TA3 like this.
  9. Witch Doctor 01

    Witch Doctor 01 Mojo Maker

    When i travel i use a Scottie vest with an RFD pocket and my RF proof wallet... other wise it's just the RF wallet...
     
  10. Motomom34

    Motomom34 Monkey+++

    I think that is what got me. One credit card went shopping on Nike. com, another credit card someone went shopping at zumie dot com and the last which was the company credit card went shopping at Apple. What a mess.
     
    Ganado, sec_monkey and Gator 45/70 like this.
  11. Gator 45/70

    Gator 45/70 Monkey+++

    Funny, The wife texted me tonight asking if I ordered a meal delivered in Lake Charles La.
    Nope I tell her cancel the card.
     
    Ganado and sec_monkey like this.
  12. Altoidfishfins

    Altoidfishfins Monkey+++ Site Supporter+

    Wife asked me about a year ago why I tried to transfer $3500 cash into a savings account at a bank in South Carolina from one of my credit cards. I didn't and we don't live anywhere near there. The credit card issuing bank caught it, halted the transfer and shut down the account. They issued us new cards with new account numbers.
     
    Ganado, Gator 45/70 and sec_monkey like this.
  13. Brokor

    Brokor Live Free or Cry Moderator Site Supporter+++ Founding Member

    Turning on activity alerts for every card you own is a great idea and absolutely necessary these days.

    I use RFID wallets, they just work. And this is worth every freaking penny: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NUKFYOE/?tag=survivalmonke-20
    I can place 6 cards in this Vanquest wallet with my ID. Low profile, simple.
     
    Mountainman, Ganado and Gator 45/70 like this.
  14. Ganado

    Ganado Monkey+++

    @Brokor that's too manly for me and I'm interested in how long it lasts cuz I might buy it for a family member

    I have a larger leather wallet because I keep receipts in it. I also log them electronically but I lost a batch of receipts one year when a computer gave out and cost me an extra 1k in taxes. So I don't totally trust electronic receipts
    I guess I just haven't found the right program yet for back up or something. It's one of those prepping gaps I haven't plugged yet... except with paper
     
    Last edited: Nov 19, 2018
    Gator 45/70 likes this.
  15. Brokor

    Brokor Live Free or Cry Moderator Site Supporter+++ Founding Member

    I've used mine every day since I bought it more than a year ago now. It's just as good as the day I got it.
     
    Gator 45/70, Ganado and Mountainman like this.
  16. natshare

    natshare Monkey+++

    Yep, any credit cards I carry (and even the ones I leave at home) are in RFID sleeves, as is my passport.

    They're just cheaper paper and foil sleeves, but once I saw the paper starting to look thin (byproduct of sliding them in and out of the wallet), I just took some clear box packing tape, and reinforced them, on the outside. Simple, but effective! (y)
     
    Ganado and Gator 45/70 like this.
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