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Protect your credit cards from scanning.

Consumerist
Consumerist Posts: 6,311 Forumite
Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
in Old style MoneySaving
Lavaza ground coffee packets are made from a metal coated on both sides with plastic. The metal provides an RF shield against scanning and the plastic coatings provide a durable physical protection.

Cut open the coffee packaging to get a flat sheet. Then cut to size to fit in your purse or wallet so it will cover both the back and front of your cards when the wallet or purse is closed.

Other packaging may also contain a metallised plastic but beware plastic-only packages which will not work.

Another quick tip - keep more than one card in your wallet or purse - that confuses the scanners.
>:)Warning: In the kingdom of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.
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Comments

  • ariba10
    ariba10 Posts: 5,432 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Aluminium Foil is just as good.
    I used to be indecisive but now I am not sure.
  • Stevie_Palimo
    Stevie_Palimo Posts: 3,306 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    ariba10 wrote: »
    Aluminium Foil is just as good.



    images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQytovizkMpyKK4bOfSlwIs8Z6Np0x72s9XGUkMZr5yIP0JAVvnXw
  • Consumerist
    Consumerist Posts: 6,311 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    ariba10 wrote: »
    Aluminium Foil is just as good.
    Correct. But it easily tears and becomes a bit of a hindrance after a while.
    >:)Warning: In the kingdom of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.
  • bluebag
    bluebag Posts: 2,450 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Consumerist wrote: »
    Correct. But it easily tears and becomes a bit of a hindrance after a while.

    I stuck my foil down on a piece of thin cardboard with sellotape in a sort of poor mans laminate.
  • mezereum
    mezereum Posts: 3 Newbie
    Eighth Anniversary First Post Combo Breaker
    recently seen this item advertised at cost of £19.95 - ? a con - says it puts a 9cm protective force field around your wallet! Anybody tried it?
  • Consumerist
    Consumerist Posts: 6,311 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    edited 30 October 2016 at 11:59AM
    mezereum wrote: »
    recently seen this item advertised at cost of £19.95 - ? a con - says it puts a 9cm protective force field around your wallet! Anybody tried it?
    Fortunately, I've no idea what "item" you're talking about, and frankly don't want to see it advertised here in the forum, but the whole idea behind an RF shield is to stop (or significantly reduce) external RF signals penetrating to your card(s) - not to create another RF signal.

    As you suggest, it sounds like something of a con.
    >:)Warning: In the kingdom of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.
  • haras_nednats
    haras_nednats Posts: 37 Forumite
    Just wondering - has anyone here been a victim of such a scam? I hear a lot of people talking about it but have never actually heard from someone who has had it happen to them.
    Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints!
  • Pooky
    Pooky Posts: 7,023 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Considering how close my card has to be to the card reader to actually scan I'd be surprised if it was an issue. It won't even read it if it's upside down with the chip more than a few cm's away.
    "Start every day off with a smile and get it over with" - W. C. Field.
  • datlex
    datlex Posts: 2,252 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    I don't think the issue is with the scanners in shops it is with scanners on unscrupulous people's phones
    Paid off the last of my unsecured debts in 2016. Then saved up and bought a property. Current aim is to pay off my mortgage as early as possible. Currently over paying every month. Mortgage due to be paid off in 2036 hoping to get it paid off much earlier. Set up my own bespoke spreadsheet to manage my money.
  • Gers
    Gers Posts: 13,368 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    I just keep my two most used contactless cards in the same purse and all the unused ones together.
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