Saturday, November 29, 2014

Review: Rogue Wallet with RFID Shield Protection and Rogue Credit Card Shields with RFID

Review: Rogue Wallet with RFID Shield Protections & 

Rogue Credit Card Shields with RFID 




I had the opportunity to work with Rogue Industries to review two of their amazing products that help prevent ID theft.  I was able to review one of Rogue's gorgeous Ostrich Print Clutches with RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) and their Credit Card Shields with RFID.  I know I am always worried about having my ID stolen.  I hear about ID theft on the news all the time, and I personally know people that have had their ID stolen.  So I was thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Rogue to promote identity protecting products.  These products help to protect you from being "electronically pick pocketed" by thieves with skimmers.  



I received the Ostrich Print Clutch with RFID in the beautiful Parisian Red.  It is also available in Tan, Ink Black, Eggplant Purple, Ivory, and Teal.  The flap is a black ostrich print with a magnetic clasp.  These clutches are made of premium napa leather with the RFID shielding technology stitched directly into the material.  There is so much storage space in this exquisite clutch.  It holds nine credit cards and two identification cards.  There are two major accordion style divided sections, three additional divided sections for more storage, a zippered coin pocket, and an extra zippered compartment on the outside of the clutch.  It comes with two detachable matching straps, a wrist strap and a longer strap so you can wear it over your shoulder.  

Rogue Industries also makes RFID Blocking Credit Card Shields.  These fashionably designed credit card sleeves are metallic lined that provide a shielding effect.  Just insert a credit card into the side-loading sleeve and put it in your wallet, then you can be worry free.  You have four designs to choose from: Cherry Blossoms, Poppies, Gold Vault, and Ferns.  My favorite is the cherry blossoms.  One sleeve envelopes a single credit card, and it is recommended that you only put one card per sleeve.  They can also protect data stored on RFID chips in new RFID driver's licenses and passport cards.  They have been laboratory tested and FIPS 201 approved for security.  When you purchase this 8-pack of Credit Card Shield sleeves, it also includes two passport sleeves as a bonus!



~Here are some FAQs I found on the Rogue Industries website~

RFID BLOCKING WALLETGUARD FAQ

How do the WalletGuard RFID shields help prevent identity theft?
  • The WalletGuard & PassportGuard shielding helps to block the transmission of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) waves which many cards emit through a small microchip embedded within the card.
How does it do this?
  • The technology which creates this electromagnetically opaque shield is a nano thin layer of metal which is sandwiched between an inner and outer layer of paper. The material itself is remarkably thin so that it won't bulk up your purse or wallet.
The sleeves appear to be nothing more than a sheet of paper—how could they possibly stop ID Theft?
  • The paper is indeed both very thin and flexible—but it is also an amazing piece of technology. Sandwiched in between the inner and outer layers of paper is the nano thin layer of metal—and it is precisely this metal layer which provides the barrier for RFID protection. This combination of paper and metal bonded together creates an exceedingly durable sleeve while maintaining its stylishly thin design.
How many cards can the sleeves hold?
  • The sleeves are designed to only hold one credit card per sleeve
  • The WalletGuard Shield product is meant for men's wallets that don't already contain RFID shielding. When the shield is placed in the currency section of a bi-fold wallet, the credit cards are protected when the wallet is closed, as the shielding would essentially surround the cards.

Does it matter which way you insert the card into the sleeve?
  • It does not matter how you insert a "smart" credit card into the sleeve. The entire sleeve is constructed with a 3-layered material (the inside layer is a metal coating). This envelopes and protects the entire card.

For an ID theft to occur, does the thief need to physically gain possession of the credit card?
  • In the past, this was indeed the case. But no more. Now an ID thief can steal the information with a readily available "skimmer" and remotely access personal information contained on the credit card directly through wallets, clothing, and even cars.

Over what distance can this personal information be stolen?
  • 30 feet.

You are claiming that personal credit card information can now be remotely stolen without ever even taking your wallet or purse out—and that this can happen up to 30 feet away?
  • Precisely. This exact situation was recently verified to our company by federal law professionals specializing in this specific area of consumer fraud.

Are all credit cards susceptible to remote skimming?
  • No, this is a problem specific to so called smart credit cards which have the embedded microchip buried within them. They are sometimes recognizable as VISA Contactless, Quick VSDC, VISA Wave, PayWave, PayPass MChip by Mastercard—also referred to as "Tap N Go", American Express with ExpressPay, Zip by Discover, AMEX Clear, Blue Card and Blue Sky, and Chase Blink. Unfortunately, in many cases the cards are not clearly identified as being RFID enabled. Debit cards from Citizens Bank, HSBC, Key Bank and Charter One are also RFID enabled. With many credit and debit cards, it is simply impossible to know if the cards contain the microchip.

How many of these so called smart credit cards are out there?
  • Hundreds of millions are now in circulation. One of the largest credit card chip suppliers claims that they have now sold in excess of one billion (yes, that is with a “B”) of these microchips to industry. (Note: their claim of a billion microchips could include keyless building cards, driver’s licenses and of course, credit cards.)

Will the WalletGuard and PassportGuard sleeve help to protect the magnetic strip on the back of the credit card from being erased?
  • Any credit card sleeve, RFID protecting or not, will help to keep the magnetic strip from being erased, but this is not the primary design objective of this sleeve.

Will these credit card sleeves last forever?
  • Certainly not, even though these sleeves are lined with metal and are very durable, they will not last forever. These sleeves are a highly economical way to provide a common sense solution against ID theft. We expect that they will last up to three years under normal use.
  • These sleeves are water resistant (not waterproof), but resistant to water. And because of the bonded metal layer, this material is more than 200% stronger than paper—which is totally expected.

How many cards will fit into the standard WalletGuard sleeve?
  • One per sleeve is the recommended amount.

I've heard that now even passports have a microchip embedded in them? True or false?
  • True. And this is another great case for traveling with an RFID shield and protecting one's personal information.

In addition to Smart credit card protection, will these metal lined sleeves also protect the new driver’s licenses, keyless building cards, and passport cards?
  • Yes, as long as the units are being read within the standard 13.56 megahertz range.

Do WalletGuard and PassportGuard protect against all kinds of identity theft?
  • No. Identity theft can occur in dozens of ways. However, WalletGuard and PassportGuard are effective at preventing one of the methods of identity theft, by blocking unauthorized access to credit card RFID chips.






*Thanks to Rogue Industries for allowing me to review for them.
*The opinions of this product are strictly my own.
*I received these products in return for an honest written review.

1 comment:

  1. RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology is similar to barcodes in that it is an automatic identification system used to track and capture information about products, assets, and inventory. rfid protection

    ReplyDelete