Non-ugly spy-proof wallet?

January 15, 2006 5:34 PM

Tinfoilhatfilter: There seem to be several designs for DIY RFID-blocking (read: duct-tape-and-foil) wallets (e.g.). Is there a comparable product available for purchase pre-made (preferably more elegant- / conventional-looking)?

I know it's possible to make an RFID-proof pocket and just stick your wallet in there, but that seems like an inferior solution.

Also of interest: has anyone tried such a product? How did it perform?

posted by grobstein to clothing, beauty, & fashion (7 comments total)

Well, lining shopping bags or purses with foil is how a lot of shoplifters circumvent the RFID scanners, so I'd say it works.
posted by IndigoRain at 5:47 PM on January 15, 2006

Never seen it, but I think it should involve copper mesh...

For some reason copper mesh on McMaster Carr is very pricey, am I misreading it?
posted by Chuckles at 8:38 PM on January 15, 2006

Don't put your wallet in a pouch, put a pouch in your wallet. I assume you want to shield a credit card. I would find any quality wallet that you like with the added specification that a credit card slot completely cover the card and have a little wiggle room to spare. Then I would simply cut a piece of foil that when folded in half fits snugly in the wallet sleeve. With a good fit, it should stay in place without glue, but the card would slide in and out easier if the foil adhered to the sides of the pocket. For durability and confidence you could cut the foil from an x-ray safe film bag. As IndigoRain says about effectiveness, lining bags with foil or several layers of duct tape is effective in defeating active scanning fields, as proven by shoplifters for years. If you have a friend in retail, you could test your wallet's effectiveness by inserting a security tag in your lined credit card pocket and getting in proximity of the security scanning field.
posted by roboto at 9:09 PM on January 15, 2006

Retail Security tags/scanners are not the same as RFID tags -- there are several different mechanisms for both types, and countermeasures for one are not the same as countermeasures for others.

Wikipedia lists shielding ideas for both, depending on which technology is used -- note that while an Alu Foil wallet will work on some types of unpowered/passive short-range RFID tags, it will not work with others...

(Offtopic: A previous link on MoFi discussed some tin-foil-hat wearer deciding that all new US$ and EUR bills had RFID tags because large quantities of notes set off some retail security scanners, and because the metal strip inside overheated when put into a microwave)
posted by nielm at 3:38 AM on January 16, 2006

While it's true that security tags and rfid chips are not the same, rfid technology came from RF security tags. All that is required is to block the rf signal, whether powered or unpowered.
posted by roboto at 4:18 AM on January 16, 2006

For some reason copper mesh on McMaster Carr is very pricey, am I misreading it?

Offtopic, but I heard on the radio this week that demand in China is driving prices up to the extent prices have doubled over the past 12 months.

The item mentioned hospital water pipes in Africa being stripped and sold to meet Chinese demand.
posted by the cuban at 5:20 AM on January 16, 2006

Yes, interesting.
" Jan. 17 (Bloomberg) -- Copper futures rose to a record for a second day in Shanghai on speculation demand from wire and cable makers will outpace supply in China, the world's biggest consumer of the metal.

A decline in copper imports and a suspension of sales from government stockpiles have reduced supply, said traders including Yuan Fang from Shanghai Dongya Futures Co. Copper futures in Shanghai have risen 53 percent in the past year as demand for pipes and wires in homes, cars and factories in the world's fastest growing major economy has outstripped supply."
posted by roboto at 7:57 PM on January 16, 2006