New Passports Could Mean ID Theft
How much does it cost a thief to steal your identity and thousands, tens of thousands or more of your personal assets?
Less than $200, according to a San Francisco-based security expert.
News site KTVU.com interviewed eBay security professional Chris Paget for the chilling low-down on how your passport could potentially lead a victim to your information…and your credit cards.
A Passport to Identity Theft
It sounds like something straight out of science fiction, but Paget told KTVU it’s all true: an individual with the correct (and legally purchased) equipment can drive by and “clone” passport information from unsuspecting individuals.
According to Paget, RFI (radio frequency identification) computer chips on newer cards emit information that can be sensed–and scammed–by a criminal using only an antenna, a legally purchased “reader” and a laptop computer.
Paget pointed out that he obtained the accessories for just $195. He already had a laptop, he told the news source, but “the reader, the antenna, the cabling that connects the two…it’s all completely off the shelf, bought second hand on eBay.”
It’s Not So Easy, Experts Say
In the interview, Paget explained that the long-distance robbery is accomplished by sending out signals that “bump off” RFI chips. That information is then transferred to the crook’s laptop.
Trying out this theory for himself, Paget claimed, “I drove through (San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf) a few days ago and in the space of about 20 minutes, cloned two passport cards.”
But other professionals say that’s simplistic and may not be fully accurate. “The (RFI) card itself has many, many layers of security to it,” insisted State Department spokesman John Brennan.
He added this information and piece of advice to RFI card carriers: “There’s been testing done, and we’re confident that if you keep (the card) in the sleeve it can’t be read by someone who has a reader in the vicinity,” Brennan added.
Where There’s a Will, There’s a (Criminal) Way
Paget told the news site that passport cloning via the new chips is possible, however, and that even with safety measures in place, a criminal with a computer will find a way to take advantage of this latest ID theft method.
That’s why he performed the experiment, he said. “I figured if I actually do this in a real world environment through a practical demonstration, maybe it’ll convince people to rethink these RFID systems in our identity documents.”
It’s not the first time someone has attempted to make the point; as technology continues to develop, criminals wise up too and follow along with ever evolving methods to buck the system.
And although older passports lack the chip, some 800,000 chip-embedded documents have been issued by the State Department, according to the news story.
RFI chips are also working their way into driver’s licenses in various states.
For the full story, click here.
