Identity theft protection advice to safeguard your wallet and your identity before you start your holiday buying
ANAHEIM, Calif., Nov. 7, 2006 — Identity theft is the #1 fraud in the United States. California-based Kena Kai announces a new line of leather wallets with radio frequency (RF) shielding lining to protect today’s new "contactless credit cards" from wireless identity theft.
Each year, the Federal Trade Commission releases a Top 10 List of fraud complaints. Since 2000, identity theft has been #1 on the FTC’s list. In the year 2005, at least 686,000 people filed fraud complaints with the FTC; 37% of those people – 255,000 – were victims of identity theft. Consumers reported losses from fraud of more than $547 million.
The new contactless credit cards use wireless technology to transit data that used to be transferred via "swiping" a card. Today, due to our quest for ever-increasing convenience, we no longer need to "swipe" our cards. New contactless credit cards allow you to simply wave your contactless credit card in front of a "reader" to complete the transactions. Normally, for transactions under $25 the consumer does not even need to sign a receipt, making this new contactless credit card technology nearly as convenient as cash. "As our society continues to looks for more ‘convenience’ we are opening ourselves up to even more threats. As technology advances – on both sides of the law – we need to be vigilant and take steps to protect our personal information," offered Geb Masterson, president of Kena Kai.
Contactless credit cards pose a serious privacy and security risk because some information is not stored encrypted, according to a paper written by five university and industry researchers.
The researchers claim that nearly 20 million radio-frequency identification (RFID) credit cards in circulation today could be vulnerable to skimming attacks, which could harvest names and credit card details from the cards of passersby. A skimming attack uses a normal reader, or one that has been enhanced to read cards from a greater distance, to grab unencrypted data from the card.
"Without even removing their cards from wallets or pockets, consumers can potentially see their privacy and security compromised," Ari Juels, an author of the paper and researcher at RSA Labs, stated in a blog post. "A scanner in a crowded subway station might surreptitiously harvest credit card data from passersby."
The DataSafe(TM) Wallet line protects these new credit cards with multiple layers of RF shielding material. The line includes bi-folds, tri-folds, credit card wallets, women’s wallets, and passport holders in full-grain Italian leather. The DataSafe Wallets retail between $40 and $120 and are available at http://www.kenakai.com .
With a distinctive combination of style and innovation, Kena Kai designs products for people that enjoy life with a passion and appreciate technology that can often make their lives better. Photos and information for the product can be obtained by emailing Geb Masterson at .
Contact: Geb Masterson, 714.782.7387,
