Modern payment cards, e.g., credit cards, ATM card, etc., have a built-in chip that transmits the card’s information wirelessly.  This is necessary because to enable contactless payments, which have become popular in recent years.  Criminals can take advantage of the technology by using a scanner wirelessly scan the victim’s payment in the same way a payment terminal would.  These scanners are legal and can buy in electronic stores or online.  Further most modern smartphones have a built-in NFC reader that can be used to unlawfully scan contactless payment cards.  All a would-be thief needs to do is get close to you, let’s say the at the checkout line, and he has your credit card information.  With that information, the thief can make a fraudulent purchase online.  The security industry calls this Card Not Present (CNP) fraud.

Identity theft is a crime in which an imposter obtains key pieces of personally identifiable information (PII), such as Social Security or driver's license numbers, to impersonate someone else.

The information can be used to obtain credit, merchandise, and services in the name of the victim, or to provide the thief with false credentials. In addition to running up debt, in rare cases, an imposter might provide false identification to police, creating a criminal record or leaving outstanding arrest warrants for the person whose identity has been stolen.  Identity theft is serious business.

On Friday, September 28, 2018, Facebook announced an attack on its computer network impacting the personal information of nearly 50 million users.  While Facebook has addressed the issue and informed law enforcement, you should still take steps to help protect yourself.