Electronic Pickpocket

Theft of your credit card numbers without touching them !!!

It's old fashioned pick pocketing with a high tech twist. A way for would be thieves to steal your personal information without ever laying a hand on you or your wallet.It's called electronic pickpocketing and security expert Walt Augustinowicz says relatively new technology designed to make your purchases more convenient could put your credit card number at risk.

In a mall in New York City, Augustinowicz showed INSIDE EDITION's Paul Boyd how it can happen. In a matter of seconds, he effortlessly pickpockets four unsuspecting shoppers without ever laying a finger on their purses or wallets.

Boyd approached one female shopper and said, "What if I told you in that split second that he bumped into you he stole one of your credit cards?"

"I wouldn't believe you," she replied.

When he told her that she was carrying a Mastercard and read her the entire number and expiration date, she was stunned.

"Wow. How did you do that?" she asked.

Believe it or not, all it takes is a simple credit card reader, which Augustinowicz had hidden inside an inconspicuous pouch. The device is used everywhere these days in the normal course of business at drug stores, fast food chains and even in the back of taxis.

It's possible due to a technology called radio frequency identification or RFID, and you may not even know you have it. All the major credit card companies now put out cards with special symbols on the back indicating you no longer have to swipe your card – simply wave it near a card reader at checkout and Presto! Instant payment.

Convenient, yes, but Augustinowicz says the technology is a dream come true for thieves because the crime is virtually untraceable. His company, Identity Stronghold, makes a sleeve that protects consumer's cards from this high-tech pickpocketing.

Shoppers we approached had no idea they had just been ripped off until Boyd revealed their credit card numbers to them.

"He just stole your credit card and you had no idea," Boyd said to one shopper.

Shocked, she said, "It's frightening, very frightening."

The major credit card companies insist that their cards are secure because of multiple built-in security features, and that your name and address are protected. But we wanted to check that out. Could we actually buy something with an electronically pickpocketed card?

Boyd electronically picked off an INSIDE EDITION producer's credit card and with his permission, went shopping.

It was almost too easy. Using a fraudulent name and address, Boyd had no problem ordering a $30 sweatshirt over the phone from a major retailer.

But would the bogus transaction get flagged? Apparently not. Just a few days later the package arrived. And it didn't cost Boyd a dime.

So how do you know if your card may be at risk? Not every credit card can be electronically hijacked - only cards with special symbols indicating they have RFID technology.

The credit card companies told us their customers are not responsible for any fraudulent charges and will replace cards for any consumer that doesn't want this feature.

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CUP THAT MATTERS

Tired? A cup of hot tea will perk you up, boost brain power‏

London: Feeling exhausted? Just sip a cup of hot tea, for a study has claimed that drinking the beverage not only gives human brain a lift, but also reduces tiredness.

Tea drinking has already been linked with lowering the risk of heart disease, cancer and Parkinson's. Other research has shown that drinking tea on a regular basis for ten or more years may help improve bone density.

Now, Dutch researchers have carried out the study and found that it's the natural ingredients in tea which improve brain power and increase alertness, the latest edition of the 'Nutritional Neuroscience' journal reported. For the study, the researchers looked at the effect of key chemicals found in tea on the mental performance of 44 young volunteers. The effects of these ingredients, an amino acid called L-theanine — which is also found in green tea — and caffeine at levels typically found in a cup of tea, were compared with a dummy treatment. The active ingredients significantly improved accuracy across a number of switching tasks for those who drank the tea after 20 and 70 minutes, compared with the placebo. The tea drinkers' alertness was also heightened, the study found.

Tea was also found to reduced tiredness among the subjects, who were aged under 40, say the researchers. "The results suggest the combination helps to focus attention during a demanding cognitive task," they were quoted by the 'Daily Mail' as saying.

Dr Tim Bond, of the industry-backed Tea Advisory Panel, said the latest findings backed a previous study which showed drinking two cups of black tea "improves the ability to react to stimuli and to focus attention on the task in hand".