The trend of wrapping passports in aluminum foil spreading at airports
Details of the trend spreading on social media that causes airport passengers to cover their passports with aluminum foil, and warnings from experts.
The trend of wrapping passports in aluminum foil, which spread on social media as a life-saving travel tip, has started to be seen at airports. The validity of this practice, which was started against claims of digital theft, has been evaluated by cybersecurity experts.
Trend Spreading on Social Media
In recent days at airports around the world, passengers have been seen tightly wrapping their passports in aluminum foil.
Digital Theft Claims
In the shared videos, it is claimed that digital thieves can remotely access the RFID chip inside the passport and copy identity information.
Passport Protection Method
In order for the data on the passport chip to be read, the MRZ code at the bottom of the photo page must be physically scanned.
Due to the low signal strength of the passport chip, it is already protected against remote reading with a high-level digital shield.
Experts' Warnings and Risks
Constantly removing and wrapping the passport in foil prolongs lines and causes customs officers to become suspicious.
It is recommended to choose approved RFID-protected passport covers instead of foil during travels.