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Comment by oldandtired | Hacker News Reader

A lot of the clothing you buy has RFID in tags sewn into the item. If you don't know this and don't remove these tags, you find that they will set off the exit/entry scanner at various stores unrelated to where the item was originally purchased.

I have a pair of shorts that this happens to on a regular basis. I cannot be bothered to remove the RFID tag at this point.

So if RFID tags are inserted into your body, how often will you trigger such scanners when you are doing your normal business?

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> If you don't know this and don't remove these tags, you find that they will set off the exit/entry scanner at various stores unrelated to where the item was originally purchased.

Literally never happened to me, which makes me question the validity of both "a lot of the clothing you buy has RFID in tags sewn into the item" and "if you don't ... remove these tags, you find that they will set off the exit/entry scanner at various stores"

Maybe, it is due to me being in Australia and buying my stuff from Big W and Target.

I can't say I've ever seen an RFID tag sewn into clothes in either of those two shops - however I don't shop there too often.

I've seen the tamper proof clips

https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/58khz-clothing-anti-t...

and the RFID in the tags

https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/EPC-Gen2-sewable-RFID...

What's the easiest way to detect this? Would an NFC phone app work in all cases?

If the NFC tag hasn't been locked, yes. On android I suggest using NFCTools, it's pretty good and gives you a lot of room for playing

Most likely it’s not NFC but a lower-frequency RFID (which as a side-effect gives it better range). You could use something like Proxmark3 (it’s an SDR and can speak many RFID standards in addition to NFC).

Easiest way to detect if there's an RFID tag is to put your shorts in the microwave for 10 seconds. Jokes aside, the only cases I know of where the RFID tag is sewn into the item permanently, is major Hotel chain towels.

Are you sure these tags are RFID? I have only ever seen magnetostrictive tags [1] (but I don't buy expensive clothing...).

[1] - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAm7qAKAXwI

I've only heard of luxury brands bothering to sew them in, and with the purpose of identifying which items are authentic or not.

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