You think your credit card is safe when it's tucked out of sight. However, it may not be, thanks to new technology that's supposed to make your life easier.

A PayPass reader is an RFID credit card reader that are increasingly seen at Starbucks or McDonald's or retail stores.

Security consultant Pablos Holman calls himself a hacker.

It's his job---and his passion---to point out security problems with new technology, like what's now stored in credit cards that makes it possible to just tap and pay as advertised on television.

"What it does is allow you to pay with your credit card just by swiping your card or your wallet over the reader instead of having to dig your card out and run it though the swiper," said Holman.

He---and the others who use the south Seattle space for hacking---are very alarmed by the prevalence of what makes this tap and pay method possible: RFIDs, or Radio Frequency Identification Devices.

Especially because they believe most consumers don't even know these RFIDs exist, or that they even have them.

"Consumers aren't really aware of what the impacts might be of carrying around that sort of information," said 3ric Johanson, a security consultant.

RFIDs are tiny devices stored in credit cards, workplace access cards, grocery store data collecting key chains, library books, transit passes and even ski resort lift tickets and chips used to locate lost pets, and more.

They carry information, such as name, some financial details; possibly even an address, credit card number or even a social security number.

Information, according to these hackers, that could put people at risk of financial or identity theft, if it falls into the wrong hands.

Recently, they showed KIRO 7 just how easy it is to access an RFID on a credit card using a device available to any buyer online.

"We bought this reader on eBay for $8 and plugged it into a computer and were able to just read other people's cards," said Holman. "Swipe it, it beeps and then I get the credit card number and name and expiration date on my computer. So not particularly secure. Anybody who gets access to one of these and knows how to hook it up to a computer can steal your credit cards without even getting near you."

"Could you walk up to somebody and hold it up to their wallet?" KIRO Consumer Investigator Amy Clancy asked.

"Sure definitely, I could just hold it up to your wallet or purse and just get your card number," said Holman. "This is enough information now for anybody to make a counterfeit card and go into the store and pay with my card."

German-born Karsten Nohl is a security consultant and PhD student at the University of Virginia. He was in Seattle recently to speak at a technology conference and is known worldwide for hacking into transit systems.

He's exposed significant security problems with transit cards commuters were told held their personal information secure, but Nohl showed, did not

"Is it all that inconvenient to swipe a card? Does it really have to be tapping? Would, for that perhaps tiny added benefit, now expose your data to everybody in your vicinity? Perhaps not. So, that is a discussion that has to be had. And not just by the companies introducing something new and fancy and forcing everybody to use it, but rather by the consumers, too," said Nohl.

"Holman, Nohl and Johanson all believe consumers should not just accept the RFID technology when it's handed to them by a bank, credit card company, employer or anyone else, but truly understand what personal information it carries. And be able to refuse it if they so choose.

"Consumers need to think about the impacts of what it is they're carrying around on them. And ask the hard question and also question when somebody tells you, 'Don't worry, it's secure," when that's not necessarily the case," said Johanson.

So why are these RFIDs becoming so prevalent?

Retailers say they increase productivity, reduce costs and also improve customer service.

One thing's for sure -- RFIDs are not going away. But the hackers KIRO spoke with said there are ways to protect yourself. Some even wrap their cards in aluminum foil or use a special card holder.