Frequently Asked Questions

In the future, is it possible that a criminal could scan the EPCs on watches, jewelry and other items to choose whom to rob?

It's not clear whether RFID tags will ever be used on these items. Companies may simply use them in the packaging of these items. People who buy valuable items will also have the option to kill the tag in these items. But if a company did embed a tag in a watch and a consumer chose not to kill the tag, it would be possible to scan the RFID tag on the item from close range (the tag would have to have a very small antenna to be embedded in a watch, which means the read range would be less than a foot). The criminal would have to know that the serial numbers contained on the tags are associated with high-value products.