(Business Wire)  Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and payment and security expert Walt Augustinowicz will visit with local, state and federal agencies, as well as institutional security and fraud specialists across the U.S. and Canada in a concerted effort to stop electronic pickpocketing, phantom keys and other RFID-related crimes, Identity Stronghold announced today.

“Many buildings, campuses and complexes throughout the U.S. and Canada are using the same RFID point-of-access or ‘key cards’ I’ve cloned for media at the California State Assembly, University of Northern Arizona, Georgia Tech and [other vulnerable locations],” said Augustinowicz, founder and CEO of Identity Stronghold. “I’ve made it our mission to go city-by-city in order to secure them, along with local, state and federal agencies charged with public safety,” he added.

Members of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department and officials from the Secret Service, FBI, IRS and United States Postal Inspection Service took part in a financial crimes training and information exchange session that was closed to media. Heeding the warning, cities including Toronto, Chicago, San Francisco, New York and DC have begun to schedule similar sessions with Augustinowicz.

“As Charlotte adapts new technologies such as RFID-enabled credit and debit cards, building access cards and IDs, we want to understand the technology so we can better serve this world class city,” said Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department Crime Prevention Specialist, Chris Kopp.

With more RFID-enabled credit and debit cards, ID and key cards making their way into circulation, law enforcement and campus police departments must make detection and prevention their key weapons in thwarting the technology divide between them and the criminals.

To watch Charlotte news stories that covered this visit, to include Phantom Key and Electronic Pickpocketing scenarios and demonstrations:

Fox Charlotte- http://www.myfoxcarolinas.com/story/28143619/cmpd-warns-public-about-electronic-credit-card-skimmers

CBS Charlotte- http://www.wbtv.com/story/28211432/police-warn-against-digital-pick-pocketing-devices

WSOC TV- http://www.wsoctv.com/news/news/local/cmpd-concerned-about-credit-card-information-stole/nkBF7/

WSOC TV - http://youtu.be/i-IzqXBJSv4

To view the corresponding PodRelease: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3YCCk8CmN4

For more on Identity Stronghold, visit www.idstronghold.com