Online Threat Alerts (OTA) - Alerting you to scams and frauds.
Ghost Tapping Scam - How to Protect Yourself

"Ghost tapping" is a contactless fraud where scammers use hidden NFC readers to secretly initiate tap-to-pay charges on phones or cards from inches away, often in crowds. They steal payment details or cause unauthorized transactions, sometimes bypassing security to steal goods. Protect yourself by using RFID-blocking wallets, setting transaction alerts, and requiring authentication for mobile wallets.

Protect Yourself

  • Use Protective Gear: Store contactless cards in RFID-blocking wallets or sleeves, which block scanners.
  • Secure Mobile Wallets: Set your smartphone to require biometric authentication (facial recognition or fingerprint) for every payment.
  • Monitor Transactions: Set up real-time SMS or push notification alerts for all card activity to catch, and immediately dispute, unauthorized charges.
  • Be Aware of Surroundings: Be cautious of strangers bumping into you in crowded places like concerts, markets, or public transport.

What is Ghost Tapping?

  • Technology Used: The scam relies on NFC/RFID technology, the same used for legitimate, convenient, contactless payments.
  • Methods: Scammers may walk through a crowd with a concealed reader, or use a "relay" tactic where they use a modified device to "bump" into a victim, initiating a transaction without the victim's knowledge or consent.
  • The Goal: While sometimes stealing data, it's often used to quickly drain small amounts from many victims, hoping the charges go unnoticed.

Warning Signs

  • Unexplained small transactions appearing on your bank statement.
  • Being bumped or having someone stand unusually close in a crowded area.
  • A "tap-to-pay" device being held too close to your purse or pocket.
waiting