ORLANDO, Fla — Your credit card never leaves your pocket, but somehow your money does.
It’s called Ghost Tapping, a proximity-based scam to steal your money that uses the same tap-to-pay technology you see at legitimate businesses every day.
Using cheap, easy-to-buy card readers, thieves can trigger wireless transactions just by getting close enough to your wallet or phone. No swipe. No PIN. No warning.
Tap-to-pay technology is easy and fast, but scammers are taking advantage of that in these ghost tapping scams.
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“We’re seeing these ghost tapping scams appear more and more. I believe it’s because we’re all using this feature, this tap- to-pay. It’s very convenient,” said Gerry Mendiburt with the Better Business Bureau in central Florida. Mendiburt explained how it can happen without the victim even taking their card or phone out of their purse or pocket. The BBB has received several Scam Tracker reports about it.
Mendiburt said, “In one case, the consumer reports losing hundreds of dollars. But this other one, they claim they lost nearly $15,000.”
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In most cases, it involves a transaction that someone agrees to make with a street vendor or someone going door-to-door. In those situations, the victim may not be able to see how much they’re being charged like they would at a regular store.
“You’re kind of trusting that person to, you know, put in the correct amount, the amount that they promise that they’re going to charge you” Mendiburt said.
But perhaps the scariest type of ghost tapping is when a criminal armed with cheap device just walks close to someone and initiates a payment without the victim even realizing they were hit.
Insights from cybersecurity firm GuidePoint Security show a 150% surge in ghost tapping related claims over the past year.
James Chatwani, a cybersecurity advisor for GuidePoint Security said, “An attacker doesn’t even have to have it out. They can simply just bump against your wallet… just automatically steal the information through essentially a wireless radio frequency.”
He agrees it’s like pickpocketing with a modern twist and said really anyone with a credit or debit card is at risk.
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“I don’t like that. That sounds horrifying. Lot of scam artists could easily do that,’” said Dionte Vance, a consumer who said he often pays with cash because of concerns about fraud.
Gerry Mendiburt with the BBB agrees. He said, “For consumers, these ghost tapping scams can really be haunting.”
So, how can you protect yourself?
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Our sister station in Seattle bought a small contactless payment device tested a few different options for stopping this type of scam.
Here’s what they found:
First: RFID Blocking Card
Price: $1 each
The RFID blocking card is supposed to offer protection to your entire wallet just by placing it inside.
It did not work for them. The scanner was able to charge the card directly behind it inside the wallet.
Second: RFID Blocking Sleeve
Price: 25¢ each
The RFID blocking sleeve was the cheapest option they purchased. One card fits inside each sleeve, so you would need one for each item in your wallet.
The sleeve worked for both the plastic and metal card but was slightly inconvenient considering the consumer has to take the card out every time they use it, and put it back in after.
Third: Faraday Pouch
Price: $6
The pouch is intended to protect both your phone and your physical payment cards.
All items go in, and no signal goes out.
It worked very well; however, cell phone service is also blocked out so the phone no longer receives calls or texts while inside.
Fourth: RFID Blocking Wallet/Phone Case Combo
Price: $20
The wallet/phone case combo was the most expensive item purchased. It does not promise protection for your mobile wallet, only the physical cards you put inside.
The wallet feature worked, our cards could not be charged while inside.
TAKEAWAYS:
For convenience, go for the case.
For cost, go for the sleeves.
Phones already have some built in protections because you must approve transactions on both Apple and Android devices. On some phones, you can also turn off your NFC (Near-Field Communication) antenna, that allows communication at close proximity. It’s also a good idea to set alerts on all payment cards so you can catch charges before they get out of hand.
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