Olde Hornet
Well-Known Member
How the tap-to-pay scam works
The Better Business Bureau (BBB) has issued a consumer alert regarding tap-to-pay scams—sometimes referred to as “ghost tapping”—in which fraudsters steal funds from contactless payment cards or digital wallets without the victim’s knowledge. While the BBB notes that the scam is especially prevalent in crowded settings such as flea markets, street fairs, transit centers, and outdoor food or music festivals, it can happen in any public place.There are several versions of the scheme. In one scenario, a fraudster pretending to be a legitimate vendor sets up shop at a crowded venue, accepts only contactless payment, and massively overcharges without the victim’s consent. In another, the scammer claims to represent a charity and asks for a small donation, but actually charges a much higher amount to the victim’s card. In both scenarios, the fraudster attempts to rush the payment process so that the victim can’t get a good look at either the merchant’s name or the transaction amount.
Then there’s the rarer circumstance of the bump-and-run, in which the scammer distracts or brushes against the victim in public while using a hidden reader with near field communication technology to extract funds from the person’s chip-enabled card or their phone’s digital wallet. Once the fraudster has gathered the payment information, they often start making small withdrawals from the victim’s account, to avoid triggering fraud detection alerts. If the charges go undetected, they may attempt larger withdrawals.