Matt Barnett sits down with NBC10 to talk about "ghost tapping," a new scam targeting those using contactless payment when making purchases.
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Transcript
A warning tonight about a scam that can steal your money in seconds. In some cases, the scammer doesn't even need to interact with you. NBC10 responds, Valeria Ponte Feliciano explains how it works so you don't become a victim.
Valeria Aponte Feliciano: Tap to pay has become a common way to buy something.
Matt Barnett: Being able to just tap and go makes your life very easy.
Valeria Aponte Feliciano: But the same convenient technology can also make it easier to steal your money.
Matt Barnett: That reader is also able to be duplicated or cloned or just registered by an attacker.
Valeria Aponte Feliciano: Cybersecurity expert Matt Barnett is talking about what's called ghost tapping.
Matt Barnett: It's basically the modern version of pickpocketing.
Valeria Aponte Feliciano: Here's how it works: A stranger can bump into or get close to you with a concealed card reader. That reader could charge your contactless enabled card or the digital wallet on your phone without your authorization. Another example is in clear sight. These scammers could be found at public events. Think an open market or a festival. They approach you saying they're looking for a small donation or even pretending to be a vendor trying to sell you a product. The scammer can work quickly, asking you to tap to pay to complete the transaction in just a matter of seconds. With that tap to pay device is how they get access to your bank information.
Matt Barnett: It's the same amount of time as when you tap to pay seconds or less.
Valeria Aponte Feliciano: You are the best defense when protecting your money from ghost tapping. Make sure facial recognition or a password is required to use your digital wallet.
Matt Barnett: You kind of have to look at it and do the face ID or you have to put your passcode in before it will unlock the readability of those cards.
Valeria Aponte Feliciano: For credit cards, Barnett suggests using an RFID blocker. It's as simple as sliding your card into a sleeve.
Matt Barnett: A sleeve that has some metal sheeting in it or some other technology that won't allow it to be read unless you remove it.
Valeria Aponte Feliciano: And you'll hear us say this time and time again. Check your account on a daily basis for unauthorized charges. You can also set up transaction alerts with your bank so they send you real-time notifications for every charge. You should always confirm payment details before you tap your card or your phone. That means verifying the merchant's information and the amount on the terminal screen. For NBC10 Response, I'm Valeria Ponte Feliciano.
And as always, if you have a consumer problem, just scan the QR code right there on your screen. That'll give you direct access to our NBC10 response complaint form. You can also find it on our free NBC10 app or give us a call