Beware Of This Sneaky “Ghost Tapping” Scam At Concerts This Summer In New York

There's a new scam to be aware of that could end up costing you big this summer if you love going to concerts and going out.

There's a new scam called "Ghost Tapping"

It's really convenient to be able to just pull out your phone or your credit card and simply tap a reader to be able to charge things to your account. However, it's that technology that is the base for a new scam they call "Ghost Tapping." It involves your phone or card and a cheap card reader.

How does "Ghost Tapping" work?

Essentially, the way it works is a thief will arm themselves with a cheap card reader. They'll bump into you in a crowded area and trigger a wireless transaction from one of those tappable cards or phones in your pocket.

They can then add your card to their wallet. Normally they'll start by charging small things to your account to see if you notice, then they will make a bigger purchase later on.

The sad part is, they normally have the most success when they're in crowded areas like concerts, busy clubs or sidewalks, or even transportation like busses and trains.

How can you protect yourself from this scam?

Some scams you can see coming a mile away, but the reason this one is so devastating is that you might not even know it's happened until weeks later. You certainly can't just stop living your life and avoid crowded places altogether, but there are some things you can do.

First, make sure to check your statements for strange charges and flag them right away if you see them. If you can get notifications sent to you phone everytime you make a charge, that can help too.

You can also get an RFID blocking wallet or an RFID blocking phone case. They aren't terribly expensive, and if they stop something like this from happening, it will be worth every penny.