Ghost Tapping - The wrong kind of holiday spirit!

Ghost tapping is when your tap-to-pay card is secretly charged without your knowledge or you tap it and it’s charged multiple times. This allows a scammer to make unauthorized transactions without ever touching your card. They do it by using a thing called NFC or near field communication. (NFC is how two electronic devices talk to each other).

The good news is a scammer has to be within inches of your mobile phone or credit card to skim your information.

Here are some ways you can make sure you don’t get “tapped out” by scammers:

Be vigilant in crowds

If you’re at a crowded holiday concert, festival, marketplace, or the like, be aware of who’s around you when you make a transaction. Try to slow down and listen to your “sixth sense.”

Use an RFID-blocking wallet or sleeve

This keeps scammers and scanners from reading your NFC signal - also consider keeping your phone's tap-to-pay off when not in use. You can also limit the use of tap-to-pay in crowded areas and instead swipe or insert your card.

Pay close attention to all card activity 

Check your accounts for unauthorized activity more than you normally would. It takes only a few minutes to log in and view recent activity.

Set up transaction alerts on your accounts 

You can set push notifications or alerts that appear on your device in a timely manner and trigger immediate action on your part.

If you worry that you’ve fallen victim to ghost tapping, call us at 800.944.2200 or login to online or mobile banking to send us a message.

Learn more about Fraud Prevention in our Security Center.