This content was created by Robert Siciliano. This content was uploaded by Robert Siciliano. This is a YouTube news segment titled "Ghost Tapping holiday shopping scam involving contactless payments" (CBS News) published on 2025-11-14. Reporter Evan Moon explains a rise in “ghost tapping” — fraud that uses NFC/contactless payments to charge cards without consent — and features Melanie McGovern from the Better Business Bureau and cybersecurity expert Robert Siciliano. The piece warns shoppers during the holiday season and offers practical advice (monitor card activity, enable push notifications/alerts) to detect and dispute unauthorized charges.
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Meantime, 'tis the season, unfortunately, for scammers. And now some have found a way to steal your money even if you don't swipe your card.
Yeah, the Better Business Bureau is warning shoppers using contactless payments about a scam targeting this easy way to pay. CBS News Miami's Evan Moon explains ghost tapping.
No wallet, no problem. Tap to pay has become a popular way for quick and convenient checkouts, but the Better Business Bureau is warning shoppers to slow down to avoid a threat called ghost tapping.
Ghost tapping is when your tap-to-pay card is secretly charged without your knowledge, or you tap it and then it's charged multiple times.
The technology can take your money without ever touching your card using its NFC, or near-field communications, how two electronic devices talk to each other.
When those communications are intercepted, it allows a bad guy to essentially use your credit card for unauthorized transactions. The good news is a bad guy has to be within inches of either your mobile phone or your credit card in order to skim that information.
These crimes come as touch-free payments are on the rise. More than half of Americans are using mobile wallets like Apple Pay, according to MasterCard. If you love using tap-to-pay, you're not alone. It's almost effortless. But as we head into the busy holiday shopping season, experts say there are some ways you can make sure you don't get tapped out by these scammers.
Melanie McGovern with the Better Business Bureau says be vigilant in crowds. The first time I heard about this was at a concert that people were reporting that they had charges that they weren't familiar with, and it happened after they attended a concert. So when you're in close quarters and there's Christmas festivals coming up, holiday festivals, um, marketplaces, things like that.
Cybersecurity expert Robert Siciliano's number one piece of advice is to pay close attention to all card activity.
Is to set up push notifications or push alerts so you can dispute them with your credit card company.
So this holiday shopping season, make a list and check your taps twice. Evan Moon, CBS News, New York.
