You never took out your wallet. You never tapped your card. You never handed anyone your phone.

And yet there's a charge on your account you don't recognize.

That's ghost tapping, and as summer festival and outdoor market season arrives, it is one of the fastest-growing contactless scams targeting people in crowded public spaces.

In this episode, we break down exactly how ghost tapping works, why it is so difficult to detect, and the five simple steps that will shut it down completely before it happens to you.

In this episode:

• What NFC technology is and why your tap-to-pay card is vulnerable in crowds
• The proximity skim, how a scammer captures your card data without ever touching you
• The fake vendor terminal and why that three-dollar lemonade could cost you much more
• The charity donation scam, one of the most disarming versions of this attack
• Why ghost tapping charges are deliberately designed to go unnoticed on your statement
• Five practical steps to protect yourself starting today

Your five-step protection plan:

1. Get an RFID blocking wallet or card holder
2. Turn on instant transaction alerts with your bank
3. Always confirm the total before you tap
4. Stay aware of your surroundings in crowds
5. Review your bank statements at least once a week

📚 Resources & Community:

• Tech 4 Grown-Ups Website: https://www.tech4grownups.com/
• Join the Free Community: https://www.tech4grownups.com/community
• Weekly Newsletter: https://tinyurl.com/tech4grownupsnewsletter

🎧 Watch the video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/_azkW_NfGZE

📖 Full transcript and blog post: https://www.tech4grownups.com/post/transcript-episode-13-ghost-tapping-the-digital-pickpocket-you-never-see-coming-full-episode-t

Tech 4 Grown-Ups is a weekly podcast for adults 55 and over covering digital safety, privacy, online scams, and technology; in plain language, with no jargon.