Ghost-Tapping Scam Alert: Secure Your NFC Payments

Ghost-Tapping Scam Alert: Secure Your NFC Payments

Contactless payments are wonderfully convenient—until criminals figure out how to exploit them. “Ghost tapping” is exactly what it sounds like: hidden readers that trick your NFC card or phone into making unauthorized payments without you ever knowing. Recorded Future’s August 2025 report revealed that organized networks are running these scams, targeting the $40 billion NFC payment market with stolen card data and burner phones. These attacks leave no physical trace like a stolen wallet would.The good news? Protection is straightforward. Turn off NFC when you’re not using it, and use tokenization apps that generate one-time codes instead of broadcasting your actual card data. Some systems now offer gesture-based authentication where you shake or tap your phone in a specific pattern—nearly impossible to fake. If your business handles payment terminals, it’s worth checking whether your current setup guards against these relay attacks.