a day ago
Woman accused of trying to ghost tap thousands of dollars worth of jewellery
Ghost tapping is when scammers steal credit card details, then load them onto their own phones and use them to make paywave purchases.
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A woman has been accused of using the stolen credit card details of "unsuspecting Kiwis" to try to "ghost tap" thousands of dollars worth of jewellery at a high-end Auckland store.
The police allege the 25-year-old woman attempted to use multiple phones to make a $6000 paywave purchase at the Newmarket store.
Detective senior sergeant Craig Bolton said police believed the woman was part of a text scam ring and was trying use stolen credit card details.
Ghost tapping is when scammers steal credit card details, then load them onto their own phones and use them to make paywave purchases.
Bolton said the woman's attempt in the jewellery store was unsuccessful and she tried to do the same at another high-end store nearby.
Security called the police and she was arrested, he said.
Text scams to gather credit card details were surging, Bolton said.
They included those that claimed to be from the police or NZTA reminding about unpaid fines or bills.
Bolton said people should take their time and exercise extreme caution with those types of messages.
"I know these texts can catch some people off guard and leave you feeling flustered," he said.
"Pause, and think, 'do I know where this message is coming from?' It's almost certainly scammers trying to steal your credit card or banking details."
The texts could include red flags like being from overseas numbers, having spelling mistakes, or an unusual weblink, he said.
The woman has appeared in court on seven fraud charges and was due to appear again on Monday.
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