There is a new scam on the rise according to Visa. October 28, 2024.
© Mark Jarret Chavous/The Enterprise / USA TODAY NETWORK + © Sarah Taddeo/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle via Imagn Content Services, LLC
(San Francisco, CA) – In this day and age of digital scams and thieves, physical theft is on the rise. That’s according to Visa’s Fall 2024 report. The credit and debit card giant reports the trend has been observed to be on the rise in recent months.
Apparently the scam involves criminals buying gift cards or other merchandise, making use of payment information that was stolen. That information is also sometimes resold to other scammers, or used in money transfers. Also — digital pickpocketing is being observed more often. That’s when thieves use mobile devices like cell phones and RFID scanners — triggering a sale or payment through apps.
Scammers or digital pickpockets press up against unsuspecting victims to make the contact-based payment happen. That means digital pickpockets usually victimize people in crowded areas and spaces, in which people might not be aware of the ability to be targeted.
