Your Card Was Stolen While It Was Still in Your Pocket

A new scam is allowing criminals to spend your money using your own phone's digital wallet. Fraudsters are using phone calls to steal bank card details and then adding them to services like Apple Pay or Google Pay for a spending spree. The scam begins with a convincing call. Someone claiming to be from your bank asks you to confirm personal details. They then list recent fraudulent transactions to alarm you. To "secure your account," the caller instructs you to approve a notification or share a security code. Under pressure, many victims comply. This gives the criminal access to add your card to a digital wallet on their own device. Once added, they can make purchases before the victim realizes what has happened. Authorities warn that a real bank will never ask you to approve a notification or share a code to "secure" your account over the phone.