A 25-year-old woman has been arrested after allegedly trying to spend more than $6000 by using “ghost-tapped” credit cards.
Police alleged the Chinese national was involved in a text scam ring.
Detective Senior Sergeant Craig Bolton said police were called to a Newmarket store after the woman tried to use multiple phones to make a paywave purchase of more than $6000.
“Police were contacted by security at the time and the woman was arrested by our staff on arrival,” he said.
“It will be alleged that unsuspecting Kiwi’s credit card details were used by ghost-tapping with several smart phones.”
Police have laid seven charges of obtains by deception, and futher charges are likely, Bolton said.
What is ghost-tapping?
Targets of the ghost-tapping scam were initially sent a text or email from what appeared to be an official organisation such as NZ Police or NZTA “reminding” them, about unpaid fines or tolls.
Clicking the malicious link took victims to a payment page, and ultimately resulted in the scammer getting access to their credit card or banking details through services like Google and Apple Pay.
Bolton urged Kiwis to stay vigilant against these scams.
“I know these texts can catch some people off guard and leaving you feeling flustered,” he said.
“Pause, and think, ‘do I know where this message is coming from’?”
Red flags to look out for included an unknown international number, an unusual weblink, or poor grammar.
After her initial appearance, the 25-year-old woman was remanded in custody until her next court date on August 25.
