Neil tapped on with a bank card. Then a grifter started asking to inspect tickets
Commuters on the Ballarat train line in Melbourne are being targeted by a scammer posing as a ticket inspector to steal financial information. The individual uses a high-vis vest and a device to trick passengers into tapping their bank cards.
Why it matters
The incident underscores the security risks associated with the rapid adoption of contactless payment systems in public transit.
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Share A A A It was 8am on a Thursday, the drab morning commute, and Neil was staring absent-mindedly out a train window when a man with wild darting eyes caught his attention.
He was maybe 18 or 20, average height, and lingered inside the doors of the carriage, clumsily pulling on a yellow high-vis vest before he pulled what looked like a large mobile phone out of his pocket.
A scammer has been impersonating a ticket inspector on the Ballarat line. Paul Rovere After pressing a few buttons, he examined people in their seats; seemingly sizing up his targets before walking down the aisle and presenting the device, outstretched, to about 20 people, or half the passengers in the carriage.
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