Dosh dilemma: Jane’s ‘helpful trader’ phone-click scam warning

Jane works from home. Last week, she was interrupted by a knock at the door. A young man stood on the doorstep, holding a bag full of cleaning products.

He said he everything in his bag cost £1.50 per item. To pay, Jane would simply need to tap her bank card on the man’s phone.

Jane was already annoyed at being interrupted during work and didn’t feel comfortable tapping her card on a stranger’s phone. She politely said she was busy and declined.

At this point, the man became aggressive. He shouted that it would “only take a few seconds” to tap the card. Jane refused again. The man swore at her, snapped his bag shut, stormed off, and made an offensive gesture as he left.

Jane wants to know: Was she right to be suspicious? And could tapping her card on the man’s phone have been a scam?

The short answer: yes, Jane was absolutely right to be cautious.

If someone knocks on your door and asks you to tap your card on their phone, do not proceed with the payment.

Here’s why.

Isn’t tap-to-pay usually safe?

In many situations, tapping your card is safe because:

• the phone must be a registered point-of-sale (POS) terminal
• your PIN and CVV number are not shared

But, scammers use pressure and deception to get around these safeguards.

You may not see the real amount

A fake seller can use a payment app on their phone and rush you through the payment, so you don’t notice the amount being charged.

In Jane’s case, the seller used urgency and aggression. Instead of £1.50, Jane could have been charged £150 or more without realising until later.

‘Ghost tapping’ scams

This is a more sophisticated scam and usually involves:

• your card details being stolen earlier, often via phishing
• the scammer linking your card to their mobile wallet using a one-time passcode
• your card then being used for purchases without your knowledge

While this doesn’t usually happen instantly at the door, tapping your card on an untrusted device increases risk.

How to protect yourself from card-tapping scams

• never tap your card on a stranger’s phone
• only use official banking and payment apps from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store
• always check the amount and merchant name before confirming a payment
• enable instant transaction alerts from your bank
• check your bank statements regularly and report anything suspicious immediately

How to protect yourself from doorstep selling scams

• never buy on the spot from door-to-door sellers
• display a ‘no cold calling’ sign
• use a door chain, peephole or video doorbell
• verify any caller by contacting their company directly using a trusted number
• don’t feel pressured and say no firmly
• use vetted, recommended tradespeople and pay only after work is completed, ideally by credit card for extra protection

We hope this reassures you Jane, and thanks for the heads-up. Doorstep pressure plus phone payments is a major red flag, and walking away was exactly the right thing to do.