Hoax – A video shows two women carrying out an alleged scam on the streets using a card machine with contactless technology to steal money from people.
Analysis
A video showing two women on a sidewalk committing an alleged fraud with a contactless card machine went viral on social media. According to the description accompanying the footage, one distracts the victim while the other approaches with a hidden machine, trying to pass the person’s card by proximity, directly from their pocket or backpack. The supposed scam is described as “new” and “dangerous,” leading many internet users to share the content as a genuine public safety alert.
Posts circulate with different versions of the same video, attributed to places such as Brazil, Colombia, and even Dubai. The tone of the posts is alarmist and aims to create panic regarding the safety of people who carry cards with contactless function. The content has been especially disseminated in WhatsApp groups and profiles focused on urban security topics. Read:
Version 1: Contactless scam: double attention! A video caught two women applying a scam on the streets: while one distracts the victim by asking for information, the other takes advantage of the moment to pass a card machine on the person’s pants pocket, trying to perform a contactless charge. Everything happens in seconds without the victim noticing. Authorities reinforce the alert: be extra careful in public places and avoid leaving cards with contactless function in accessible pockets. Every caution is little!
Version 2: ATTENTION: NEW SCAM ON THE STREETS! Two women act together to apply an increasingly common scam: while one asks for information, the other discreetly approaches with a card machine. If the victim has a contactless card in their pocket or backpack, the payment is made without them noticing. Pay attention to your surroundings. Let’s spread this to prevent more people from falling for this scam! See less
Fact-checking
The video content raised legitimate doubts among users concerned about their safety, but it is necessary to separate fact from staging. Next, we will answer the following questions: 1) Are women really using card machines to apply contactless scams on the streets? 2) Where and how was the video made? 3) Is it technically possible for this type of scam to work in this way?
Do women use contactless card machines to commit scams on the streets?
No. The viral video does not show a real crime case but a staged act. Local authorities from the city of Ibagué, Colombia, confirmed that the recording was made by digital influencers and that there is no record of a real crime. In a statement published by the portal Ecos del Combeima, the Ibagué Government Secretariat denied the video’s authenticity and clarified that the scene is nothing more than a dramatization.
Where and how was the video showing women stealing card balances with a contactless machine made?
The video was recorded in the city of Ibagué, Colombia. According to the local press and the municipal authorities’ statement, it is a piece of digital content made by influencers to simulate a scam, for entertainment or awareness purposes, but it ended up being shared out of context as if it were a real crime. The content was not produced by criminals but by content creators and caused confusion when circulated without the proper warning that it was staged.
Would it be possible to carry out this type of theft?
Although contactless payments are real technology, this type of scam would be extremely difficult to execute as shown in the video. Card machines require the card to be a few centimeters from the reader (usually up to 4 cm). Also, the maximum amount allowed without a password is usually limited (generally R$ 50 or R$ 100), and most cards send instant notifications of any payment. Very close physical contact would be necessary, in a quiet, motionless place — which makes it unlikely to be practiced openly on the street without the victim or others noticing.
Conclusion
The video circulating showing two women applying a scam with a contactless card machine is not real. It is a staged act made by digital influencers in Ibagué, Colombia, and denied by local authorities. Furthermore, executing a scam like the one described would be extremely unlikely due to the technical limitations of contactless technology. Therefore, the content is false.
Fake news ❌
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