Why that $4 charge on your statement could be fraud

A $4 charge is easy to ignore. It might appear as a parking fee, a small purchase or a vague merchant name that doesn't raise any red flags. Consumer protection groups and law enforcement say scammers are counting on that.

Recent warnings describe a pattern sometimes called "ghost tapping," where small, unfamiliar charges show up on contactless payment cards without a clear point of purchase. The amounts are easy to miss, but they can signal unauthorized access to your payment method rather than a simple billing error.