‘Almost Got Me’: Atlanta Woman Stops At Gas Station. Then She Peels A Sticker Off The Tap-To-Pay Reader

An Atlanta woman spotted something suspicious at the gas pump. But is she just pulling a legitimate tap-to-pay sticker off of the terminal?

TikTok user Khadejah (@khadejah_llc) posted a video with her discovery earlier in the week. In the video, she records herself peeling a sticker off of the Verifone tap-to-pay interface on the gas pump. She clearly thinks she was about to fall victim to a scam.

“They tried to get me,” she wrote in the on-screen text. “Be careful out here in these Atlanta streets. SMH. Almost got me.”

Viewers React To The Tap-To-Pay Sticker

In the comments, viewers pumped the brakes on Khadejah’s tap-to-pay scam theory. They said there’s a simple explanation for the sticker.

“I think it’s just a cover because the one underneath is worn,” wrote one person.

“I hate how we have access to literally all the information in the world and don’t know anything,” a second person said.

Another person said they avoid the entire scenario. “I don’t pay at the pump no matter where I’m at anyway,” they wrote.

Is This A Scam Or A Legitimate Tap-To-Pay Sticker

With credit card scams on the rise, it’s easy to understand why consumers would be on high alert, particularly at oft-targeted places like gas stations. But that anxiety is not tied to reality when it comes to tap to pay as a payment method.

In July, BroBible reported on a similar video posted by a TikToker who thought he found a suspicious tap-to-pay sticker at a QuikTrip gas station. He quickly learned from viewers in the comments that it was a legitimate sticker issued by the company Verifone to cover old or damaged tap-to-pay terminals.

Officials in Texas confirmed that the stickers are not related to any known scam. The Texas Financial Crimes Intelligence Center said, despite the misinformation floating around, tap to pay remains the safest way to pay at the pump. It’s even safer to use a payment app, the news release states. However, consumers should still report any suspicious-looking stickers to the relevant authorities immediately.

How Does Tap To Pay Work?

Tap to pay works on a technology called Near Field Communication (NFC), which lets two devices a short distance away exchange data securely. On top of that, common payment apps use unique codes to prevent third parties from using any data that they do gather.

It’s important to note that nothing (except maybe cash) is foolproof. While it’s the most secure form of payment at the moment, it’s not entirely true that contactless payments can never be hacked. More advanced scammers are still capable of intercepting data from these transactions.

BroBible reached out to Khadejah via TikTok comment and direct message for comment.