KNOX COUNTY, Tenn. (WATE) — A nationwide crime trend has hit East Tennessee, as Knox County Sheriff’s Office detectives have apprehended more than 10 individuals taking part in a “ghost tap” scam.
The sheriff’s office issued a release on the scam Saturday morning. Scammers load stolen credit card information onto a digital wallet and then use that to purchase gift cards, which are resold online to launder the stolen money.
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So far, detectives have apprehended more than 10 people, who they said are primarily Chinese nationals, suspected of taking part in the scam. KCSO explained that on a larger scale, the scam is resulting in financial institutions losing millions of dollars every week. The sheriff’s office also shared why they think scammers may be targeting the region.
“These criminal groups are traveling from California, New York, and Texas, exploiting jurisdictions they believe won’t recognize their scheme,” the sheriff’s office wrote…