NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Experts are warning people to not hand cellphones over to strangers. It may sound like common sense, but the Metro Nashville Police Department recently arrested a man accused of stealing thousands of dollars from someone’s phone along Broadway.
Authorities say it’s a scam that can happen in seconds.
“These transactions happen very rapidly, very fast,” said Lt. Chad Young with MNPD’s Fraud Unit.
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Here’s how it works — someone approaches you in public, claiming their battery died, they lost their phone, or maybe they want to follow you on social media or pretend to exchange information. Once you hand over your phone, scammers quickly open apps like Venmo or Zelle to send themselves money…