Digital wallets like Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Wallet have made everyday spending faster, easier, and in many ways safer than swiping a physical card. Instead of transmitting your actual card number at checkout, digital wallets use tokenization to generate a one-time code for each transaction, which means your real card details stay hidden even if a retailer's system is compromised.
But scammers have found a workaround, and it doesn't involve hacking anything. It involves you.
This is scam that's been showing up more and more: fraudsters tricking people into helping them add someone else's card to a digital wallet the scammer controls. Once that happens, the scammer can spend your money from their own phone, often without you noticing until it's too late. Here's how the scam works and what you can do to protect yourself.
The scheme usually starts with a phone call, text, or email that looks like it's coming from Addition Financial or another trusted institution. The message often warns you about "suspicious activity" on your account or a "fraud alert" that needs your immediate attention.
If you respond, the scammer walks you through what feels like a normal security process. They may ask you to confirm your identity, and at some point, they'll ask for a one-time verification code that was just sent to your phone or email.
That code is the whole scam.
In reality, that verification code isn't confirming your identity to them. It's confirming to your bank or wallet provider that it's okay to add your card to a new device. When you read that code aloud or type it into a text message, you're handing the scammer everything they need to link your card to their own phone's digital wallet.
From there, they can make purchases using your card without ever touching it or knowing your full account number.
Never share a one-time verification code with anyone, for any reason.
Addition Financial will never call, text, or email you to ask you to read a verification code aloud. Neither will any other legitimate bank or credit union. If someone claiming to represent us asks for that code, it's a scam, full stop. Hang up, delete the message, and don't engage further.
Scammers rely on urgency and confusion to get you to act before you think. If someone contacts you and asks you to do any of the following, treat it as a scam in progress:
If you notice any of these requests during a call or message, the safest move is to hang up or stop responding immediately. You can always call us back directly using the number on the back of your card or on our official website to confirm whether anything is actually wrong.
Scammers count on urgency to short-circuit your good judgment. A common tactic is to create a sense of panic, telling you your account has been compromised, a payment is about to fail, or you have only a few minutes to act, so that you approve a request without thinking it through.
Legitimate requests can wait a few minutes for you to double-check. Scammers can't afford to let you slow down, because that's usually when their story falls apart.
Even careful members can be targeted, so it's worth knowing the warning signs that something may already be wrong:
If any of these happen to you, contact Addition Financial right away. The sooner we know, the faster we can help secure your account, block unauthorized devices, and investigate any fraudulent charges.
None of this is a reason to avoid digital wallets. When used correctly, they remain one of the more secure ways to pay, since your actual card number is never shared with the merchant. The risk isn't in the technology itself; it's in the human step scammers try to manipulate: getting you to hand over a code that was only ever meant for you.
The best defense is simple to remember, even if it takes practice to follow under pressure. Guard your verification codes the same way you'd guard your PIN or your account password. Don't read them aloud, don't type them into a text back to someone, and don't let anyone talk you through adding a card while they're on the line with you.
If you ever have a doubt about a call, text, or email claiming to be from Addition Financial, reach out to us directly using contact information you already trust, not a number or link provided in the suspicious message itself. We're here to help you bank with confidence, and that starts with making sure the person on the other end of the line is actually us.