Ghost Taps and AI Agents: Navigating the Autonomous Fraud Wave of 2026

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In this deep dive episode of Fraudology, Karisse Hendrick kicks off 2026 by unpacking the annual Fraud Predictions report. While the data was compiled alongside the "Fraud Compadres"—Frank McKenna, Mary Ann Miller, and Matt Vega—Karisse uses this episode to provide her unique merchant-side perspective and exclusive behind-the-scenes context.

The episode centers on a terrifying new trend: Ghost Tapping. Karisse reveals an "inside story" from December 2025, where luxury retailers across major U.S. cities were hit by coordinated mule syndicates using sophisticated NFC relay software. She breaks down why this "card-present" fraud is a nightmare for banking liability and how it’s evolving at a staggering rate.

Key segments include:

1. Reflection on 2025: A look back at the "Year that Broke Our Trust," featuring a 3,000% surge in deepfake attacks and the rise of "scam states".
2. Autonomous Fraud (Pig Butchering 2.0): How AI agents are replacing human victims in scam compounds to launch 50,000 attacks daily.
3. The VAMP Program fallout: Why Karisse predicts a wave of "merchant refugees" as Visa’s new monitoring thresholds lead to mass terminations.
4. Digital Arrest Scams: The brutal extortion tactic moving from India to the U.S. that uses deepfake law enforcement to "virtually arrest" victims.

Tune in now to arm yourself with the latest intelligence on these autonomous threats and ensure your business is prepared for the high-speed fraud landscape of 2026.

Fraudology is hosted by Karisse Hendrick, a fraud fighter with decades of experience advising hundreds of the biggest ecommerce companies in the world on fraud, chargebacks, and other forms of abuse impacting a company's bottom line.

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She brings her experience, expertise, and extensive network of experts to this podcast weekly, on Tuesdays.