Likely Normal

There was a time when thieves had to work to steal your wallet—maybe bump into you on the subway, or perform an elaborate distraction while their partner in crime swiped your stuff. But thanks to modern technology, criminals can now rob you without ever leaving their mom’s basement. All they need is a skimmer the size of a pack of gum, a basic understanding of radio waves, and a complete lack of moral compass.

These high-tech pickpockets don’t even need to touch you—they just have to exist vaguely nearby while their gadget slurps up your credit card info like a digital mosquito. That guy standing a little too close to you at the coffee shop? Could be harmless. Could also be harvesting your card number through your purse while you debate oat milk vs. almond. That innocuous-looking ATM? Might be legit. Might also be a cybercrime turducken—a normal machine stuffed with a skimmer, topped with a fake keypad, and served with a side of identity theft.

You won’t even know it happened until your bank calls to ask why you just bought $800 worth of premium gaming socks from a website called DefinitelyNotAScam.ru. By then, your card details are already doing the rounds on the dark web, being passed between hackers like a bad Christmas fruitcake.