NFC payment scams surge in Europe as Google Wallet disabled on Chinese‑import phones

Cyber‑security firm Kaspersky reports a 188 % rise in NFC‑based attacks on Android devices in the first four months of 2026, with 35,600 incidents recorded versus 12,300 a year earlier. The increase is driven by malicious code families such as SuperCard X, PhantomCard and NFCGate, combined with social‑engineering tricks. In the so‑called “reverse NFC” scam, victims are persuaded via messages or calls to install a malicious app that becomes their primary payment method. The app then emits an NFC signal to an ATM that mimics the attacker’s card, prompting the user to transfer money to a fake “secure” account.

A separate issue affects Google Wallet on Android phones imported from China. An update to Google Play Services (version 26.28) detects firmware identifiers specific to Chinese‑market devices and disables the NFC payment layer, preventing Google Wallet from working even with European‑issued cards. High‑end models from Vivo, Oppo, Xiaomi and OnePlus are among those impacted. Google has not issued an official explanation, leaving users uncertain whether the change is a deliberate policy or a software error.