Commissioner warns of 'ghost tapping' scam as Palos Park police report 2,318 calls for service

Commissioner Poke delivered the public safety report at the May 11 council meeting, reporting the Palos Park Police Department handled 2,318 calls for service between April 27 and May 10, 2026 and noting a rise in traffic enforcement activity.

“We had 2,318 calls for service,” Commissioner Poke said. He told the council the department also made 173 traffic stops and issued multiple speeding and adjudication citations. Poke characterized an uptick in traffic enforcement and urged residents to avoid the “fatal four” driving behaviors: speeding, impaired driving, distracted driving and failing to wear a seat belt.

Poke also warned residents of a new scam he called “ghost tapping.” He described it on the record as criminals using a fake near-field communication device “which reads and powers tap to play your credit card without you noticing,” typically in crowded settings. He advised residents to enable transaction alerts, consider RFID-blocking wallets or sleeves, and to place credit cards away from the outside of wallets.

Poke announced free car-seat safety checks on May 31 from 1–3 p.m. (contact Officer R. Duffy via the village site) and publicized a Special Olympics fundraising event (“Cop on the Top”) on May 15 near 131st Street. Chief Miller briefly acknowledged the report and thanked Poke. The department encouraged residents to take protective measures and to report suspicious charges to their banks immediately.

The safety report and fraud warning were delivered as part of the council’s public safety agenda and drew brief exchange with the police chief before the meeting moved on to other business.