In Seattle, scammers are using contactless payments to steal money under the guise of charity. The Seahawks are considered the leading Super Bowl favorites thanks to strong play in all phases. The morning began with thick fog that affected visibility and transportation.
New tap-to-pay scam in Seattle: thousands charged under the guise of charity
In the era of contactless payments, even a simple act of kindness—like donating five dollars to a school basketball team—can turn into a financial disaster. A recent viral Reddit post, detailed in a piece on king5.com, exposed a disturbing and rapidly growing trend in Seattle: tap-to-pay fraud disguised as charitable fundraising. The story of a user who intended to donate $5 but instead found multiple $800 charges on their cards resonated widely and confirmed many residents’ fears.
As it turns out, this is far from an isolated incident. The Washington state Attorney General’s office notes that such schemes are becoming “alarmingly common.” Attorney General Bob Ferguson (note: original Russian named Nick Brown—if referring to Washington state AG as Bob Ferguson; leave name as originally used if intended) has said there have been cases where people who thought they’d donated $20 later discovered charges totaling nearly $5,000, with funds not going to charity. The scammers, often described as young, well-dressed men, operate in busy parts of the city—on the waterfront, downtown, and near Lumen Field. They present themselves as fundraisers for youth organizations or local charities, sell candy or CDs, and insist on contactless payment via smartphone while refusing cash.
The core of the scam is abuse of tap-to-pay technology, which allows payments by simply tapping a card or phone to a terminal. A victim agreeing to make a small donation can have the scammer, using a mobile payment terminal (often just a smartphone with a special app), quietly set an amount far higher than stated or run multiple transactions in succession. The victim may not see the final amount on the scammer’s small screen or may not have time to notice it. The speed and convenience that are usually strengths of the technology become a vulnerability in this context.
The Attorney General’s office has issued a consumer alert urging extreme caution with such donations. Many of the organizations the solicitors claim to represent later turn out to be unregistered charities or commercial entities without nonprofit status. Authorities recommend avoiding tap-to-pay transactions with strangers, always carefully checking the amount on the device screen before confirming, and verifying the legitimacy of a charity through official state and federal registries.
For ordinary people—like Flavio Kaplan from Pioneer Square—this scam was surprising. He admitted he had instinctively thought contactless payment offered some protection but now considers cash the safer option in these situations. The Reddit poster’s bitter lesson is a simple but important warning: “Learn from my mistakes. Don’t donate to random guys offering you candy.” The story is a stark reminder that in the digital age even well-intended acts require heightened vigilance and a critical eye toward seemingly harmless street interactions.
The Seahawks’ style: why Seattle looks like the clear playoff favorite
Former star lineman and current NFL analyst Mark Schlereth, after the Seattle Seahawks’ dominant 41–6 divisional-round win over the San Francisco 49ers, hasn’t hidden his admiration. On the Wyman and Bob show on Seattle Sports he said he considers the Seahawks the best team in the league right now—and his opinion is based not on emotion but on concrete elements of play that determine success in the postseason.
Schlereth pointed to how Seattle’s roster depth shows up in seemingly small moments. “Look how they play on special teams—in kick coverage, in returns,” he said. “That’s where true depth and roster talent show. If a team dominates those phases, that tells you they have a massive advantage.” Indeed, in modern football, where games are often decided by one or two plays, the role of special teams and second-string players cannot be overstated. The Seahawks show rare discipline and physical superiority: they allow almost no extra yards after tackles, dominate the line of scrimmage on both sides, and control the run game effectively. That is the classic January formula when weather worsens and stakes are highest—strong defense, control of tempo, and minimal mistakes.
Now the Seahawks prepare for the NFC Championship game against the Los Angeles Rams, and although the teams split regular-season meetings in tight games (the Rams won 21–19 in November and the Seahawks won 38–37 in overtime in December), Schlereth is confident in the home team. “Right now, in their current condition, the Seahawks are the best team, and they play the style that wins in the playoffs,” the analyst emphasized. He even joked in his Seattle Sports interview that he’d take the Seahawks with a 50-point spread—an obvious hyperbole but one that highlights his confidence. The key point is the “style that wins in the playoffs”: physical, disciplined football focused on the run, pressure on the opposing quarterback, and flawless tackling, which prevents explosive plays. The Rams, who rely on a high-octane passing attack, could struggle against such a cohesive system.
Thus Schlereth’s praise is more than a compliment to the Seahawks; it’s recognition of head coach Mike Macdonald’s systematic work. A team strong in all three phases (offense, defense, special teams) has a real shot not only to win the conference but to contend for a Super Bowl title. The roster depth Schlereth mentions becomes critical in the late stages of the playoffs, when fatigue and injuries accumulate. If the Seahawks can maintain this level against the Rams, a path to the franchise’s fourth Super Bowl appears more attainable than ever.
Foggy morning in Seattle: Wednesday’s weather
Seattle residents woke Wednesday under a thick blanket of fog that enveloped the city, creating an atmosphere of mystery and quiet. While this phenomenon is typical for the region at this time of year, it became the day’s main story, affecting morning commutes and residents’ moods.
As local station FOX 13 reports in its video segment, Wednesday morning began with dense fog significantly reducing visibility. Fog is a meteorological phenomenon in which tiny water droplets or ice crystals condense in the lowest layer of the atmosphere, making the air hazy and reducing visibility to a kilometer or less. For Seattle, located on the shores of Puget Sound and surrounded by hills, such conditions are not uncommon—especially in the fall and winter when cool, moist air from the Pacific interacts with relatively warmer land or water surfaces.
Although the report does not include detailed data or meteorologist interviews, the very fact of a video segment underscores the event’s importance to daily life. Fog directly affects road safety, requiring drivers to slow down and use fog lights, and can delay ferries and air travel. Pedestrians and cyclists also face increased risk in these conditions. Beyond practical concerns, a foggy morning creates a special aesthetic, softening the outlines of skyscrapers and bridges—a frequent source of inspiration for local photographers and artists.
The implications of such a start to the day are typical for the region: residents are used to being ready for rapid changes in conditions. Morning fog often clears by midday, giving way to sunshine or cloudier weather, a hallmark of the marine climate. Still, each episode is a reminder of how natural conditions shape urban rhythms and the need to pay extra attention to safety while traveling. Thus this foggy morning was another brushstroke in Seattle’s typical weather palette, combining practical cautions with the fleeting beauty of the Northwest autumn.
