I'm a financial advisor - here is why you should NEVER link your bank account to digital payment apps like Apple Pay and Starbucks

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Apple Pay dominates the digital wallet market with more than 500 million users.

But a financial advisor has warned that users shouldn't link their bank accounts to digital payment apps, including Samsung and Starbucks.

TikTokers Dean and Alexis, who offer financial advice on their account, urged users to instead only have their credit cards linked.

The reason is if someone steals your smartphone they can access the stored information to send themselves money - ultimately draining your bank account.

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TikTokers Dean and Alexis, who offer financial advice on their account, posted a video telling viewers to remove their bank account from any of the payment systems on your devices including Google Pay, Apple Pay and even apps like Starbucks.

'Just don't link your checking,' Dean warned when he was asked if Apple Pay is a safe payment method.

'Link your credit card to it. If you wanna be safe, remove your debit card from that,' he advised.

Tap-to-pay technology typically offers a safer alternative than using a physical card because it hides the card details rather than exposing the information through a magnetic strip.

However, hackers can still use radio equipment to bypass the contactless limits on Apple Pay such as if you buy a plane ticket, they can replicate the transaction several times without your knowledge.

Despite Apple's assurances that the pay option is 100 percent secure, there are still other ways criminals can access your debit card including phishing emails that request some form of payment that will give them access to your account details.

TikTokers Dean and Alexis, who offer financial advice on their account, posted a video telling viewers to remove their bank account details from payment apps like Apple Pay on their phone. Hackers can still use round-about method to access the data despite the app's encryption methods

Data can also be intercepted by a hacker if Apple Pay is used through an unsecured network or if the device is stolen and the security measures are bypassed.

'Losing your phone is often the modern age’s equivalent of losing your wallet,' Verizon warned on its site.

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'Smartphones include your credit cards, contact information, calendars, personal photos, and social media accounts, among other personal data,' it continued.

'If your phone ends up in the wrong hands, a plethora of valuable information could be disseminated or exploited.'

Earlier this year, instant payment apps like Venmo, Zelle and Cash App were accused of putting customers at risk of fraud which is 'draining bank accounts of significant sums of money,' Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg claimed.

He warned that there has been an increase in the number of incidents reported in New York City, but added that it is a national issue.

'No longer is the smartphone itself the most lucrative target for scammers and robbers – it's the financial apps contained within,' Bragg said in a statement.

'Thousands or even tens of thousands can be drained from financial accounts in a matter of seconds with just a few taps.'

'These scams involve an unauthorized user gaining access to unlocked devices and then draining bank accounts of significant sums of money, making purchases with mobile financial applications, and using financial information from the applications to open new accounts,' the statement said.

The Federal Investigation Bureau has warned that skimmers use hidden cameras, skimmer devices - a card reader that's disguised to look like it's part of an ATM - and keypad overlays to steal your account information.

Skimming attacks cost financial institutions and consumers more than $1 billion each year and usually occur at ATMs, point-of-sale (POS) terminals or fuel pumps, according to the FBI.

Once criminals get the data or pin numbers from the card, they use the data to create fake credit cards which allow them to easily steal from victims' accounts.

Last year, the total number of compromised credit cards jumped a shocking 96 percent from 2022, impacting 315,000 cards and 3,500 financial institutions, according to a FICO report.