Phantom Reads

Phantom reads occur in database transactions when a query retrieves different results each time it runs due to new records being added or existing ones being removed by other transactions. Imagine searching a database for all customer orders over $100 and, upon rechecking shortly after, seeing additional or missing orders that weren’t there before. This inconsistency arises because the data changes during your transaction, leading to “phantoms”—records that appear or disappear unexpectedly. Phantom reads are a concern in multi-user systems where data consistency during concurrent operations is important.