The popular web browser feature, auto-fill, may be giving away your credit card information without your knowledge.
“There is a security flaw that was recently discovered,” said Gayle Jenkins with the Dayton computer retail shop DNA Computers. “They could ask for your name and email address, you use auto-fill to populate those fields and on the website – hidden – there are other fields for address, phone number, credit card information that are also being populated even though they are not visible on the screen.”
It’s enough information for scammers to make purchases with your credit card or steal your identity.
Jenkins recommends disabling auto-fill on Google Chrome and Safari or use Firefox as your browser until the security holes are patched. (Scroll up for video on how to do this on your computer or phone.)
“There’s just really no end to the way people are trying to rip other people off,” said Kenny Stansell of Oakwood, who said he already has disabled auto-fill.
Google released a statement saying it is aware of the flaw and is working on a fix. So far, Apple has not addressed the issue.
Still swiping at checkout
“I feel like ‘what am I doing? Am I swiping? Am I putting the chip in?’ I don’t like that. It’s too confusing,” that was the reaction of Devon Douglas, Miamisburg, when I asked her about checking out with a credit or debit card.
The deadline for merchants to switch to new, more secure, EMV chip enabled card readers (the ones where you insert your card) was more than a year ago – so why are we still swiping?
“About 39 percent of retailers across the United States are EMV compliant, another 10 to 15 percent are in the process of becoming EMV compliant and the rest are going to sit it out and wait,” said National Processing Solutions president Natalie Dunlevey.
Why wait?
“Smaller companies, obviously it’s a resource issue,” Dunlevey said. “Equipment is expensive and some equipment that I’ve heard other people have purchased have become obsolete because they’ve not been certified by either the card companies or the banks so that’s an issue.”
Whether you swipe or use the chip consumers are not responsible for unauthorized charges.
If a chip reader isn’t used the merchant is now held responsible for any breach or unauthorized charge, instead of the bank.
Gas stations are an exception. Their deadline has been extended until 2020, said Dunlevey.
Student loan lawsuit
The largest student loan company in the country, Navient, faces a lawsuit over “deeply disturbing” allegations that it illegally cheated borrowers out of affordable payment plans, deceiving borrowers in default, and improper payment processing.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and state attorneys general sued the company, formerly part of former Sallie Mae, seeking to “recover significant relief for the borrowers harmed by these illegal servicing failures,” according to a CFPB news release.
Article taken from myDaytonDailyNews.com by Rachel Murray
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