Beware of strangers who want to borrow your phone



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Posted on 16 September 2019 at 13h43 by West Sider


Creative Commons photo by Marco Verch.

By Yvonne Vávra

The good Upper West Siders as we are, we would not let a compatriot New York distressed stuck, is not it? Especially when they suffer from one of the worst luxury problems of our time: a low single digit battery. Or dare we even think, dead phone.

But alas, lending your phone could lead to a dead bank account.

A few weeks ago, a young woman approached the entrance to Central Park on 72nd Street. She told me that she was trying to meet her friend, but had not found him. Could she use my phone to call her because hers was running out of juice? Why, of course. What am I, a monster ?!

I unlocked my precious phone and handed it to him. She talked about the streets and entrances as well as the original doors of Central Park during an uncomfortable period – enough time for me to remember that not ten years ago, with a simple flip phone without money, I could reach all the destinations of life. .

Meanwhile, his life became more and more complicated. She added me to the conversation, consulting me for instructions, pointing to me. I was dizzy and my dog ​​was now fast asleep on the sidewalk. Finally, everything was over and I left, proud to be an active member of society …

… until two weeks later, when that same pretty girl asked me to help her find her friend. His phone was again out of battery. Lady, fruit juice! Better yet, lose yourself because something is wrong. I called her and she ran away.

My phone and my mind full of energy, I did some research: "The police in the country warn against the new sneaky Venmo scam that can empty your bank account in a few seconds," said the subsidiary. ABC in Indianapolis.

Apparently, some fraudsters cash people who use mobile payment applications such as Venmo, Cash App, PayPal or Apple Pay. Often, the default setting of these applications allows you to transfer money quickly without having to enter an ID. The scammers press a few buttons and in a few seconds, your money goes to their bank accounts. In some cases, they delete the application on your phone, thus preventing any notification of the transaction.

Although no scam was reported recently in the 20th district, "it's not an unusual scam and I've seen it before," WSR told reporters, Timothy Malin, the deputy inspector, 20th. "Running a story about it would be a good thing if it increases awareness."

Fortunately, I am too paranoid to have financial apps on my phone.

Each generation receives the scammers it deserves, and although we do not lack practical applications, we are definitely able to exceed the extra second needed to enter a PIN. It is easy to change a security setting and enable the authentication feature of all applications. Information security experts also advise against automatic login to any application that uses sensitive information.

No need to be wary of every poor soul who dances on the edge of a one percent battery. But it's better to be very helpful by dialing the number and making sure your phone stays in their ears.

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