Air travelers, watch out for juice jacking
Most of us love our devices and wouldn’t leave home without them. Our increasing dependence on cellphones and other electronic devices has led to an increase in popup charging stations. While this may seem like a good thing on the surface, pay attention: not all charging stations have the same benefit.
Frequent travelers might think one of the best places to charge your devices is at the airport with all of its constant surveillance, but you should know that this is one of the worst places you can charge your phone.
Why? Because cybercriminals have been known to compromise airport charging stations using USB sticks that have malicious programs on them. What do these malicious programs do? Install malware on your phone, transmit other unwanted data or steal your personal information and other data.
Using public charging stations for wicked purposes like this is generally known as “juice jacking.” You have to wonder if the potential loss of data, time and money is worth the risk. Proceed with caution if you decide you have to recharge your devices.
Here are some things to keep in mind. If you notice a charge station equipped with cables and adapters, it could be a fake port set up by hackers to attract an unsuspecting victim. Best to recharge your phone elsewhere. Always charge your phone from a wall electrical outlet using your own adapter. Another option would be to carry a personal charger with you. These options are often inexpensive, are battery operated and could be the safest route available.
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WHAT’S AN AMAZON KEY? With an increase in porch pirates stealing packages off consumers’ porches, Amazon has come up with a service to help combat that problem. The service is called Amazon Key and it lets the driver drop off your packages inside your door. That leaves your packages safer and the porch pirates out of luck.
This solution conjures up two schools of thought. One, it’s creepy letting a total stranger have access to your home, or two, this is kind of cool so the packages don’t get stolen. But there could be an even bigger ulterior motive than just halting the porch pirates. Some view it as an aggressive effort on Amazon’s part to connect your home to the Internet in a way that puts itself right in the center.
In fact, one researcher who had the Amazon Key installed at his home warned us that while no packages were stolen, Amazon often missed its delivery windows. Further, the company charged the customer extra when the lock occasionally jammed because it wasn’t properly installed (and Amazon helped install it).
But what happens when you install Amazon Key? Now Amazon takes over. To share online access with family and friends, you must give them a special code to text Amazon to unlock the door. Also, they can’t connect with a home-security system or smart-home gadgets that work with Apple and Google software. And finally, the lock can’t be accessed by other businesses other than Amazon, which means Walmart, UPS and others cannot gain access to your home.
Amazon says it needs to keep tight control over the key so it can guarantee security and create a better customer experience. But others are suspicious. They think the key gives Amazon control so it can charge others a fee when the homeowner wishes to allow access to other vendors through the key.
There have also even been reports that the key can be hacked. Researchers said they found a way a rogue delivery person could cause the security camera to freeze and then potentially stay in your house longer than intended, doing who knows what. Even though Amazon said customers weren’t at risk, they pushed a software update to provide quicker notifications if the camera goes offline during a delivery.
It will be interesting to see how far Amazon’s domination of the smart home can go. They do seem to work on solving real problems, in this case stopping package thefts, but will customers wake up one day and find that Amazon really has taken over?
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CLASS ACTION WINDFALLS: Tens of millions of dollars are awarded each year to consumers for many things, including defective products to product misrepresentation and false advertising. But the thing is, very few people ever cash in.
Did you know there are websites and databases that cover class action lawsuits and settlements? Here are some of the resources:
- Consumer Action’s Class action database at https://www.consumer-action.org/lawsuits/by-status/open. This site lists major settlements and pending court cases against companies.
- Class Action Rebates at https://www.classactionrebates.com. This site lists products you may have purchased and the amount of the proposed settlement you can expect to receive if you’re part of the class.
- ClassAction.org at https://www.classaction.org/settlements. This is another resource that tracks ongoing settlements. It also thoroughly explains what’s required of potential claimants.
Another way to find out if you have unclaimed money lying around is to sign up at CreditKarma.com for their free service: https://www.creditkarma.com/unclaimed-money. If you don’t already have an account, you’ll be asked for your name, address and last four digits of your Social Security number. If you have a credit freeze on your account, you’ll need to verify your identity by cellphone and take a photo of the front and back of your driver’s license or ID card to be identified.
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Remember: I’m on your side.
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If you have encountered a consumer issue that you have questions about or think our readers should know about, please send me an email at terridickersonadvocate@gmail.com or call me at 208-274-4458. As The CDA Press Consumer Gal, I’m here to help. Please include your name and a phone number or email. I’m a fulltime copywriter working with businesses on market messaging, a columnist and a consumer advocate living in Coeur d’Alene.