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tech help New security measures added to Google Wallet [Telegraph-Herald (Dubuque, IA)](Telegraph-Herald (Dubuque, IA) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Question: If a thief stole a smartphone that makes retail store payments, could he or she make store purchases with no questions asked? (The phone uses the Google Wallet software and a Near-Field Communication, or NFC, radio link.) And is Google pushing Wallet to Android operating system devices without asking the owners? - R.R., Roseville, Minn. Answer: Making purchases wouldn't be that easy if the phone is set up properly. A thief would need to know your personal identification number, provided that you've set the phone to require re-entering the PIN a certain number of minutes after it was last used. What's more, changes in the Google Wallet service make it less attractive to phone thieves. The original Google Wallet service was designed to make purchases in retail stores. A phone equipped with NFC would be tapped on a retailer's NFC reader. The reader would then use NFC's short-range radio waves to scan the financial information stored in the phone's Google Wallet software and complete the transaction. This "tap and pay" service was supposed to replace credit cards. But it didn't. Retailers and consumers weren't interested in upgrading to expensive new NFC equipment, and banks were more focused on computer chip-based credit cards that could either be tapped on an electronic card reader or swiped as usual. So Google offered a version of its Wallet service last year. It doesn't require NFC, and won't store financial data on the phone. It runs on an ordinary smartphone, stores financial information online and is used primarily for online shopping.) And, yes, Google is pushing the service to consumers, but only if they ask for it. To make an online purchase, you must enter your name, address, birthday and the last four digits of your Social Security number. (c) 2014 ProQuest Information and Learning Company; All Rights Reserved. |