TECH KNOW TIDBITS Pay-with-phone a growing trend, more secure than cards

BY NANETTE HEBDIGE

Keeping up with technology can be exhausting, especially when navigating across unfamiliar territory. But embracing new things digital is vital to keep from becoming a dinosaur. The days of paying with a check are a relic.

Everything lives in your smartphone — music, camera, contact numbers, GPS and now the mobile wallet — used daily for payments.

It took five years after Apple Pay was first launched in 2014 for it to become the trendy form of payment and now half the world’s iPhone users pay with Apple Pay — that’s more than 65 million globally. Google and Samsung Pay are catching up just as fast.

Credit cards have become slower thanks to new chip-based readers and they’re not as secure. With that in mind, a vast majority are using a digital wallet instead of digging out the plastic.

User interface is effortless. It is just a matter of unlocking your iPhone or

Apple Watch, (the same if you’re using Android or Google Pay) hover it over the payment reader and it automatically swipes the card information instantly, without even opening the cash app.

“I’ve been paying with my mobile wallet for over four years. I love the ease of use and the best is that I don’t carry a wallet,” said Imad Ahmad of Melbourne, a regular at Starbucks.

“It’s safe and now most vendors are using it”.

Credit cards aren’t pillars of safety as identity theft is rampant and the mobile wallet is vastly more secure. With the use of tokenization (an encrypted number for every transaction), the card information is hidden behind a fingerprint, passcode or face recognition on each phone, adding an extra layer of security that plastic doesn’t offer.

Any credit card can be stored and if the phone is lost or stolen, cards can easily be turned off.

Credit cards are still the payment of choice by a vast majority, but with so many merchants embracing digital payments, it will soon be the go-to method.

Everything is a personal choice, but with technology advancing at an exponential rate, the digital wallet is becoming an optimal payment method to reduce fraud for the end user and the merchants. SL

Online bargain purchases are great if made with care

BY BRENDA EGGERT BRADER

Always take care in scrutinizing what may be a deal when shopping online. As the old adage goes, “if it looks too good to be true, it probably is.”

“In terms of shopping, kind of have an idea of the cost of the item you are shopping for,” advises Gayle Whitworth, a family and consumer sciences agent with the University of Florida Extension Service in Brevard County. “Having a general knowledge of the item is a good deal, it probably is.”

“Check the website, then check the URL (website). Always look for https on the website that tells you that you are on a secure site, a padlock icon also says you have a safe site. Look for any missing contact information. If there is nobody to contact or no return policy, you’ve got to kind of wonder about that.”

Whitworth urges that if something pops up and looks too good to be true, do a fraud search. She did a search for whatever it was and it came up as a fraud. You can search just through the name.

“Google has a transparency report, URL.com,” Whitworth said. “Go check legitimate sites to see if any warning is on one of them. Always

Boomer Expo

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Astronaut High School.

“Trust me, everyone will be entertained,’’ said Robb, who earned acclaim in 2019 for rescuing an alligator from Humboldt Park in Chicago after it had eluded capture for 10 days. The alligator eventually was relocated to St. Augustine. Some believe the alligator was used to guard a drug dealer’s residence.

“No one will lose interest; we’ve check for reviews even on legitimate sites. I like to check those sites. Reviews come in, so keep track of the quality. Terms like ‘refurbish’ and you must question to see what that means. Also look at the return policy.”

Payment should be by credit card Whitworth said.

“You want to be able to use a credit card because it is secure,” she said.

“Look for a trust seal, padlock and ‘s’ on sites that indicate honest secure sites. Still check this and if something looks kind of fishy, investigate.

“Never buy anything from online sellers that accept payment only by gift cards, money transfers through companies like Western Union or MoneyGram or cryptocurrency,” according to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission advice. “Payments you make that way are nearly impossible to trace and reverse. Scammers often tell people to use those payment methods so they can get money quickly.

“Before you buy, find out what the seller says about shipping and delivery,” the FTC says. “They must ship on promised time. If there is no promise, then they must ship within 30 days after getting your name, address and payment or permission to use a charge account.” given these talks all over the world,’’ said Robb, a Brevard County native who explored the wilderness of Port St. John as a child since his father was a land surveyor. “We’re so appreciative and thankful that we can talk about what’s going on with the Space Coast.’’

Robb, who earned a biomedical degree from Eastern Florida State College, is an animal researcher. He has conducted extensive research on how the endocrine system for alligators is similar to that of humans.

“Using Amazon or email going to a particular website is when the scam sites usually appear as pop-up deals,”

Like humans, alligators eat almost all of the food in the environment.

Those attending can register for a grand prize as they enter the Rialto Place.

Informative exhibits will include health and medical, volunteering, elder law, eye care, hospice, wellness, travel, retirement options, caregiver and resources for veterans, insurance and representatives from 55-and-older communities.

“I’m excited about the new Boomer Guide,” said Jill Blue, the president

Whitworth said. “Sometimes they are good deals. Fortunately, there are a lot of good people in the world.” of Bluewater Creative Group, the publisher of the Boomer Guide and Senior Life. “I love the models and the energy they exude. They are so happy and delighted to be a part of this great magazine.

“Wear green for St. Patrick’s Day. We hope that people will begin their fun on this great holiday with us. The Rialto is a great place for this event with plenty of parking and space for all the exhibitors and entertainment.”

For information on the expo, call 321-242-1235. SL