Consumer advocates are urging Michigan residents who make purchases online to take steps to protect their security and privacy. Statistics show Michigan is among the top states for identity theft, and the personal information from such transactions can give a savvy thief all they need to hack your bank account. Susan Grant, with the Consumer Federation of America, says you should closely examine each app you download to make mobile payments and monitor the information it passes on. Grant also says it’s important to take steps ahead of time to protect your personal information if you lose your device.
“Lost and stolen mobile devices are a big problem,” Grant said. “You want to have a feature where you can track your device and where you can lock it remotely or even wipe the contents in extreme situations in order to protect yourself.”
Grant says when there is a problem with a mobile transaction, consumer rights can vary widely depending on whether the purchase is made to a credit card, debit card or a bank account. She says there is currently no federal law on payment dispute rights for purchases made with mobile devices. According to the FTC, Michigan ranked sixth highest in per-capita identity theft complaints in 2015.
