Latest news with #GooglePay
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Australian man, 73, says his bank failed to protect him from ‘ghost tapping' scam — and so he's taking them to court
A 73-year-old man in Australia has launched a legal war against one of the country's biggest banks — and he may be the first scam victim to ever take things this far. Don't miss Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now become a landlord for as little as $100 — and no, you don't have to deal with tenants or fix freezers. Here's how I'm 49 years old and have nothing saved for retirement — what should I do? Don't panic. Here are 6 of the easiest ways you can catch up (and fast) You don't have to be a millionaire to gain access to this $1B private real estate fund. In fact, you can get started with as little as $10 — here's how According to a recent report from ABC News Australia, pensioner Ian Williams is suing National Australia Bank (NAB) for $379 million after it said he was responsible for $1,338 in transactions he said he didn't recognize. After CCTV footage collected by the police proved it wasn't him who made those transactions, the bank said it would return the money in full under two conditions. Williams refused. "It's the principle of the thing. I just won't wear being called a liar," he said. 'I'm a stubborn old turd, and I will not give up.' Here's what happened. Fraudulent $1,338 charge on account It all began in October 2022. Williams says he discovered two suspicious charges on his account — $515 and $823 — at a Coles supermarket in Bundoora, a suburb 150 kilometers away from his home. When he contacted NAB's digital subsidiary, uBank, he says a representative told him the transactions were made using his Google Pay account. "They said that I was guilty, I was responsible, I was personally at Coles to do the transactions with my phone and my thumbprint," he said. His maps app and sleep-tracking app both supported his claim he was in Bendigo around that time. He had call and text logs which showed his friend was coming over that morning. He also made a statement at the police station and sent it to the bank, but it was not enough. Eventually, CCTV footage confirmed that the shopper wasn't him — police said it showed 'two young males' using what appeared to be cloned card credentials on phones. That's when the bank offered to reimburse him the $1,338 — on the condition that he sign a non-disclosure agreement and agree that the payment did not mean the bank was taking responsibility for the missing funds. Five months after Williams declined, a second offer of $1,500 came with strings attached: no legal action allowed. He turned that down too. Read more: Want an extra $1,300,000 when you retire? Dave Ramsey says — and that 'anyone' can do it The court battle What followed was a year-long journey of legal research and late nights. He said no civil lawyer he met was willing to take on his case without fees. Williams represented himself and filed a 14-page writ against NAB, alleging the bank failed to secure his banking credentials and transaction data, failed to use its fraud detection protocols, breached its duty to "protect customers from unauthorised transactions" and violated obligations under Australia's ePayments Code by not conducting a fair and transparent investigation. He argued that the $1,338 loss represented 5.5% of his annual pension — and therefore is seeking 5.5% of NAB's 2022 profit after tax: $379.05 million. "Things need to be proportionate," he said. In a brief courtroom victory earlier this year, the bank failed to respond in time, and a default judgment was awarded in Williams' favor. But NAB's lawyers later had the judgment overturned, citing a paperwork issue. The case is now headed for a full hearing — and if Williams loses, he could be on the hook for the bank's legal fees, which he says could bankrupt him. Any money he wins he wants to donate to Indigenous health charities. How was Williams scammed? It's likely Williams was the victim of 'ghost tapping.' In such cases, the scammer steals credit card details to register the card on their phone's digital wallet. According to ABC News Australia, 'Williams did receive text messages a few days before the fraudulent transaction went through, with a passcode for him to confirm he wanted to add his card to a new Google Pay account.' In the U.S., the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) placed Google Pay under federal supervision late last year citing consumer complaints. The effort was abandoned this year by the new acting CFPB director Russell Vought, who was appointed by President Donald Trump. The U.S. version of the Google Pay app was shut down in June 2024. Owners of credit and debit cards should take these precautions: Don't provide codes: Text messages may contain one-time codes to authorize adding your card to a phone wallet, so don't share them with potential scammers over the phone or online. Scammers may pretend to be your financial institution. Avoid entering card details on unfamiliar websites: Many ghost tapping scams begin with fake checkout pages designed to harvest your information. Use alerts and two-factor authentication: Enable real-time transaction alerts from your bank to catch fraudulent activity early. Contact your bank immediately: Report it if anything seems off — and escalate to law enforcement or a financial complaints body if needed. What to read next Robert Kiyosaki warns of a 'Greater Depression' coming to the US — with millions of Americans going poor. But he says these 2 'easy-money' assets will bring in 'great wealth'. How to get in now Accredited investors can now buy into this $22 trillion asset class once reserved for elites – and become the landlord of Walmart, Whole Foods or Kroger without lifting a finger. Here's how Rich, young Americans are ditching the stormy stock market — here are the alternative assets they're banking on instead Here are 5 'must have' items that Americans (almost) always overpay for — and very quickly regret. How many are hurting you? Stay in the know. Join 200,000+ readers and get the best of Moneywise sent straight to your inbox every week for free. This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
Time of India
a day ago
- Business
- Time of India
Google moves SC against NCLAT order on Play Store billing practices
Academy Empower your mind, elevate your skills Google and its related companies have moved the Supreme Court against the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal's March order that partly upheld some of the Competition Commission of India 's (CCI) findings of unfair practices and abuse of dominant position by them in their Play Store billing and its related companies – Alphabet Inc, Google Ireland, Google India, Google India Digital Services - have challenged the March 28 judgment by the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal ( NCLAT ) which largely affirmed the CCI's core findings that Google abused its dominant position in multiple markets in the Android mobile device ecosystem through its Play Store policies and engaged in unfair promotion of Google Pay, thereby violating Section 4(2)(e) of the Competition tech companies have also challenged the NCLAT's May 1 order that corrected its "inadvertent error" in its original judgment, reinstating CCI's two key data-related directives, which require tech gaint to disclose its data policies and refrain from leveraging billing data for competitive appeal that was filed on Monday is expected to be listed soon for spokesperson confirmed that 'we have filed an appeal against the NCLAT's recent decision regarding the CCI's order. We remain committed to supporting the growth of the Indian app ecosystem for both developers and users.'CCI's October 20 order had penalised Google for allegedly exploiting its dominant position in markets such as online search and the Android app store. The competition watchdog had imposed a penalty of Rs 936 crore against the tech giant and its companies for engaging in anti-competitive behaviour by mandating the use of its Google Play Billing System for app purchases, while exempting its own applications like YouTube from similar commission structures. The antitrust body had also directed Google to cease these practices, including allowing third-party billing and ensuring data the appellate tribunal affirmed the CCI's s order that Google imposed unfair and discriminatory conditions on app developers through mandatory use of Google Play billing system for paid apps and in-app purchases, it set aside the competition watchdog's findings regarding denial of market access and restriction of innovation on the grounds that Google's billing services constituted less than 1% of total UPI transactions and that there was insufficient evidence of market foreclosure or hindrance to technical original penalty of Rs 936.44 crore was also reduced by the NCLAT to Rs 216.69 crore by limiting it to Play Store-specific revenues rather than the Google's global startups including People Interactive India (operator of Mebigo Labs (owner of Kuku FM), the Indian Broadcasting and Digital Foundation and the Indian Digital Media Industry Foundation had moved the CCI seeking probe into the Google's functioning.
Business Standard
a day ago
- Business
- Business Standard
Thomas Cook facilitates addition of its forex prepaid cards to Google Pay
For contactless payment via mobile In a strategic initiative, Thomas Cook (India) has announced its partnership with Google Pay to facilitate contactless payments via its range of prepaid forex cards. This makes Thomas Cook India the first in India in the cross-border payments category to enable customers transact effortlessly using their mobile devices across retail tap & pay (contactless) or online - using Google Pay. Thomas Cook's cardholders are assured an extra layer of security via Google Pay's state-of-the-art network tokenisation standards. The launch commences via Thomas Cook's partnership with Visa. Given the increasing need for seamless digital solutions in cross-border transactions, Thomas Cook's partnership with Google Pay aims at equipping India's consumers when traveling overseas across transactions for accommodation, transport, dining, shopping and more. Customers merely need to add their Thomas Cook forex cards (Borderless Travel, One Currency, Study Buddy and EnterpriseFX) to Google Pay, to enjoy a simple, swift, secure and seamless payment experience. Key Benefits: Seamless addition of Thomas Cook's range of forex prepaid cards to Google Pay Contactless and quick payments via mobile Enhanced security with tokenization Eliminates the need to carry physical cards, reducing stress of card loss/theft; avoids the hassle of card replacement and need for emergency cash Global access transact smoothly and seamlessly in 95 countries
Mint
2 days ago
- Business
- Mint
Google Play Store: Tech giant moves SC to appeal NCLAT order supporting CCI's allegations against unfair practices
Google has moved to the Supreme Court of India (SC) to appeal the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal's March order which partially upheld the Competition Commission of India's allegations of unfair practices against the tech giant, according to a report by Bar & Bench on July 24. The CCI in its findings said the company abused its dominance in the Android ecosystem by imposing unfair Play Store policies and promoting its own payments app, Google Pay, the report added. It noted that the CCI began its probe in November 2020 looking into Google's billing practices on the Play Store. (This is a breaking story, more updates coming…)
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Click, invest, regret: Rs 39L lost in two online scams
1 2 3 Chandigarh: In a double blow to digital trust, two residents of Sector 22 were conned out of a staggering Rs 39 lakh in separate online investment scams that promised high returns but delivered only heartbreak. Gurdeep Kaur's ordeal began with a seemingly harmless Facebook group offering stock tips. With 102 members and five administrators, the group looked legitimate. One admin, Aradhya Mishra, reached out via WhatsApp, offering investment advice. Gurdeep started small — Rs 10,000 in Akai Metals, earning Rs 282 in a day. Encouraged, she invested more, including Rs 2.5 lakh in Hitachi Energy India Ltd and Rs 1 lakh via Karnataka Bank. Her dashboard showed profits soaring to Rs 1.62 crore, but when she tried to withdraw, she was told her account was frozen due to an IPO win worth Rs 2.12 crore. The catch? She had to pay Rs 60 lakh to unlock it. Realizing she'd been duped, Gurdeep filed a complaint with the cyber cell, which is now investigating the matter. In another case, Abhishek Jain was lured by a woman posing as a receptionist for an online firm. She offered paid review tasks, which built trust. Soon, she pitched an investment scheme via Telegram, claiming ties to CBOE Global Markets. Jain invested Rs 16.45 lakh over a month, but his withdrawals failed after initial success. He received just Rs 43,452 in return. Both victims transferred funds via RTGS, IMPS, and Google Pay to multiple accounts. The UT cyber cell has registered cases and is trailing the digital footprints of the fraudsters.
