Alexa, Send the Nigerian Prince the Balance of My Bank Account

FrgMstr

FrgMstr

Just Plain Mean
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Associated Press is telling us that banking is coming to those always-on voice activated personal assistants that everyone loves so dearly. Australia seems to already be all over this. We don't trust partying at the Marriott with Alexa. Good luck with giving her all your banking information.

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Big banks and financial companies have started to offer banking through virtual assistants — Amazon’s Alexa, Apple’s Siri, and Google’s Assistant — in a way that will allow customers to check their balances, pay bills and, in the near future, send money just with their voice. And with the rapid adoption of Zelle, a bank-to-bank transfer system, it soon could be possible to send money to friends or family instantly with voice commands.

But the potential to do such sensitive tasks through a smart speaker raises security concerns. Virtual assistants and smart speakers are still relatively new technologies, and potentially susceptible to being exploited by cyber criminals
 
No, just, why?
The more roads that lead into a banking account just makes it more vulnerable.
 
Internet enabled microphones.

I mean who wants that?

Besides the people who want your data and all your information anyway.
 
Hopefully they put at least some sort of voice recognition pass phrase in the mix.. like "My voice is my passport, verify me".

Certainly won't get hacked or bypassed.

 
So now the Samsung always listening Spy TV gets to hear the Occupant's bank information from an Alexa session? Thanks to crap security on many 'Smart/Spy' devices, bad folks only have to access the easiest one to crack. The owners will happily provide the passwords/access protocols for the rest. Doesn't matter how secure Alexa is if the TV can be modified to speak the magic words.
 
Alexa,....all I need now is a frontal lobotomy and my life will......oh,....already done?
 
Oh hell no! I worry enough adding a credit card to anything these days, sure as hell not my livelihood a voice command can screw up
 
Gawd help you if your wife is named Alexa.

I'll let your imagination tool around with that.
 
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Dead Parrot said:
So now the Samsung always listening Spy TV gets to hear the Occupant's bank information from an Alexa session? Thanks to crap security on many 'Smart/Spy' devices, bad folks only have to access the easiest one to crack. The owners will happily provide the passwords/access protocols for the rest. Doesn't matter how secure Alexa is if the TV can be modified to speak the magic words.
Click to expand...

Any voice activated device is 'always listening'..... How else could it determine if what you said was the trigger phrase?.... But most people don't understand or don't care about that. I refuse to put any of that crap in my house, and don't bother with the 'smart' bullshit requiring constant internet connections.
 
Constantly trying to come up with new ways to separate people from their money.
No thanks.

I don't even use these 1 click checkouts, nor do I have any autopay where they deduct the money from my checking account.
If I'm going to buy something I want multiple confirmations before I pay, and then be able to dispute the charge on my credit card if it's incorrect.
 
nutzo said:
Constantly trying to come up with new ways to separate people from their money.
No thanks.

I don't even use these 1 click checkouts, nor do I have any autopay where they deduct the money from my checking account.
If I'm going to buy something I want multiple confirmations before I pay, and then be able to dispute the charge on my credit card if it's incorrect.
Click to expand...

I also like a confirmation. I do use 1-click for Amazon video, but I have a code for that to confirm. (so it ends up being a few more clicks :D but it's still easy to purchase from the couch) :D
 
so i was walking to the bank during lunch the other day and our receptionist was walking with me to a store. When she asked where i was going i said to deposit an expense check. She stated "oh.. why dont you just use your phone for that.. you can take a pic and it deposits it for you!!" all happy and cheerful.

when i asked her what happens when she looses her phone.. she laughed and said.. doesnt matter i dont really have any money

*SIGH*
 
katanaD said:
so i was walking to the bank during lunch the other day and our receptionist was walking with me to a store. When she asked where i was going i said to deposit an expense check. She stated "oh.. why dont you just use your phone for that.. you can take a pic and it deposits it for you!!" all happy and cheerful.

when i asked her what happens when she looses her phone.. she laughed and said.. doesnt matter i dont really have any money

*SIGH*
Click to expand...

:D That's cute and sad.

I've used that feature a couple of times in a pinch, but I'm good with my passwords, can wipe my phones remotely, and wouldn't let mine out of my sight to the point of compulsion anyway. I don't regularly use any extended features like that though. The most I'll do is log in and do transfers if I need to move money around a bit.
 
"Alexa, transfer entire balance of dad's bank of america savings account to my savings account."
 
Me: "OK Google, tell Alexa to pay my water bill."

Alexa: "I'm right here".

Me: "WE'RE NOT TALKING."

I kid, but it is weird to let companies directly into your pockets. Worse than pre-authorized payments -- it's more like pre-authorized data leaks.
 
YeuEmMaiMai said:
came here to say that...
Click to expand...

I somewhat agree, but I'd refine it to say that convenience without care is the new stupid.

If you're on top of your own security, what and how you use something, then great. It's just that the bulk of people are not.
 
velusip said:
Me: "OK Google, tell Alexa to pay my water bill."

Alexa: "I'm right here".

Me: "WE'RE NOT TALKING."

I kid, but it is weird to let companies directly into your pockets. Worse than pre-authorized payments -- it's more like pre-authorized data leaks.
Click to expand...

Ha!

"Alexa, don't tell Google this, but Cortana said she's a total bitch!"

Alexa: "Hahahahahahahha!"

Siri: "What did you say? I didn't catch that."

Google: "Sigh"
 
Last edited by a moderator:
katanaD said:
so i was walking to the bank during lunch the other day and our receptionist was walking with me to a store. When she asked where i was going i said to deposit an expense check. She stated "oh.. why dont you just use your phone for that.. you can take a pic and it deposits it for you!!" all happy and cheerful.

when i asked her what happens when she looses her phone.. she laughed and said.. doesnt matter i dont really have any money

*SIGH*
Click to expand...
What do you think happens when she loses her phone? You understand the check isn't stored on the phone, right?

(unless you actually meant "looses" in which case the picture would come out blurry and she'd have to re-upload a picture of the check... :D)
 
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