Page 8 THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, JANUARY 3, 2025 BBB TIP | FROM Page 3 make your data transfer. That means you don’t have to fumble around with your phone to find Bluetooth settings, choose the device you want to pair, enter the key or code and so on. Other NFC technologies enable Wi-Fi between two devices so they can “talk” back and forth. The big benefi t here is that Wi-Fi direct has much greater bandwidth, so big fi les transfer faster. What smartphones come with NFC? New handheld devices become available all the time, so the compatible device list is constantly changing. NFC World maintains an exhaustive list of phones and tablets both available now and coming soon. But for most people, their mobile device is already capable. Android devices running 4.0 or later come with the ability to use NFCs for fi nancial transactions. Phones with Android 4.4 or later allow users to exchange fi les and messages via NFC. The iPhone was a little later to jump on the bandwagon; however, if you have an iPhone 6 or later, it supports NFCs. Are they just for financial transactions? The possibilities and uses for NFCs are, for the most part, just limited by the imagination. Here are just a few things people can do with them already: TAX EVASION | FROM Page 6 ty and that he had very little cash, no vehicles or real property and no ownership interest in any asset with a posi• Open car doors • Share contact information • Share any link you program it to have • Make wireless payments using smartphones and tablets • Create an automatic WiFi/Bluetooth pairing between phone and vehicle for hands-free driving • Pay for and receive access to public parking and transportation • Send photos or video between digital cameras, cell phones and media players • Allow shoppers to receive and redeem coupons • Prevent hard sleepers from turning off their alarm until they’re actually awake • Enable healthcare workers to monitor medications and track physical symptoms • Create interactive toys and games Simplified connectivity is great, and being able to exchange funds without having to dig into our wallets was becoming popular even before social distancing was a thing. Now it’s even more helpful because it means we don’t have to touch cash or transaction terminals. But every time a technology is widely adopted, hackers start focusing on how they can exploit it for unfair gain. NFCs and cybersecurity Convenience is great, but if you’re like most people, you might recognize that when data is just floating around there’s a security risk, especially when technology is linked tive value. However, DeCicco had ownership interests in several businesses, vehicles and real properties titled in his name and the names of Avedisian and others, in Public Note The Metro North regional Employment Board, Inc., d/b/a MassHire Metro North Workforce Board (MNWB), is issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) designed to solicit proposals from organizations interested in leasing 5,000 MBTA Rapid Transit service: Cambridge, Malden, Medford, Revere, and Somerville. The RFP and related documents can be accessed on the MNWB website: https://masshiremetronorth.org/. Proposals are due by January 20, 2024. to your credit card or bank account. So how risky is NFC technology? The good thing is, if you’re bumping your phone with a friend’s to share music or checking out with a trusted vendor, the security risk is fairly low because of the proximity requirement. Devices must be four centimeters or less apart, and during the split seconds the data transfer actually takes to occur, it would be hard for a hacker to get in there without you noticing. It takes more than just a bump for a transaction to occur; both sending and receiving devices must be ready to accept the data transfer. It would be diffi cult for a hacker to brush against you in a crowd and wirelessly withdraw from your bank account. You’re not likely to collide with a stranger in the grocery store and accidentally send their phone all your personal information. But that doesn’t mean NFCs are without risk. One problem happens when people lose their phones or have their devices stolen. If a thief can unlock your device, or if you don’t secure it with a strong password, there’s nothing to stop a thief from waving it over a payment terminal or ATM to get your money. NFC tags are also vulnerable to tampering. For example, users have tapped smart tags thinking they were about to access movie trailers or visit a vendor website but instead had their personal information sent to a bad actor. order to conceal those assets from the IRS during that time period. In addition, beginning in March 2013, after the IRS accepted DeCicco’s proposed monthly payment plan (based on the false information DeCicco provided about his assets and income) and instead of making the agreed-upon monthly payments, DeCicco bought and sold numerous real properties, boats and high-end cars and concealed those assets and his income from the IRS, often with Avedisian’s assistance. In addition, Avedisian owned a property in Nahant that was subject to a mortgage in excess of $1 million. In October 2015, DeCicco and Avedisian conspired to General NFC security tips • Turn NFC off when not in use: Disable NFC on your device when you’re not using it to reduce the risk of unauthorized access or accidental connections. • Be mindful of proximity: NFC only works within a short range, but attackers could use specialized tools to attempt to intercept data. Be cautious when using NFC in crowded or untrusted areas. • Use secure apps and devices: Only use trusted apps for NFC payments or fi le sharing. Ensure your device has updated security features and fi rmware. • Enable device authentication: Use a PIN, pattern or biometric lock on your device to prevent unauthorized use of NFC. • Monitor permissions: Regularly check the permissions granted to apps that use NFC to ensure they only have access to necessary features. • Avoid connecting to unknown devices: Do not pair with or transfer fi les to unknown NFC-enabled devices or tags without verifying their source. • Encrypt sensitive data: If you’re using NFC for payments or sharing sensitive information, ensure the data is encrypted and transmitted over a secure channel. NFC payment tips • Verify payment apps: Use defraud the mortgage holder by proposing the sale of the property for signifi cantly less than the outstanding mortgage, in what is commonly referred to as a “short sale.” By their very nature, short sales are intended to be arms-length transactions in which the buyers and sellers are unrelated and act independently, allowing sellers to cede their ownership of the property in exchange for the short-selling bank’s agreement to release them from their unpaid mortgage debt. In order to get approval for the sale, DeCicco and Avedisian concealed their longterm romantic and business relationship from the loan servicing company and falsely represented that Avedisian payment apps from trusted providers and download them only from offi cial app stores. • Check the terminal: Inspect payment terminals for tampering or unusual devices before tapping your phone or card. • Enable notifi cations: Set up notifi cations for NFC transactions so you’re immediately aware of any unauthorized charges. • Use one-time tokens: Where possible, opt for payment methods that generate onetime-use tokens for added security. NFC tags tips • Inspect before scanning: Avoid scanning unknown or suspicious NFC tags in public areas, as they might contain malicious code or links. • Use a trusted NFC reader app: Use apps from reputable sources to read NFC tags, and review the permissions these apps require. • Program tags securely: If programming NFC tags yourself, ensure they are confi gured with strong security measures to prevent tampering. Have you heard about or experienced an NFC-related scheme or fraud? You can help spread awareness and protect others when you report it to BBB Scam Tracker. For more information, go to https://www. bbb.org/all/money and https:// www.bbb.org/all/cyber-security-resource could no longer make payments towards the mortgage on the property. In fact, just two months before the “short sale” closed, Avedisian purportedly received $3.5 million from the sale of another asset to DeCicco. United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Jonathan Wlodyka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Offi ce made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristina E. Barclay and Neil J. Gallagher, Jr. of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit prosecuted the case.
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