US News | By Ben Luthi | Apr 12, 2019
Apple Pay is secure and convenient, as long as you use it correctly.No payment method is entirely safe from fraud. But Apple Pay provides cardholders with several layers of security that can protect against some common forms of credit card theft.
If you want to try Apple Pay, knowing how it works is important as well as how your credit card information is safeguarded and what you can do to stay protected while using it.
Apple Pay is a mobile wallet for Apple devices such as iPhones and Apple Watches that allows you to make purchases in stores, in apps and online securely without handing over your credit card information every time.
In a store, the mobile wallet uses near-field communication technology – it allows two devices placed within a few centimeters of each other to exchange data – to transmit your card information. You just need to verify your identity with the Touch ID or Face ID feature, then tap your device to the store's card reader to process the payment.
To keep your information private, Apple Pay creates a unique token every time you use it, so merchants never get your actual card number. "Instead of being static data that is easily cloned if stolen," says Andrew Barratt, managing principal at Coalfire, a cybersecurity advisory firm, "it adds some dynamic elements to the data that are used when processing your card payment, making cloning for fraudulent use more difficult."
What's more, Apple doesn't store your card number on your device or its own servers.
Trusting technology can be scary, especially if you're accustomed to a certain process. But using Apple Pay can protect your credit card information in ways that using the card can't.
It requires extra verification. With a physical credit card, all a thief needs to successfully make a purchase is your card and a merchant who doesn't match cards with IDs. And the four credit card payment networks – Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover – no longer require signatures.
With Apple Pay, however, someone who steals your device will have a hard time using it to make purchases. The app requires that you verify your identity using your passcode or the Touch ID or Face ID feature, and the latter two can be tough to fake.
It doesn't share your card information. Every time you make a purchase with Apple Pay, whether in a store, in an app or online, the mobile wallet creates a unique code for processing the transaction instead of sharing your credit card number.
"The credit card number is never given to the merchant, and when used online, never travels across the internet between your device and the merchant site," says Thomas Reed, director of Mac and mobile at cybersecurity firm Malwarebytes. "If by some chance a criminal were to intercept this data, it's a one-time-use code, so it couldn't be abused in the same manner as a credit card number."
Your credit card's EMV chip uses the same technology, called tokenization. But not all merchants have chip readers, and EMV chips don't work when you make in-app and online purchases. As a result, Apple Pay can especially be helpful for mobile and online shopping, where storing your credit card information could make it vulnerable to data breaches.
Your information can't be skimmed. If you're shopping with a merchant who requires you to swipe your card instead of use the chip, the static information on the magnetic strip can easily be stolen if a thief has installed a card-skimming device on the card reader.
Because Apple Pay doesn't share static information or require a swipe, Barratt says, it's significantly safer than using a physical card in that way.
It doesn't store your card information on your device. Apple neither shares your card information with merchants nor keeps your card information on your device or its own servers.
"An attacker who gains access to your device or your iCloud account would not be able to get your credit card information," Reed says. The same goes if a hacker somehow manages to gain access to Apple's servers.
You can suspend the service. If you've activated the Find My iPhone feature or a similar feature on another Apple device, you can suspend the Apple Pay app by placing your device in "lost mode." This will keep you from having to cancel all of your credit cards, which is what you'd need to do if you think someone has stolen your wallet.
Serious security concerns have not emerged with the technology Apple Pay uses, but some potential pitfalls await if you're not careful with your device. Here are some tips for ensuring that your device and your credit cards stay safe.
Keep your device passcode secure. Even if you use the Face ID or Touch ID features, you're required to have a passcode on your Apple device as an alternate way to verify that it's yours.
See: Inside the power struggle between big banks and fintechs to modernize financial services
If you share your passcode with others or use one that's easy to crack – such as 0000 or 1234 – it could give them easy access to create their own biometric profile. Biometrics allow consumers to be ID'd and authenticated based on a set of recognizable and verifiable data specific to them, such as fingerprints.
If they can create their own profile, they'll be able to make purchases through your Apple Pay function.
Set up Face ID or Touch ID. While biometrics aren't required to use Apple Pay, they're not as easy to get past as a four-digit passcode.
Don't allow others to add their biometrics. Permitting a significant other, family member or friend to add Face ID or Touch ID credentials to your phone may not seem like a big deal. But if the relationship turns sour, they'd have easy access to use your Apple Pay app if they can get hold of your device.
Avoid adding cards on an unsecure Wi-Fi network. Public Wi-Fi networks are convenient ways to get online at the coffee shop or the airport. But be wise about what you do when you're connected.
That's because hackers can effectively eavesdrop on the information you send from your device to a service or website. Fraudsters can even create a counterfeit mobile wallet registration system similar to Apple Pay's and lure you into sending them your card information unknowingly.
The National Crowdfunding & Fintech Association (NCFA Canada) is a financial innovation ecosystem that provides education, market intelligence, industry stewardship, networking and funding opportunities and services to thousands of community members and works closely with industry, government, partners and affiliates to create a vibrant and innovative fintech and funding industry in Canada. Decentralized and distributed, NCFA is engaged with global stakeholders and helps incubate projects and investment in fintech, alternative finance, crowdfunding, peer-to-peer finance, payments, digital assets and tokens, blockchain, cryptocurrency, regtech, and insurtech sectors. Join Canada's Fintech & Funding Community today FREE! Or become a contributing member and get perks. For more information, please visit: www.ncfacanada.org
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![[Report] A New North Star: Canadian Competitiveness in an Intangibles Economy](https://ncfacanada.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/a-new-north-star-canadian-competitiveness.jpg)
Cashless stores are becoming controversial.
Stores that do not accept cash are on the rise, from quick-service lunch spots to Amazon's physical stores. Not accepting cash can speed up lines or eliminate them altogether, making life easier for card-carrying consumers.
Not everybody is on board with this cashless utopia, however. Backlash has started, as the cashless trend leaves out lower-income customers who may not have a bank account. As of last year, an estimated 15.6 million people in the US do not have a bank account.
Philadelphia barred stores from choosing not to accept cash in early March, becoming the first US city to do so.
"Most of the people who don't have credit tend to be lower income, minority, immigrants. It just seemed to me, if not intentional, at least a form of discrimination," Philadelphia City Councilman William Greenlee told the Wall Street Journal.
New Jersey later followed with its own measure, which Governor Phil Murphy signed into law on March 18.
"This idea of 'we don't want to accept cash' just marginalizes the poor, young people who haven't established credit yet, people who prefer to pay in cash," Assemblyman Paul Moriarty, a sponsor of the bill, told WNYC.
The National Crowdfunding & Fintech Association (NCFA Canada) is a financial innovation ecosystem that provides education, market intelligence, industry stewardship, networking and funding opportunities and services to thousands of community members and works closely with industry, government, partners and affiliates to create a vibrant and innovative fintech and funding industry in Canada. Decentralized and distributed, NCFA is engaged with global stakeholders and helps incubate projects and investment in fintech, alternative finance, crowdfunding, peer-to-peer finance, payments, digital assets and tokens, blockchain, cryptocurrency, regtech, and insurtech sectors. Join Canada's Fintech & Funding Community today FREE! Or become a contributing member and get perks. For more information, please visit: www.ncfacanada.org
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Since then OurCrowd has reached a new milestone: The global equity crowdfunding platform announced it reached $1 billion in commitments in six years. During the OurCrowd Global Investor Summit in Jerusalem on Thursday, founder and CEO Jon Medved said the company now counts 170 startups, 18 funds, and 29 exits.While many of its startups are based in Israel, OurCrowd’s network of 30,000 registered investors hail from over 150 countries (although primary investors are based in the United States). Members average seven investments, with a portfolio size of over $350,000.
“Our portfolio is, by design, quite diverse,” Medved said during a press conference. “We have companies that run the gamut from drones to agtech, from cybersecurity to food technology, to consumer software and medical products, digital health, and big cloud data.”
Notable OurCrowd exits in 2018 include dual camera technology producer Corephotonics (by Samsung), electric scooter startup Jump Bikes (by Uber), and computer vision firm Invertex acquisition (by Nike).
'He's truly a money magnet, if you're interested in raising capital for early stage tech start-ups across all sectors, this is a talk you don't want to miss.' Craig Asano, NCFA
Source: NCFA
The National Crowdfunding & Fintech Association (NCFA Canada) is a financial innovation ecosystem that provides education, market intelligence, industry stewardship, networking and funding opportunities and services to thousands of community members and works closely with industry, government, partners and affiliates to create a vibrant and innovative fintech and funding industry in Canada. Decentralized and distributed, NCFA is engaged with global stakeholders and helps incubate projects and investment in fintech, alternative finance, crowdfunding, peer-to-peer finance, payments, digital assets and tokens, blockchain, cryptocurrency, regtech, and insurtech sectors. Join Canada's Fintech & Funding Community today FREE! Or become a contributing member and get perks. For more information, please visit: www.ncfacanada.org
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5th ANNUAL 2019 FINTECH & FINANCING CONFERENCE HOSTED BY NCFA AND PARTNERS
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APR 3-4 TORONTO
Crowdfund Insider | By | March 22, 2019
VoCare is raising capital for the launch of a new Medtech device, the Vitals360; a smartphone-sized diagnostic device for the Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) and Point-of-Care verticals.
Current investors include AGS Capital and SAW Capital and tax credits are available to Indiana investors via the State of Indiana.
The Vitals360 eliminates the need for extra peripherals, hubs, and tablets for managing cardiac care, diabetes and other chronic conditions and offers cellular, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth enabled real-time data transfer to provider, patient and family portals. The Vitals360 device measurements include: (1) Blood Glucose, (2) Blood Pressure, (3) Pulse, (4) Oximetry, (5) Temperature, and (6) Electrocardiography (ECG).
When reviewing their options to raise capital, VoCare researched and consulted with a number of crowdfunding platforms. Their goal was a $2M capital raise via Reg D 506c for trials and sales and marketing so VoCare developed the PPM required for compliance. After several years in R&D for a “doctor’s office in your pocket” vitals device, the Vitals360 was moving through FDA approvals. VoCare’s goals also wanted to build a community and attract partners.
The takeaway as VoCare wrapped up their search were four concerns:
What to do next? The equity crowdfunding platforms had a track record, expertise, systems, marketing tools, and an audience. Did those benefits justify the costs? For VoCare, the client felt the answer was no. So we asked ourselves can we use similar methods to crowdfund our raise directly on the VoCare website?
The strategy was to simulate some of the same tactics as the platforms but to also utilize some traditional processes – hence the “boutique crowdfunding” label, as the intended audience was accredited investors versus a mass crowdfunding.
As the equity crowdfunding industry matures, there are several great options for expert help in the space that issuers can consider.
Effective online story-telling
VoCare developed webpages that showcased their story of the Vitals360, the world’s first and only professional grade, hand-held medical device providing a 6-in-1 vitals diagnostic and remote monitoring solution. An easy to navigate pages on desktop and mobile featured a carefully structured pitch video, graphics and similar content structures to those found on platforms.
The investment page also effectively communicated the campaign metrics, massive market, competitive advantage and innovation as the core message. The home page was also utilized for additional traffic and exposure to the Limited Time Investment Opportunity.
Investor and prospect funnels
A content plan was developed to provide regular and timely communications on company progress, industry news, campaign milestones and help educate the sophisticated accredited investor audience on the opportunity.
For example, a sample campaign conveyed how Qualcomm Inc., world leader in 3G and next-generation mobile technologies, featured the Vitals360 at their booth at this past January at CES 2019 and that it was so well received that Qualcomm also showcased the device at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in February.
Automated emails and campaigns were integrated with the page and a press releases section up as an archive on the corporate website to provide depth. Calendars integration ensured seamless follow-up by VoCare executives to elaborate on the opportunity and address any questions.
Leveraged momentum and timing
Business development and networking created a pool of early adopters so that momentum could be created in the first few weeks of the campaign. As a result over $600k USD was raised within a few weeks, the page updated accordingly and the progress sent to the growing list.
The advent of new government payment codes from The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) was also leveraged in messaging. With these new reimbursement codes, physicians are incentivized to drive more health care to the home, and leverage technology like VoCare’s Vitals360device.
A balance was struck between conservatism and the massive opportunity by only reporting on revenue and earnings projections in the US for device sales despite other market interest and other revenue models including data fees and blood monitoring strips.
The front end of the investor experience was very similar to a platform but the back-end was largely handled off-line. Follow-up discussions and the actual investment process handling were completed offline. This created a nice mix between technology efficiencies and the personal touch of relationship building and high service levels. Not as seamless as a platform driven campaign but more personalized, more focused, less costly and quite effective.
A by-product of the VoCare campaign has also been considerable interest in distribution building on other partnerships including with industry heavyweights like GEMMS, of Harris Computer Systems, a division of Constellation Software, Inc. (TSX: CSU-T) and Chinese diabetes market leader SinoCare.
An issuer could also choose to add back-end functionality for a direct crowdfund via white-label solutions for contracts, accreditation and payments but VoCare felt they could handle the volume given there were significant minimum investments and that the sophisticated audience warranted a personal touch.
The National Crowdfunding & Fintech Association (NCFA Canada) is a financial innovation ecosystem that provides education, market intelligence, industry stewardship, networking and funding opportunities and services to thousands of community members and works closely with industry, government, partners and affiliates to create a vibrant and innovative fintech and funding industry in Canada. Decentralized and distributed, NCFA is engaged with global stakeholders and helps incubate projects and investment in fintech, alternative finance, crowdfunding, peer-to-peer finance, payments, digital assets and tokens, blockchain, cryptocurrency, regtech, and insurtech sectors. Join Canada's Fintech & Funding Community today FREE! Or become a contributing member and get perks. For more information, please visit: www.ncfacanada.org
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FCA | March 8, 2019
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has today published two pieces of research looking at UK consumer attitudes to cryptoassets, such as Bitcoin or Ether. The research includes qualitative interviews with UK consumers and a national survey.
The qualitative research indicated some potential harm, including that many consumers may not fully understand what they are purchasing. For example, several of those interviewed talked of wanting to buy a ‘whole’ coin, suggesting they did not realise they could buy part of a cryptoasset. Despite this lack of understanding, the cryptoasset owners interviewed were often looking for ways to ‘get rich quick’, citing friends, acquaintances and social media influencers as key motivations for buying cryptoassets.
Both the survey and qualitative research found that some cryptoasset owners made their purchases without completing any research beforehand.
However, despite the general poor understanding of cryptoassets amongst UK consumers, findings from the survey suggest that currently the overall scale of harm may not be as high as previously thought.
73% of UK consumers surveyed don’t know what a 'cryptocurrency' is or are unable to define it – those most aware of them are likely to be men aged between 20 and 44. We estimate only 3% of consumers we surveyed had ever bought cryptoassets. Of the small sub-sample of consumers who had bought cryptoassets, around half spent under £200 – a large majority of these said they had financed the purchases through their disposable income.
Bitcoin appears to be the favourite cryptoasset for consumers with more than 50% of the cryptoasset owner survey sub-sample reporting to have spent their money on this product, while one in three [34%] chose Ether.
Christopher Woolard, the FCA’s Executive Director of Strategy and Competition commented:
'This research gives us evidence we haven’t had before about how consumers interact with cryptoassets. This will help us ensure we are acting on evidence as we seek to protect consumers and market integrity. The results suggest that although cryptoassets may not be well understood by many consumers, the vast majority don’t buy or use them currently. Whilst the research suggests some harm to individual cryptoasset users, it does not suggest a large impact on wider society. Nevertheless, cryptoassets are complex, volatile products – consumers investing in them should be prepared to lose all of their money.'
The FCA has previously warned that cryptoassets, including Bitcoin for instance, are highly volatile and risky. Many tokens (including Bitcoin and ‘cryptocurrency’ equivalents) are not currently regulated in the UK. This means that the transfer, purchase and sale of such tokens currently fall outside our regulatory remit. This means it is unlikely that consumers will be entitled to make complaints to the Financial Ombudsman Service or protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme if things go wrong.
The FCA is working with the Government and Bank of England, as part of a UK Cryptoassets Taskforce, to understand and address the harms from cryptoassets and encourage innovation in the interests of consumers. The FCA is currently consulting on guidance to clarify the types of cryptoassets that fall within the existing regulatory perimeter. Later this year the FCA will consult on banning the sale of certain cryptoasset derivatives to retail investors. HM Treasury is also exploring legislative change to potentially broaden the FCA’s regulatory remit to bring in further types of cryptoassets.
The National Crowdfunding & Fintech Association (NCFA Canada) is a financial innovation ecosystem that provides education, market intelligence, industry stewardship, networking and funding opportunities and services to thousands of community members and works closely with industry, government, partners and affiliates to create a vibrant and innovative fintech and funding industry in Canada. Decentralized and distributed, NCFA is engaged with global stakeholders and helps incubate projects and investment in fintech, alternative finance, crowdfunding, peer-to-peer finance, payments, digital assets and tokens, blockchain, cryptocurrency, regtech, and insurtech sectors. Join Canada's Fintech & Funding Community today FREE! Or become a contributing member and get perks. For more information, please visit: www.ncfacanada.org
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Caribbean 360 | March 7, 2019
BASSETERRE, St Kitts and Nevis, Thursday March 7, 2019 – The Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) and the Barbados-based fintechcompany, Bitt Inc. (Bitt) have signed a contract to conduct a first-of-its-kind blockchain-issued Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) pilot within the Eastern Caribbean.
The Bank, which serves as a central bank for Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica Grenada, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, St Kitts and Nevis and Montserrat, disclosed yesterday that the contract was signed late last month at its headquarters in St Kitts and Nevis.
This ECCB’s CBDC pilot will involve a securely minted and issued digital version of the EC dollar (DXCD). The digital EC dollar will be distributed and used by Licensed Financial Institutions and Non-Bank Financial Institutions in the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU). The DXCD will be used for financial transactions between consumers and merchants, including peer-to-peer transactions, all using smart devices. For example, an individual in St Kitts and Nevis will be able to send DXCD securely from his/her smartphone to a friend in Grenada in seconds – and at no cost to either party.
ECCB Governor Timothy Antoine emphasized that the Bank was going a step further than previous CBDC research and experiments.
“This is not an academic exercise. Not only will the digital EC dollar be the world’s first digital legal tender currency to be issued by a central bank on blockchain, but this pilot is also a live CBDC deployment with a view to an eventual phased public rollout,” he explained. “The pilot is part of the ECCB’s Strategic Plan 2017-2021 which aims to help reduce cash usage within the ECCU by 50 per cent, promote greater financial sector stability, and expedite the growth and development of our member countries. It would be a game-changer for the way we do business”.
CEO of Bitt Inc., Rawdon Adams thanked the ECCB for choosing his company which has as its mission, the practical application of cutting edge technology to solve persistent financial problems.
“It is about a successful currency union building on its impressive record of financial stability, development and integration to deliver a quantum improvement to the lives of all its 630,000 citizens. Enhancing economic growth and the quality of life of ordinary people is the aim,” he said.
The National Crowdfunding & Fintech Association (NCFA Canada) is a financial innovation ecosystem that provides education, market intelligence, industry stewardship, networking and funding opportunities and services to thousands of community members and works closely with industry, government, partners and affiliates to create a vibrant and innovative fintech and funding industry in Canada. Decentralized and distributed, NCFA is engaged with global stakeholders and helps incubate projects and investment in fintech, alternative finance, crowdfunding, peer-to-peer finance, payments, digital assets and tokens, blockchain, cryptocurrency, regtech, and insurtech sectors. Join Canada's Fintech & Funding Community today FREE! Or become a contributing member and get perks. For more information, please visit: www.ncfacanada.org
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Crowdfund Insider | | Mar 7, 2019
Online lending platform Funding Circle announced on Thursday its plans to enter the Canadian market and expand access to fast, affordable and transparent financing for Canadian small businesses. The lender revealed it will establish operations in Canada in the second half of 2019 with an office located in Toronto. The operation will be led by Tom Eilon, who previously led the commercial strategy for Funding Circle in the UK. Speaking about the Canadian launch plans, Eilon stated:
“We have been evaluating options for expansion over the last year. Canada’s stable, growing economy coupled with good access to credit data and progressive regulatory environment made it the obvious choice. The most important factor though was the clear need for additional funding options among Canadian SMEs. We are looking forward to officially launching later this year and supporting Canadian SMEs to access the finance they need to grow, create new jobs and fuel their local economies.”
Jennifer Reynolds, President and CEO, Toronto Finance International, also commented:
“Funding Circle’s entry into the Canadian market is a fantastic addition to the thriving Fintech sector in Toronto, and a welcome added option for small business to access finance.”
Since its launch in 2010, Funding Circle reported it has connected more than 60,000 small businesses around the world with financing through its online platform. The lending platform went on to add that in the U.S. it now has $1 billion small business loans outstanding, more than almost 98% of FDIC-insured banks. Funding Circle currently has operations in the UK, U.S., Germany, and the Netherlands.
The National Crowdfunding & Fintech Association (NCFA Canada) is a financial innovation ecosystem that provides education, market intelligence, industry stewardship, networking and funding opportunities and services to thousands of community members and works closely with industry, government, partners and affiliates to create a vibrant and innovative fintech and funding industry in Canada. Decentralized and distributed, NCFA is engaged with global stakeholders and helps incubate projects and investment in fintech, alternative finance, crowdfunding, peer-to-peer finance, payments, digital assets and tokens, blockchain, cryptocurrency, regtech, and insurtech sectors. Join Canada's Fintech & Funding Community today FREE! Or become a contributing member and get perks. For more information, please visit: www.ncfacanada.org
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