Digital coupons aren’t only saving consumers money; they’re saving hackers a bundle.
by Meaghan Ziemba, Associate Editor, PD&D
I’m an individual who loses everything. I don’t have very much expensive jewelry because I wouldn’t be able to find it in two weeks; I keep my phone on loud so I can find it every time I misplace it, and I’m on my third Social Security card. Loose change and bills always find their way into car-seat and couch cracks – becoming someone else’s treasure – and coupons and discount cards I receive in the mail always seem to disappear until the expiration date passes.
Attempts are being made through technology to help disorganized people like myself, become more organized. Debit cards eliminate the use of loose change and bills, calendar apps are added to phones – beeping reminders of appointments, deadlines and sibling birthdays; online banking and payment of bills provide an organized record for clients at the tips of their fingers, and now digital coupons are available for consumers, making great deals easily accessible before they expire.
While the idea of going digital is more convenient and organized, I’m still a skeptic of the security involved. We all have heard or were victims of identity and credit card theft. Recently I received a phone call from my bank on purchases that showed up on my bank statement. One item was a type of computer memory I would have never known existed if the purchase was never brought to my attention. The other was more computer software with such a foreign name I needed to call the company and ask for its function.
Each purchase was made online with my credit card number. That’s all it took. My name and 16 numbers bought someone in Cleveland brand new computer products from a Madison, WI, Associate Editor’s account. Never mind the 3-digit security number that is intended to separate everyone’s card from each other. And it’s happening more often.
Grocery stores, ATM’s and online accounts are getting hacked and random numbers are picked off and sold for the right price. Even hospital records are becoming accessible to computer criminals with the popular demand of going digital and saving trees. With the right knowledge, family medical records could be made public and used as a disguise for thieves.
Digital coupons are a great idea for convenience and accessibility. They even support the popular campaign for keeping things green. However, they are another idea that plugs consumers into the electric grid that is so susceptible to computer hackers and online pilfers, they could end up being more expensive then what they are intended. A coupon that saves 50 cents on Tyson chicken could cost someone thousands of dollars in computer products or unpaid bills for credit cards that were never applied for.
I’m a fan of keeping things simple, but I’ll have more faith in digital technology when I see stricter security procedures put into place.
What are your thoughts on the digital grid keeping things manageable? Post your comments below or send an e-mail to meaghan.ziemba@advantagemedia.com.