Retailers say they may have to wear an even greater share of the cost of online fraud when signatures are abolished from credit cards from August 1.

Australian Retailers Association chief executive Russell Zimmerman said he fully supports the move to remove signatures.

But he argues that by strengthening security for physical transactions, more fraud may shift online.

Merchants commonly cover the cost of "card-not-present" fraud – mainly committed online – via a "charge-back" from card companies and banks.

A charge-back occurs when the customers' bank tells the merchant's bank that the customer has disputed the transaction.

The merchant's bank pays back the amount from the merchant's account if it agrees the merchant is liable under the card company's rules. But the merchants loses the item if it has already been sent to the customer.

Banks are usually liable for fraudulent payments made in person.

"We are in 100 per cent agreeance with the move to PIN [only], but the thing we have to move very quickly towards is to remove fraud online," Mr Zimmerman said.

"Fraud in bricks and mortar [shops] will slow down considerably and probably dry up. So fraud will naturally move to online once you move to that system.

"If you order something online and then you dispute the transaction, once that transaction is disputed, the merchant has lost the goods but will also often have a charge-back against him."

Online fraud is by far the biggest source of payments fraud, accounting for 75.8 per cent of fraud on Australian issued cards in the 2013 financial year. Payments fraud accounts for just 0.02 per cent of transactions made via cards and 0.015 per cent of the value of transactions.

Security may become a 'patchwork quilt'

Lance Blockley, the managing director of payments specialist RFi Consulting, is co-ordinating the banks, card companies and merchants as they move to PIN only verification on card transactions called PINWise. He said originally the initiative did include an Australia-wide move to more secure methods for paying online, to be enacted after signatures were abolished at the point of sale.

This would have made it mandatory to use "two-factor authentication" so, for example, when someone paid for a purchase online, their bank would send them a one-time passcode via SMS to their mobile phone.

Banks already require this for some online transactions such as paying money to an external bank account. But he said some online retailers opposed this because it would discourage people from buying online, believing it leads to "shopping cart abandonment".

"Although the international card ­companies already offer their own forms of two-factor authentication to merchants and consumers, so far uptake rates have been low – suggesting that without some form of industry-wide effort, online security may remain a bit of a patchwork quilt," he said.

Australian Bankers Association CEO Steve Münchenberg said he can understand the logic of the ARA's view, but there are already "a whole range of ways that retailers can use to secure payments online".

These include Verified by Visa or MasterCard's SecureCode. But these require both the consumer and merchant choosing to register for these. Once they do, ­consumers shopping online are asked by their bank to use their online shopping PIN.

Senior officials in payments industry groups and payments regulators said mandating extra authentication for online purchases would be a costly move that could outweigh any savings from online fraud.

"I think there will continue to be a lot of effort to solve card-not-present fraud because the bulk of fraud is online," said Chris Hamilton, CEO of the industry body responsible for collecting and reporting card fraud, the Australian Payments Clearing Association.

"But any solution you land on is going to require every merchant do ­something on their website – so it is a sheer scale problem."

Online fraud is the biggest source of payments fraud, accounting for 75.8 per cent of fraud on Australian issued cards in the 2013 financial year.

Armed to the teeth with information.

Surprise, your website is a crime scene. But it doesn't have to be. Imagine if every customer came with a well-informed rap sheet. You'd better know the risk of doing business with them. And you could set business rules to keep fraudsters out. That'siovation's Reputation Manager 360.

INVESTIGATIVE DIGGING AT ITS FINEST

Device reputation reports if the internet-enabled device accessing your website or mobile app has known history of credit card fraud, identity theft, account takeover or other abusive behavior with any site in our global network. Going deeper, it tells you if it's associated with any other devices containing accounts with fraud history. So when it comes to previous activity, consider yourself informed.

INTELLIGENCE ABOUT THE PRESENT TOO

What's more, iovation's real-time transparent risk scoring alerts you to suspicious characteristics—such as hiding behind a proxy, setting off velocity triggers, uncovering device anomalies, appearing on watch lists, or matching an identified risky profile—in real time, while they are on your site. The business rules you set are unique to your company's situation to sniff out fraud like no other.

DEVICE REPUTATION EQUIPS YOU FOR ACTION

No one better equips you with actionable, relevant data than iovation does. Our award-winning ReputationManager 360 service provides superior intelligence about accounts with your company and the devices used to access them. Customized business rules enable you to do the most with it. Decide what fraud means to you and choose which situations to allow, deny and flag for review. The net result: your business and your good customers are better protected than ever before.

It’s Easy To Report Your Allegation Of Tax Fraud!

1. Complete the Official TaxSqueal Allegation Form. Be sure to provide as many of the key details requested as possible. Only the allegation information entered on the form will be submitted to the IRS or proper taxing authority, no other identifiers.

2. Following a TaxSqueal referral to the IRS or proper taxing authority on your behalf, all information and identifiers associated with the allegation are immediately purged from TaxSqueal’s records. Remember, TaxSqueal never knows your identity, nor does it possess the ability to determine your identity.

3. Please be prepared to hear nothing further. Tax agencies have strict privacy rules that limit or preclude updates or progress reports regarding tax matters. Rest assured that your TaxSqueal submission will be handled appropriately and confidentially.

TaxSqueal.com is NOT for individuals seeking a possible award pertaining to the allegation information that will be submitted on their behalf. In such instances contact the IRS (www.irs.gov) or appropriate taxing authority for further details regarding their informant claims programs.

The ABLE Company is recognized for its excellence in providing field testing, maintenance and repair services for the region’s central steam plants and high temperature hot water facilities since 1972.

Our application engineers and service engineers, located in CT, NY, MA and NJ, pride themselves in their ability to keep our customers operating at peak efficiency with a minimum of down time. Our customers include many of the region’s leading hospitals, colleges, institutions, utilities and major manufacturers.

We provide service contracts including routine preventative maintenance, calibration, safety limit testing and combustion tune-ups for hundreds of industrial high pressure steam boilers in the region.

We also provide instrumentation and control system startup services for major steam plant upgrades as well as turn-key installation and startups for boiler control system and instrumentation retrofit projects.

We are well known for our expertise maintaining legacy systems as well as the most modern state-of-the-art systems.

Features

9-axis motion sensor
Detects the kinematic energy from your board to capture jump data

Bluetooth
Wireless sync with your iOS device while on the beach - no computer required

Waterproof
Completely sealed to protect against damage

Shockproof
Designed to take a beating and keep on recording

Corrosion-resistant
Four contacts on the device maintain their connection after repeated contact with salt water and sand.

Includes   
WOO Motion Sensor
Mounting Plate   
USB Charger

Size Comparison
WOO Dimensions
5.4L x 2.2W x 1.7H cm

For more details visit us at our website at http://www.woosports.com

Customer Boiler Cleaners, Inc. of Brooklyn, New York, offers boiler repair and maintenance services to ensure that you get the most of your boiler throughout the entire winter.

Boiler Repair

If your boiler breaks down in the middle of the winter, you are not going to be very comfortable. While it is not recommended that you tackle the job yourself, our boiler repair services can have your system back up and running in no time. Whatever your problem may be, we have the parts and skills to ensure a quality repair and provide for your comfort during harsh Northern winters. Professionally trained, in-house technicians perform all of our work. We provide:

• Tube Replacement

• Welding Repairs 

• Boiler Controls

• Installation 

• Section Replacement

• Coil Replacement 

• Refractory Work

• Boiler Related Plumbing 

• Breeching

• Violation Removal

Boiler Maintenance

Our boiler service also offers professional maintenance to help ensure that your boiler operates at peak efficiency throughout the winter - keeping your home or business warmer for less money. Our thorough services ensure that your boiler and boiler room remain free of soot and debris, allowing your boiler to operate at maximum efficiency. Services include:

• Boiler Tubes Brushed

• Combustion Chamber Brushed

• Boiler Doors Brushed 

• Inside Walls Brushed

• Chimney Base and

  Breeching Cleaned

• Soot, Scale, and Foreign 

  Particles Vacuumed Using

  High-Power Vacuum Trucks

About

For more than 35 years, AZTEC has always been committed to fulfill its mission statement of “Partnerships Emphasizing Opportunities thru Person-Centered Living and Employment” (PEOPLE) and to provide excellent programs and services to hundreds of children and adults with developmental disabilities.

AZTEC makes every effort to give the best opportunities to people with disabilities, which includes a multidimensional and ecological approach to personal growth. This will help them to become keenly involved in choosing their way of living, learning, and working within the society.

Based on the organization’s recent review, this approach also reveals the interaction of individuals within their environment with regards to community, employment opportunities, independence, involvement in school, relationships, rights and responsibilities, societal contributions, and general well-being.

AZTEC team members are dedicated to the belief that people with disabilities has the right to develop their maximum potential in spite of their ability level, and should be given the same dignity and respect as the rest of us.

AZTEC can provide all the significant support needed by people with disabilities to accomplish a full, happy, independent, and successful life. Their programs and services are offered in different communities of Arizona and nearby areas of Avondale, Glendale, Peoria, Surprise, and West Phoenix. The organization will soon have its expansion in certain Asian countries such as Malaysia, Singapore, and Tokyo, Japan.

Careers

According to different reviews of people residing in Arizona, AZTEC is the perfect place for you if you’re seeking a rewarding career in helping other people. Be a part of their caring group of professionals that help individuals with developmental disabilities to live a fulfilled life.

AZTEC residential work is mostly located in Glendale, Peoria, and West Phoenix. The organization offers services in various facilities such as community based residential settings along with in-home day programs, and community based employment settings.

Programs

Adult services programs offer individualized training in independent living, life skills, social and community awareness, and social development for individuals older than 18 years old. AZTEC specializes in training people with disabilities to become more independent and provides learning opportunities through integrated recreational and leisure time activities.

Older adult programs provide training and therapeutic activities dedicated to the social, psychological, and physical needs of older people. AZTEC understands that seniors enjoy stimulating and fun activities such as arts and crafts, bingo, and involvement in integrated activities provided by local senior centers, that’s why the organization gives great importance in developing a comfortable and safe environment for elderly people.

Employment services provide opportunities that can give individuals a meaningful education-related   activities and vocational training experiences. These services could possibly be delivered at a center-based workshop or community-based worksite. The goal of this program is to prepare every individual to have an independent employment experience in the least restrictive setting.

Residential services provide support to individuals to become more independent and to interact within the community, and develop appropriate individual/group leisure and social time skills, home living and personal maintenance skills, health services, community integration and communication skills. AZTEC manages more than 30 residential group homes located in the West Valley area and every home are staffed with trustworthy professionals who are highly trained in different areas such as medical administration.

Each residential service program has a recreation coordinator that makes sure that activities are well planned according to the needs of individuals in every residential site. Community outings are administered and evaluated to ensure that individuals enjoy and learn from the activities.

AZTEC provides the transportation needed by people with disabilities to transport them to and from the organization’s programs every single day. They have a fleet of vehicles and specialty equipped vans.

Contributions

Arizona Training and Evaluation Center (AZTEC) is a private, nonprofit, IRS approved 501(c)(3) organization. It is apparent that the organization depends heavily on individual, corporate, and family contributions to help maintain their extensive community-based program of supports and services. The donations received are used to improve the quality of life of people with disabilities served by the organization.

Contact

For any further information about the organization and the services available to you and your family members, please feel free to visit their website at http://www.aztec1.org or contact them via phone at (623) 412-2888. AZTEC offices are open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.

Understanding Wrist Fractures

The wrist is composed of a number of bones. Any of these bones can be broken during a wrist fracture. In addition, some people damage the bones in the forearm that articulate with the wrist. Athletes and older adults are especially at risk of fracturing the wrist. A fractured wrist can cause pain and can press against the nerves and tendons that run to the hand to control the fingers.

Symptoms of Wrist Fractures

If you have sustained a wrist fracture, you may experience a variety of symptoms depending on the location and severity of the fracture. Some common symptoms include:

• Swelling
• Tenderness
• Bruising
• Severe pain
• Pain that gets worse when gripping or squeezing
• Inability or difficulty moving the hand
• Numbness in the hand
• Visibly bent or deformed wrist
• Bone poking from skin

If you are experiencing these symptoms and believe you have a wrist fracture, it is important to seek treatment promptly. Fractures are more likely to heal fully when they are treated promptly.

Treatments for Wrist Fractures

Treatment for wrist fractures depends on the nature of the fracture. If the fracture is a hairline or stress fracture, the location of the bone is left intact. The goal of treatment in this case is to immobilize the wrist so that the bone can heal without sustaining any further damage. This type of fracture is usually casted or splinted. 

If the wrist is fractured in many places, the fracture is an open fracture, or the bone is severed in two, then surgery is usually necessary to put the bones back in their natural positions so that the bones can heal. The doctor first performs open reduction, which is putting the bones back in place, then internal fixation, which is the use of screws, pins, and other hardware to keep the bones in place. Then, the bone is casted.

After the bone heals and the cast comes off, strength and flexibility has often been lost. To relieve these problems, the doctor will recommend exercises you can perform at home. In addition, you might attend formal physical therapy sessions at first.

If you think you have a wrist fracture, Dr. Howard Marans would be happy to meet with you about your diagnosis and treatment. To schedule your consultation today, please click below and enter your information or call OC Orthopedic at (714) 979-8981.