Fintech Startup Offers $500 for Payroll Passwords

krebsonsecurity.com

24 points·todsacerdoti··3 comments

So knowledge of what I earn is worth $500 + $25/month?

If anyone else wants to know what I earn, just PayPal me $500 and I'll reply by email with a complete set of my accounts.

not a bad article, but title is clickbait. The startup is asking for YOUR payroll login information to specific set of "gig economy" employers - like Lyft, Uber, and Starbucks. It's basically trying to build a profile for gig works so that gig works can have an easier time showing their earnings. I'm guessing they sell the data also.

The startup itself is actually trying to do a good thing it seems, and while handing out those login credentials isn't ideal, don't forget that Mint & Plaid straight up ask for your banking login and no one bats an eye.

IMHO, the real regulation that is needed is that anyone whom stores data on an individual should also make that data read accessible via an api with separate credentials. Could you imagine a world where you could easily decide how your own data is used?

> I'm guessing they sell the data also.

This doesn't seem like a good thing, sorry, especially if they aren't upfront about it.

Also, isn't there a solid chance this is against the TOS of at least some of these platforms? (Not that that is in itself a reason this shouldn't be allowed, but users ought to know if giving somebody else access is going to run them a risk of getting banned.)

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