In a recent study, researchers at the University of Maryland found personal data remained on many used cellphones purchased through a police auction website.

Police departments typically acquire phones through civil asset forfeiture, but are sometimes the destination for items from the airport lost and found. Over a period of months, UMD researchers purchased 228 used phones from PropertyRoom.com, a reseller partnering with thousands of police departments.

Many of the phones contained personal information. One phone used in an identity theft scheme was resold with the identity theft victims' complete credit histories. The researchers did not use any software to break into the phones.

Dave Levin, associate professor of computer science at the University of Maryland and the report's author, said they found many people are not taking basic precautions.

"First off, choose a good pin," Levin urged. "We found about 20% or so of the phones that we ended up purchasing didn't have any pin we turned it on and it was just unlocked. For the other phones that we got into we guessed the pins because the pins were things like 1234, 6666 these types of things."

Researchers notified PropertyRoom.com, which advised them it will no longer sell phones with personal information. PropertyRoom.com did not respond to our request for comment.

To address issues with other resellers handling lost-and-found items, such as web outlets or pawnshops, researchers say legislation would be needed. While the issue of law enforcement reselling electronics containing personal data could also be addressed by legislation -- which at a minimum required the devices to be wiped clean -- Levin argued the best approach would be for police departments to not resell phones.

"We didn't use any of the clever tools and tricks," Levin pointed out. "Prior work has shown that even when you think you wipe something, it might not wipe something altogether. Not necessarily. We've seen that on phones, but it just the safest thing would have been to just destroy the phones altogether."

With the power of modern cellphones to handle so many tasks, the amount of personal data stored on the devices can be vast.

Richard Roberts, a doctoral candidate at the University of Maryland and student project lead on the study, said many of the phones contained a lot of personal information.

"For over a quarter of the phones, about ... 27% that we purchased, we were able to super easily see all of the personal information from the previous person who owned it," Roberts recounted. "Whether that was texts, phone calls, emails, photos, anything that was on the phone."

UMD researchers destroyed the phones after the study was concluded.


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Massachusetts residents struggling to pay high food prices are acquiring a growing amount of debt to pay their bills, according to a new report.

The Urban Institute found 60% of adults reported using credit cards to buy groceries but only 20% managed to pay the minimum monthly payment.

Kassandra Martinchek, senior research associate at the Urban Institute, said nearly 25% of families have dipped into savings to keep everyone fed.

"Some families are really struggling to even meet their basic needs and are taking riskier financial strategies that could leave them less capable to cope with a future financial shot," Martinchek pointed out. "Something like losing their job."

While U.S. inflation slowed last year, the average Massachusetts household continued to spend more than $270 a week on groceries with Boston ranking in the top 20 cities with the highest grocery prices.

The report shows adults with very low food security were also more likely to experience challenges in repaying their debt compared with those with less severe food hardship. For families taking advantage of "buy now, pay later" options, 37% reported missing payments on their loans.

Martinchek emphasized missed debt payments during a time of price hikes could have long-lasting effects.

"They could have constrained access to affordable credit options and struggle to take advantage of different wealth building opportunities," Martinchek noted.

Martinchek added it is especially the case for historically disadvantaged households. The report suggests policymakers strengthen social safety nets to help families as pandemic aid expires, and to bolster credit counseling and debt-management services.

Ohio lawmakers are exploring ways to address the state's looming retirement crisis.

According to The Pew Charitable Trusts, if the personal retirement savings situation remains unchanged, Ohio could expect to see a more than $11 billion increase in state spending over the next two decades.

House Bill 501 would create a Joint Legislative Study Committee tasked with studying retirement options for small businesses and state-facilitated workplace programs to improve access to retirement savings.

Amy Milam, associate state director of outreach and advocacy for AARP Ohio, said people are more likely to save for their golden years when they can do so by having a percentage of their paycheck deducted.

"In Ohio, we have 42% of Ohio's private sector workers -- that's roughly 1.8 million people -- who do not have access to a retirement savings plan through their employer," Milam reported.

Nationwide, around 64% of Hispanic workers, and 45% of Asian American workers lack access to an employer-provided retirement plan. According to an AARP report, almost three of four workers with less than a high school diploma lack a work-based retirement plan, a much higher percentage than those with a bachelor's degree.

Milam added more than a dozen other states have created partnerships with employers to offer state-sponsored plans to give employees access to Individual Retirement Accounts.

"Giving employees a simple way to save for retirement on the job means that fewer Ohioans will need to rely on public assistance later in life," Milam emphasized. "Which will benefit the individual and will also benefit the state by saving taxpayer dollars."

In some states, investment companies have pushed back on state-sponsored plans, seeing them as competition. But a 2023 survey by AARP found 92% of Ohio business owners support legislation creating a public-private retirement savings option for workers.

UPDATE: A response has been added from the Alliance for Automotive Innovation. (2:02 p.m. PDT, May 14, 2024)


A new study showed the flame retardants used in the seats of many cars emit toxic gases, and recommended the federal government reevaluate its flammability standards.

Researchers at Duke University and the Green Science Policy Institute in Berkeley studied the air and foam from 101 cars model year 2015 and newer, and found traces of two carcinogens on California's Prop. 65 list of harmful chemicals.

Robert Herrell, executive director of the Consumer Federation of California, called on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration or state officials to act.

"We would hope that the relevant federal authorities would take a look at this," Herrell urged. "They have indicated that they're aware of this study, they're reviewing it. In some cases, California chooses not to wait necessarily for the feds to act, and we can try to act ahead of that."

The Alliance for Automotive Innovation said in a statement, "Automakers are committed to sustainability and include approved flame retardants in all passenger vehicles to meet the flammability standards required by the federal government to reduce...deaths and injuries to motor vehicle occupants caused by vehicle fires."

The study, in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, found the chemicals are released into the air two to five times more often in the summer when the car is hot. It recommended people park in the shade, air out their cars before getting in and avoid using the recirculated air feature in their vehicles.

Herrell noted his group fought to get the government to require furniture manufacturers to phase out similar flame retardants.

"Historically, the auto industry has really lagged behind on safety and consumer protection issues," Herrell asserted. "More often than not, they've been sort of dragged kicking and screaming into the modern age."

The flame retardants at issue do not prevent burning but they slow a fire's progression. Many fires starting inside cars begin with a dropped cigarette, so some experts have suggested the feds update flammability standards with a new anti-smoldering requirement, which could be met without the use of these types of chemicals.


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