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☆ How Shruti Gandhi, a solo venture capitalist with 15 exits in 5 years, went from underestimated to unstoppable
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Melia Russell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Shruti Gandhi has a simple rule for meeting founders: She only takes the meeting if she wants to invest. Being the solo general partner of her firm, the early-stage outfit Array Ventures, also means she can get deals done quickly. Over the past five years, she's returned most of her maiden $7 million fund to limited partners at a net multiple of almost four. For founders, by foundersThe founders Gandhi has backed like working with her because of her technical chops and hands-on approach. We will back you if you raise a fund,'" Gandhi said.

Persons: Shruti Gandhi, Gandhi, Nikhil Teja Kolli, Kolli, she's, wasn't, Dumbledore, Harry Potter, Champ Bennett, Zimperium's Zuk Avraham, Mehul Nariyawala, Google —, Doktor Gurson, Gurson Organizations: Ventures, Business, PayPal, IBM, Columbia University, True Ventures, Samsung, Google, University of Chicago Booth School of Business, Rad Locations: India, Poughkeepsie , New York, She's

☆ Warren Buffett: AI has 'enormous potential for good and enormous potential for harm'
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Ryan Ermey | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

You're unlikely to see Berkshire Hathaway chairman Warren Buffett adding artificial intelligence stocks to his vast portfolio anytime soon. One of AI's applications that stuck out to the legendary investor: its potential utility for fraudsters. "When you think about the potential for scamming people ... if I was interested in investing in scamming, it's gonna be the growth industry of all time and it's enabled, in a way," Buffett said. Buffett would go on to compare the invention of AI to the development of the atomic bomb. Here's what he said.

Persons: Berkshire Hathaway, Warren Buffett, Buffett, it's Organizations: Berkshire Locations: scamming

☆ From 25 years in prison to just four months: Inside the final verdict on a crypto billionaire CEO archrivalry
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-05 | by ( Mackenzie Sigalos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +18 min

Combination showing Former FTX CEO, Sam Bankman-Fried (L) and Zhao Changpeng (R), founder and chief executive officer of Binance. A month earlier, on the opposite coast in downtown Manhattan, FTX's Sam Bankman-Fried received a 25-year prison sentence for his crimes. At the beginning of his trial, SBF sported a fresh haircut and wore suits, but by its end, his curls were wild again. Cryptocurrency exchange Binance founder and CEO Changpeng Zhao speaks at a Binance fifth anniversary event in Paris, France, July 8, 2022. watch nowMoney makes all the differenceUnlike SBF, CZ didn't have his wealth wiped out by bankruptcy of the crypto company he founded.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Zhao Changpeng, Mike Segar, Benjamin Girette, Changpeng Zhao, FTX's Sam Bankman, Fried, Zhao, Binance's Zhao, FTX's, Toyotas, Braden Perry, Perry, Manfred, SBF, Michael Lewis, Lewis, Sam didn't, Amr Alfiky, Sam, Caroline Ellison, —, Zhao's, Yi He, Binance, David Ryder, Yang, Rachel Zhao, Yesha Yadav, Yadav, Mark Bini, Lewis Kaplan, Bankman, Kaplan, perjured, Neama Rahmani, Rahmani, Tre Lovell, Zhao hasn't, Lovell, weren't, FTX Organizations: Reuters, Bloomberg, Getty, Department of Justice, CFTC, Stanford University's, Bankman, CZ, Staff, Reuters Prosecutors, Alameda Research, Vanderbilt University, Wall Street, CNBC, FTX, Emergency Economic, Justice Department, DOJ Locations: Seattle, Manhattan, California, Hong Kong, Bahamas, Palo Alto, U.S, New York City, Alameda, Seattle , Washington, Paris, France, Angeles, Binance, Dubai, Delaware

☆ Taylor Swift fans lose at least $1 million to Eras Tour scams in the UK
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

London CNN —Thousands of Taylor Swift’s UK fans have been duped into buying fake tickets for her upcoming Eras Tour concerts, according to a major British bank. With all UK dates now sold out, desperate fans are more likely to turn to resale sites and social media for tickets. Lloyds said it expects to see “many more fans fall victim to ticket scams in the coming weeks and months,” leading up to the first concert in Edinburgh, Scotland. According to UK Finance, a financial services industry association, Brits lost more than £40 million ($50 million) to “purchase scams,” including sales of fraudulent tickets, in the first half of last year. In November, the bank warned customers over ticket scams relating to Glastonbury, the popular outdoor music festival held annually in England in the summer.

Persons: Taylor Swift’s, —, Swift, ”, you’re, Liz Ziegler, you’ve, nothing’s, they’ve, Kirsty Adams, Taylor Swift Organizations: London CNN, Lloyds Bank, “, Lloyds, Ticketmaster, UK Finance, HSBC, Europe’s, CNN, Barclays, Glastonbury, Olympics Locations: British, Singapore, United States, United Kingdom, Edinburgh, Scotland, Glastonbury, England

☆ Global police agencies take down massive scam website that defrauded thousands of victims
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Seksan Mongkhonkhamsao | Moment | Getty ImagesA huge fraud website used by thousands of criminals to trick people into handing over personal information such as email addresses, passwords and bank details, has been infiltrated by international police. Britain's Metropolitan Police said in a statement Thursday that the website, called LabHost, was used by 2,000 criminals to steal users' personal details. Police have so far identified just under 70,000 individual U.K. victims who entered their details onto a website linked to LabHost. LabHost obtained 480,000 credit card numbers, 64,000 PIN codes, as well as more than 1 million passwords used for websites and other online services, the Metropolitan Police said. The Metropolitan Police said that up to 25,000 victims in the U.K. have been contacted by police to notify them that their data has been compromised.

Persons: LabHost, Dame Lynne Owens, Owens Organizations: Britain's Metropolitan Police, Police, Metropolitan Police, The Metropolitan Police, Metropolitan Police Service, Intel, Microsoft, Shadowserver Foundation, Trend, Cyber Defence Alliance, National Crime Agency, City of London Police

☆ Taylor Swift fans in the UK have been scammed out of $1.2 million, bank says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( Katie Balevic | Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

UK Taylor Swift fans have lost over $1.2 million to Eras Tour ticket scams, Lloyds Bank says. Most of the ticket scams targeted 25- 34-year-olds through fake ads on Facebook. AdvertisementIt looks like it's heating up to be a Cruel Summer — at least for Swifties in the United Kingdom seeking Eras Tour tickets. Fans of Taylor Swift have already been scammed out of over $1.2 million trying to purchase concert tickets, mostly through Facebook, according to Lloyds Bank. "For her legion of dedicated Swifties, the excitement is building ahead of Taylor's Eras Tour finally touching down in the UK this summer.

Persons: Taylor Swift, —, Liz Ziegler, Swift, Alma Galvan Organizations: Lloyds Bank, Facebook, Service, Swifties, United, Lloyds, Ticketmaster, Business, San Francisco Better Business, ABC, BBB, Facebook Marketplace, Paypal Goods, Services Locations: United Kingdom, United States

☆ Roku security breach: 576,000 accounts affected by cyberattack, company says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-12 | by ( John Towfighi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —About 576,000 Roku accounts were compromised in a cyberattack, the company said on Friday, the second security breach for the streaming service this year. The security breach was discovered while Roku monitored account activity after a cyberattack affected 15,000 accounts earlier this year. Credentials used to access Roku accounts were likely from a data breach on a different site, the company said in a statement. User passwords have been automatically reset, and users affected by the security breach will be contacted by Roku, the company said in a statement. Your account security is a top priority, and we are committed to protecting your Roku account,” the company said in a statement.

Persons: Roku, fraudsters, there’s, “ Organizations: CNN

☆ Google says crypto fraudsters are making it look bad
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( Grace Eliza Goodwin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Google is suing two crypto scammers it says threatened the integrity of its platforms. Scammers tricked Google Play into hosting 87 fake crypto apps, conning over 100,000 users, Google says. The lawsuit alleges the fraudsters tricked Google into accepting their apps on its app store, Google Play, by misrepresenting their identity, location, and intent. Advertisement"By using Google Play to conduct their Fraud Scheme, Defendants have threatened the integrity of Google Play and the user experience," the lawsuit states. "Defendant's scheme has thus impaired Google users' confidence and trust in Google, its services, and its platforms."

Persons: Scammers, —, Halimah DeLaine Prado Organizations: Google, Service Locations: New York, Shenzhen, China, Hong Kong

☆ How Sam Bankman-Fried’s Sentence Compares With Other White-Collar Cases
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-28 | by ( David Yaffe-Bellany | More About David Yaffe-Bellany | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Two years in prison for tax and securities violations. The country’s most notorious white-collar fraudsters — like Bernie Madoff and Elizabeth Holmes — have received a range of punishments for their crimes, from relatively short prison terms to effectively a life sentence. On Thursday, Sam Bankman-Fried, the onetime cryptocurrency mogul, joined their ranks, receiving a 25-year sentence for fraud, conspiracy and money laundering. In legal filings, prosecutors cited 13 examples of white-collar prosecutions that involved a loss of more than $100 million. In all but two of those cases, the defendant was sentenced to 40 years or more.

Persons: Bernie Madoff, Elizabeth Holmes —, Sam Bankman, Fried, FTX

☆ Gangs netting up to $3 trillion a year as Southeast Asia human trafficking becomes a global crisis, Interpol says
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-28 | by ( Kathleen Magramo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Human trafficking-fueled fraud is exploding in Southeast Asia with organized crime rings raking in close to $3 trillion in illicit revenue annually, the head of Interpol has said in comments that reveal the huge profits being earned by cartels. One international organized crime group makes $50 billion a year, according to Interpol secretary-general Jurgen Stock, adding that $2 trillion to $3 trillion of illicit money flows through the global financial system annually. While drug trafficking contributes around 40% to 70% of organized crime income, criminal groups are also using those smuggling networks to illegally move humans, arms and stolen products among other things, Stock said. Criminal enterprises also exist in Laos, Thailand and the Philippines, with many of the lucrative online scam operations ranging from illegal gambling, to love scams and crypto fraud. Beijing has pressed Myanmar’s military government to rein in the scam operations, but with limited success.

Persons: Jurgen Stock, Stock, ” Stock, Human Rights Volker Turk Organizations: CNN, Interpol, International Monetary Fund, Covid, ”, “, United Nations, UN, Human Rights, Philippine News Agency Locations: Southeast Asia, Singapore, Asia, United States, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Philippines, China –, Beijing, China, Manila, what’s, Malaysia, Vietnam, Hong Kong

☆ A Chinese takeaway worker who had 61,000 bitcoin worth $1.8 billion seized by police found guilty of money laundering
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-21 | by ( George Glover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

In 2021, police seized 61,000 bitcoin from digital wallets linked to the Chinese takeaway worker. AdvertisementA former Chinese takeaway worker was found guilty of a money laundering offense after police discovered that she'd converted bitcoin worth billions into cash and big-ticket items including jewelry and properties in Dubai. The case unfolded after police seized 61,000 bitcoin from digital wallets linked to Wen in 2021. The crypto haul, which was worth £1.4 billion ($1.8 billion) then and would now be valued at $3.8 billion, the CPS said. AdvertisementWhen challenged, the woman said she'd made the money legitimately through bitcoin mining, and later claimed her employer gave her 3,000 bitcoin then worth about £15 million.

Persons: Jian Wen, Wen, —, Prosecutors, Cash, Jian, CPS Wen, she'd, Andrew Penhale, Adrian Foster Organizations: Service, Southwark Crown, CPS, UK . Police Locations: London, Dubai, Southwark, Leeds, China

☆ Refund fraud schemes promoted on TikTok, Telegram are costing Amazon and other retailers billions of dollars
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Annie Palmer | In Annierpalmer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +14 min

The following month, 10 men were indicted in Oklahoma, charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud for allegedly operating a refund fraud service named Artemis Refund Group. A thriving refund fraud marketFor every refund fraud service shut down by law enforcement, swarms of similar groups remain open for business. CNBC viewed several active refund fraud services on encrypted messaging app Telegram, each with thousands of followers. Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards A Google form from an active refund fraud service explaining which stores it targets and how much it charges customers. Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards A refund fraud service claims to have access to Amazon insiders in a Telegram post.

Persons: Stephanie Keith, Noah Page, Page, he'd, Ralph, —, Rick Owens, Sajed Al, Ralph Lauren, Uber, Maarej, Chris Black, Amazon, Al, they'd, Rekk, Cyril Noel, Tagoe, Noel, Louis Vuitton, scammers, Reddit, Brittany Allen, Allen, Remi Vaughn, Vaughn, she's, David Johnston, Johnston Organizations: Bloomberg, Getty, CNBC, National Retail Federation, Appriss, Amazon, Page, Riverside Press, Medianews, PayPal, Retailers, Artemis, Walmart, Apple, Nike, eBay, Saks Fifth, DoorDash, Google, MacBook, Mail, UPS, U.S . Postal Service, Al, Rekk, Gucci Locations: New York, Chattanooga , Tennessee, Reddit, TikTok, Eastvale, Michigan, Oklahoma, Chattanooga

☆ FTC to send $4.1 million to over 27,000 borrowers defrauded by student loan forgiveness scams
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Kamaron Mcnair | In Kamaronmcnair | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The Federal Trade Commission announced on Wednesday it is refunding $4.1 million to 27,584 consumers who fell victim to student debt forgiveness scams. Fraudsters "tricked students into paying hundreds to thousands of dollars in illegal upfront fees and pretended to lower consumers' monthly student loan payments," the FTC said in a press release. Additionally, the operators claimed to take over the servicing of consumers' loans and thus, often pocketed consumers' monthly payments, the agency said. Scammers lure student loan borrowers by offering ways to lower their monthly payments or even eliminate their balances. Use these tips to avoid losing money to a student loan scammer.

Persons: Fraudsters, it's, scammer Organizations: Federal Trade Commission, Mission Hills Federal, Federal Direct Group, Data Initiative, FTC, Department of Justice

☆ How Fraudsters Break Into Social Security Accounts and Steal Benefits
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-09 | by ( Tara Siegel Bernard | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

For the past two decades, Liz Birenbaum’s 88-year-old mother, Marge, has received her Social Security check on the second Wednesday of each month. When the deposit didn’t arrive in January, they logged into Marge’s Social Security account, where they found some startling clues: the last four digits of a bank account number that didn’t match her own, at a bank they didn’t recognize. (Ms. Birenbaum requested to refer to her mother by her first name only to protect her from future fraud.) Ms. Birenbaum immediately started making calls to set things right. When she finally connected with a Social Security representative from a local office in a Bloomington, Minn., the rep casually mentioned that this happens “all the time.”

Persons: Liz Birenbaum’s, Marge, It’s, ”, Birenbaum Organizations: Social, Citibank, Social Security Locations: Chappaqua, Minnesota, Bloomington, Minn

☆ Spanish police bust alleged Banksy forgery ring
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-08 | by ( Christy Choi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Spanish police said they have shut down an alleged forgery ring selling fake Banksy artworks across the US and Europe for up to 1,500 euros ($1,642) a piece. Investigators seized nine artworks during a raid of an apartment in the city of Zaragoza, northern Spain, according to Catalan police. Video Ad Feedback Related video: Banksy shares behind-the-scenes video from Ukraine 00:58 - Source: CNNPolice said they have charged four people with fraud and intellectual property offenses. Investigators said Banksy’s Pest Control organization, the only body able to officially authenticate the artist’s work, has confirmed that pieces linked to the Zaragoza workshop are fake, as are the accompanying certificates. Police became suspicious after noticing that many similar works had become available on the market, the statement added.

Persons: Banksy, ” Organizations: CNN, police, Historical Heritage Unit, CNN Police, Pest Control Locations: Europe, Zaragoza, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, United States, United Kingdom, Ukraine, Pest, British, Bristol, —

A general view of the Baker Library/Bloomberg Center on February 17, 2024, at Harvard Business School in Allston, MA. A Harvard Business School graduate tricked his fellow alumni and associates into investing at least $2.9 million in a Ponzi scheme he ran, New York Attorney General Letitia James said Thursday. Artamonov allegedly lured at least 29 investors into the scheme, most of whom he met through his connections to the elite college, the attorney general said. "Vladimir Artamonov used his alumnus status from Harvard Business School to prey on his classmates and others while seeming legitimate and dependable. Harvard Business School did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Persons: Letitia James, James, Vladimir Artamonov, Berkshire Hathaway, Artamonov, Artamonov's, fraudsters Organizations: Baker Library, Bloomberg Center, Harvard Business School, New York, Finance Locations: Allston , MA, Berkshire, Manhattan

☆ AI is Uncle Sam’s new secret weapon to fight fraud
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Starting around late 2022, the Treasury Department began using enhanced fraud-detection methods powered by AI to spot fraud, CNN has learned. Treasury’s AI-powered fraud detection recovered $375 million in fiscal 2023 alone, Treasury officials tell CNN, marking the first time Treasury is publicly acknowledging it is using AI to detect fraud. Instead, Treasury officials say the type of AI they are using falls more into the bucket of machine learning and Big Data. The goal is to move with such speed that anomalies are flagged and banks are alerted before fraudulent checks are ever cashed, Treasury officials said. Catching fraud in millisecondsAmiram Shachar, co-founder and CEO of cloud security startup Upwind, told CNN the federal government should “absolutely” use AI to detect fraud.

Persons: Sam, Sam’s, Fraudsters, Wally Adeyemo, ”, ” Shachar, Steph Curry Organizations: New, New York CNN, Treasury Department, CNN, Treasury, Data, Washington, Office, Business Administration, Social, Internal Revenue Service, IRS, Google, Facebook, Penny Jar, NBA, Mastercard Locations: New York, Banks, Washington, Hong Kong

A New York judge on Friday ordered former President Donald Trump to pay $364 million in damages for fraud he committed by inflating his net worth to obtain favorable treatment from banks and insurers. The blistering 92-page ruling from Judge Arthur Engoron was replete with references to the brazen nature of the misdeeds of Trump, his adult sons and his business organization. Here are nine key quotes from Engoron’s ruling. The frauds found here leap off the page and shock the conscience.”On the reaction of Trump and his adult sons:“Their complete lack of contrition and remorse borders on pathological. Donald Trump is not Bernard Madoff.

Persons: Donald Trump, Judge Arthur Engoron, Trump, Justice Potter Stewart, ”, “, Bernard Madoff, ’, “ Donald Trump, Trump’s, Ivanka Trump, Rosemary, ” Ivanka Trump, fraudsters, Eli Bartov’s, Bartov, “ John Shubin, Mr, Shubin, Robert Unell, Unell, Birney, Donald Trump’s, Whitley Penn, Donald Bender, Mazars, Allen Weisselberg doesn’t, Allen, Weisselberg Organizations: United States Supreme, Trump Organization, ”, Trump, Deutsche, OAG, trifles, Allen Weisselberg’s Locations: York, ”, New York, ’

☆ How to avoid the top scam of 2023: The internet has 'really supercharged' it, expert says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Vasily Pindyurin | fStop | Getty ImagesConsumers lost a record $10 billion to fraud in 2023, and imposter scams were the most prevalent swindle, according to the Federal Trade Commission. Nearly 854,000 people filed complaints to the FTC about imposter scams in 2023. Consumers lost $2.7 billion to such scams in 2023, according to FTC data. In addition to financial loss, "we know fraud causes significant emotional and psychological harm," he added. Fraud victims lost $1.9 billion and $1.4 billion via these payment channels, respectively, in 2023.

Persons: Vasily Pindyurin, Hardeep Rai, Rai, —, fraudsters, Breyault Organizations: fStop, Getty, Federal Trade Commission, Consumers, FBI

☆ Investors in Airbnb arbitrage business allege they were defrauded in scheme promising 'higher returns than the stock market'
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-11 | by ( Rohan Goswami Annie Palmer | Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +18 min

Airbnb told CNBC that business practices such as Agyeman's aren't permitted. Airbnb told CNBC it had no business relationship with Agyeman and had taken action to curtail his operations. Carr and other HFA investors told CNBC their frustrations were dismissed or met with legal threats. To get around Airbnb's rules, HFA instructed its investors to list their own homes, a former employee and two investors told CNBC. Airbnb told CNBC that it was rolling out a more robust verification process in the U.S. and elsewhere beginning as early as 2024.

Persons: Elham Ataeiazar Daryn Carr, Carr, Anthony Agyeman, Agyeman, HFA, they've, Agyeman haven't, Airbnb, Brian Chesky, Brendan McDermid, Reuters Carr, Thomas Hunker, Hunker, Wessel Botes, Megan Shears, Shears, It's, Kathy, she'd, copywriters, couldn't, who'd, Collin Ballard, Collin Ballard Ballard, Ballard, lister, HFA's, Agyeman's Wealthway, Wealthway, David Levine, he's, Levine, Levine didn't Organizations: Federal Trade Commission, Department of Justice, Justice Department, FTC, CNBC, Inc, New York Stock Exchange, Reuters, Agyeman, Investors, Google, HFA, MGM, Dallas, North Locations: hustles, Covid, New York City, New York, Airbnb, HFA, Texas, Instagram, Fort Myers, Sanibel, Las Vegas, Dallas, U.S, Agyeman, Florida, North America, Botes

☆ FCC votes to outlaw scam robocalls that use AI-generated voices
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The unanimous FCC vote extends anti-robocall rules to cover unsolicited AI deepfake calls by recognizing those voices as “artificial” under a federal law governing telemarketing and robocalling. The FCC’s move gives state attorneys general more legal tools to pursue illegal robocallers that use AI-generated voices to fool Americans, the FCC said. “Bad actors are using AI-generated voices in unsolicited robocalls to extort vulnerable family members, imitate celebrities, and misinform voters,” said FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel in a statement. In 2021, the FCC announced a $5 million proposed fine against right-wing operatives Jacob Wohl and Jack Burkman for allegedly using illegal robocalls to discourage voting in the 2020 election. As the FCC updates its interpretation of federal law, some US lawmakers have proposed revising the law directly to further deter illegal robocallers.

Persons: “, ”, Jessica Rosenworcel, “ We’re, Joe Biden, robocalls, Jacob Wohl, Jack Burkman, Andrew Schwartzman Organizations: Washington CNN, Federal Communications Commission, FCC, Protection, New, Authorities, YouMail, House Democrats, Benton Institute for Broadband & Society, ” Locations: New Hampshire, Texas

☆ AI-generated voices in robocalls can deceive voters. The FCC just made them illegal
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) logo is seen before the FCC Net Neutrality hearing in Washington February 26, 2015. The Federal Communications Commission on Thursday outlawed robocalls that contain voices generated by artificial intelligence, a decision that sends a clear message that exploiting the technology to scam people and mislead voters won't be tolerated. The unanimous ruling targets robocalls made with AI voice-cloning tools under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, a 1991 law restricting junk calls that use artificial and prerecorded voice messages. Effective immediately, the regulation empowers the FCC to fine companies that use AI voices in their calls or block the service providers that carry them. "Bad actors are using AI-generated voices in unsolicited robocalls to extort vulnerable family members, imitate celebrities, and misinform voters," FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said in a news release.

Persons: robocalls, Joe Biden's, Jessica Rosenworcel Organizations: Federal Communications Commission, FCC, Telephone Consumer Protection Locations: Washington, New Hampshire

The Federal Communications Commission on Thursday outlawed robocalls that contain voices generated by artificial intelligence, a decision that sends a clear message that exploiting the technology to scam people and mislead voters won’t be tolerated. The announcement comes as New Hampshire authorities are advancing their investigation into AI-generated robocalls that mimicked President Joe Biden’s voice to discourage people from voting in the state's first-in-the-nation primary last month. Effective immediately, the regulation empowers the FCC to fine companies that use AI voices in their calls or block the service providers that carry them. “Bad actors are using AI-generated voices in unsolicited robocalls to extort vulnerable family members, imitate celebrities, and misinform voters,” FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said in a news release. “We’re putting the fraudsters behind these robocalls on notice.”Photos You Should See View All 15 Images

Persons: robocalls, Joe Biden’s, Jessica Rosenworcel, “ We’re Organizations: Federal Communications Commission, Telephone Consumer Protection, FCC, “ Locations: New Hampshire

☆ Finance worker pays out $25 million after video call with deepfake ‘chief financial officer’
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-04 | by ( Heather Chen | Kathleen Magramo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —A finance worker at a multinational firm was tricked into paying out $25 million to fraudsters using deepfake technology to pose as the company’s chief financial officer in a video conference call, according to Hong Kong police. Chan said the worker had grown suspicious after he received a message that was purportedly from the company’s UK-based chief financial officer. Dale De La Rey / AFPBelieving everyone else on the call was real, the worker agreed to remit a total of $200 million Hong Kong dollars – about $25.6 million, the police officer added. At the press briefing Friday, Hong Kong police said they had made six arrests in connection with such scams. Authorities across the world are growing increasingly concerned at the sophistication of deepfake technology and the nefarious uses it can be put to.

Persons: “, Baron Chan Shun, Chan, Hong, Dale De La, deepfakes, Taylor Swift Organizations: CNN, Hong, RTHK Locations: Hong Kong, Dale De La Rey, AFP, American

☆ Premarket stocks: Blue chips are crumbling. Here’s why
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

New York CNN —Blue chip stocks have long been synonymous with stability and reliability. Named for the most valuable poker chips, these stocks supposedly represent the crème de la crème of the corporate world, companies like Disney, General Motors and Verizon. Known for their strong financial foundations, longevity, and a healthy flow of dividends, blue chip stocks have long been the go-to for investors seeking steady returns. Their values have surged so high that they’ve been buoying the broader market even as many blue chips have struggled. The problem is that despite being included in blue chip ETF indexes, companies like Nvidia and Tesla aren’t truly blue chip stocks, George Pearkes, an analyst at Bespoke, told CNN.

Persons: Tesla, ”, Henry Allen, George Pearkes, Mark Zuckerberg, Zuckerberg, Linda Yaccarino, Evan Spiegel, Jason Citron, Read, Brian Fung, Joe Biden, Frank Pallone Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, New York CNN, Disney, General Motors, Verizon, Nvidia, Apple, Microsoft, Meta, Investment, Nasdaq, Big Tech, Deutsche Bank, Tesla, Target, Pfizer, Nike, Charter Communications, CNN, Tech, —, House Democrats, New, New Hampshire voters, YouMail, House Energy, Commerce Locations: New York, DC, —, New Hampshire

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