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☆ How a romance scammer defrauded 3 Tinder dates out of over $100,000
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Marta Biino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

AdvertisementThe victims of a romance scammer who defrauded women he met on Tinder out of over $100,000 have spoken out about being targeted. Peter Gray, 35, from Yorkshire, UK, found his victims on Tinder and won their trust, BBC News reported. Romance scams have boomed since the onset of the pandemic, with Americans losing over $1.3 billion to the practice in 2022, up 164% from 2019, Business Insider previously reported. In the UK, over £92 million (about $115 million) was lost to romance scams in the same year, according to data from the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau. AdvertisementGray used information from driving licenses to scam Tinder dates"It was shocking," a sister of one of Gray's victims told BBC News.

Persons: Peter Gray, —, Gray, Jessica, Hannah, Elizabeth, Tinder Organizations: Service, BBC News, Business, Federal Trade Commission, National Fraud Intelligence, BBC Locations: Yorkshire

☆ Here's the 'true solution' to the problem of audio deepfakes, according to the CEO of ElevenLabs
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-05 | by ( Lakshmi Varanasi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

AI voice tech company ElevenLabs is grappling with deepfakes. AdvertisementCompanies at the forefront of AI voice technology are grappling with how to regulate deepfakes without stifling innovation. And last year 4chan users exploited the tool from ElevenLabs to generate deepfakes of celebrities spewing racist and transphobic content, according to Vice . AdvertisementNew York Mayor Eric Adams has been making robocalls in Mandarin, Yiddish, and Haitian Creole with ElevenLabs technology and said he's been able to reach more of the city's non-English speaking residents. ElevenLabs has signed an accord with several other AI companies, including OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and Meta to combat deepfakes in the 2024 election.

Persons: —, Mati Staniszewski, scammers, Bruce Reed, ElevenLabs, Eric Adams, he's, Staniszweski, Staniszewski Organizations: Service, Google, Business Locations: Haitian

☆ Bitcoin trader loses almost $70 million after sending crypto to wrong online account address
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-05 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewA cryptocurrency trader reportedly lost tens of millions of dollars in a so-called "address poisoning" scam. Because blockchains are public, it's easy for scammers to find people's crypto addresses and send out spoof transactions to phish for victims. Related storiesTrezor, another crypto trading platform, recommends double-checking every address before sending a transaction and never copying an address from transaction history when transferring funds to avoid address scams. Sending a small test transaction before making a large transfer is also an effective method of verifying the address, the company says. One study showed that crypto "pig butchering" scams cost investors $75 million from 2020 to 2024.

Persons: — Organizations: Service, Business, Federal Trade Commission, FTC Locations: Bitcoin, scammers

☆ How Scammers Are Stealing Food Stamps From Struggling Americans
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-04 | by ( Jessica Fu | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Ms. Kirks, 70, knew that she had saved up a sizable sum in monthly benefits from the federal food assistance program, also known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. To eat, she would buy food through a state program that permitted adults 60 and older, people with disabilities and homeless people to buy discount meals using their food stamps. But the cashier at Albertsons was adamant: Ms. Kirks had only $6 in her account. She immediately called the state agency that oversaw food benefits. The criminals then use the information to create fake payment cards and steal money from victims’ accounts.

Persons: Jackie Kirks’s, Kirks, ”, creamer Organizations: Albertsons, Assistance, SNAP Locations: Long Beach, Calif

☆ Warren Buffett says AI scamming will be the next big 'growth industry'
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-04 | by ( Pia Singh | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Warren Buffett isn't jumping on the artificial intelligence bandwagon just yet, warning about the technology's potential for harm. "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" by AI, Buffett said at Berkshire Hathaway's annual shareholder meeting on Saturday. Buffett pointed to the technology's ability to reproduce realistic and misleading content in an effort to send money to bad actors. "Obviously, AI has potential for good things too, but ... I do think, as someone who doesn't understand a damn thing about it, it has enormous potential for good and enormous potential for harm — and I just don't know how that plays out," Buffett added.

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

☆ China has a 'fake gold' problem — locals are getting scammed into buying artificial jewelry
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( Lee Ying Shan | In Ying-Shan-Lee | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Gold bracelets at a gold jewelry store in the Zhejiang Province of China. Thousands of people in China have been duped into forking out money on "fake gold" — inferior or artificial gold — after trying to purchase so-called "999 gold" online, according to the government. The purest form of gold is commonly referred to as 999 gold, because it has gold content of 99.9%. "Fake gold is becoming a major problem in China as more Chinese are looking to put their savings into gold," said China Market Research Group's Managing Director Shaun Rein. Fake gold gets darker or reveals a greenish color when placed under flame, while pure gold turns brighter on exposure to heat.

Persons: Shaun Rein, Nikos Kavalis, Rein, Taobao, Pinduoduo Organizations: Visual China, Getty, Research, India, World Gold, Metals, ChinaFotoPress Locations: Zhejiang Province, China, scammers, Nantong

☆ College students desperate for jobs are getting scammed online by criminals posing as tech recruiters
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Camilo Fonseca | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

College students are increasingly targeted by job recruitment scammers, the FTC warned. Scammers use fake listings and pose as recruiters to steal money and identities. NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. But they can also target a college student's identity or bank information. AdvertisementThe Wall Street Journal recently interviewed students who had encountered scammers during their job hunts.

Persons: —, scammers, Murray Organizations: FTC, Service, Street, Microsoft, Murray Resources Locations: Houston

☆ EU investigates Meta over fears of election interference and foreign disinformation
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Officials said the investigation highlights apparent violations of Europe’s signature law governing online platforms, the Digital Services Act. They added that Meta’s tools for users to report illegal content don’t appear to align with the DSA’s requirements, either. The investigation comes after Meta submitted required materials to the European Commission last fall outlining how it manages perceived risks linked to its products. Without it, the European Commission said, users and researchers will have less visibility into what is happening on Meta services and could have a harder time detecting foreign election interference. “We look forward to continuing our cooperation with the European Commission and providing them with further details of this work.”

Persons: Meta, CrowdTangle, “, ” Organizations: CNN — European Union, European Commission, Officials, Digital Services, European, Facebook

☆ Match Group CEO says he has empathy for victims of romance scams but 'things happen in life'
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Romance scams typically targeting baby boomers and older generations are becoming increasingly popular on dating apps and websites, according to the Federal Trade Commission. Just last year, the FBI's Internet Crime Report estimated that Americans lost more than $650 million to romance scams. Bernard Kim, CEO of Match Group, spoke with CBS News on the growing threat of online romance scams carried out by people overseas. Match Group — which owns Match.com and Tinder — is the largest online dating company in the United States. Match Group did not immediately return a request for comment from Business Insider.

Persons: —, Bernard Kim, Kim, Grady Judd, Judd Organizations: Service, Federal Trade Commission, Business, FTC, Match, CBS News, CBS, Match Group Locations: United States, Polk County, Florida

☆ Scammers stole more than $400,000 from a woman through an elaborate Publisher's Clearing House sweepstakes scam: police
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-27 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Scammers reportedly tricked a woman into believing she won $3 million, then stole $400,000 from her. AdvertisementScammers in Florida tricked a woman into thinking she won $3 million, then stole $400,000 from her bank account. AdvertisementDuring Friday's press conference, Judd said the scammers targeted an elderly woman with early signs of dementia. They told her she won $3 million in a Publisher's Clearing House sweepstakes, and that she needed to pay them taxes, Judd said. The Federal Trade Commission says the best way to spot a sweepstakes scam is to look at what the party offering the money asks you to do next.

Persons: Scammers, —, Michael Lawrence, Max Richards, Grady Judd, Lawrence, Richards, Judd, Polk Organizations: FTC, Service, Fox, Federal Trade Commission Locations: Florida, Polk County, Polk

☆ A high school employee was arrested after a deepfake AI recording imitating the school's principal making racist and antisemitic comments circulated online
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-26 | by ( Alexandra Bacon | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A high school athletics director was arrested after a deepfake of the school's principal was shared online. The deepfake recording imitated Eric Eiswert making racist and antisemitic remarks. AdvertisementA Maryland high school athletics director, Dazhon Darien, has been arrested and charged with stalking and theft after an AI deepfake audio recording of the school's principal, which included racist remarks, was shared online. AI deepfakes are a growing concernPolice used forensic analysis to determine that the recording was made using AI. There are also fears that AI deepfakes could threaten free and fair elections as it becomes easier for people to spread misinformation.

Persons: Eric Eiswert, —, Dazhon, Eiswert, It's, Johnny Olszewski, Joe Biden, White Organizations: Service, Pikesville, School, New York Times, Pikesville High, Police, Authorities, FBI Locations: Maryland, Dazhon Darien, Baltimore, Darien, Hong Kong, New Hampshire

☆ US soldier at Fort Bragg sentenced for running romance scam
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-21 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A federal judge sentenced a former Army service member to prison for running a romance scam. Romance scams cost Americans $1.3 billion in 2022. AdvertisementA US soldier will spend more than three years in federal prison for a romance scam in which police say he impersonated military officials. Before his arrest, Frimpong was an active-duty Army service member stationed at Fort Bragg, the department said. "The fact that an Army service member was involved in romance scams while serving as a soldier is appalling."

Persons: —, Sanda G, Frimpong, Kate Kleinert, Kleinart, Tom Tanner, Michael Easley Organizations: Army, Service, Department of Justice, Federal Trade Commission, Yahoo, Wired, Social Security, Justice Department, Business Locations: Fort, United States, Nigeria

☆ Romance scammers are now building trust with AI-generated deepfakes. Here's how to spot them.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-20 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

It might be because he's a romance scammer called a "Yahoo Boy" who wants to steal your life savings. Once gaining the victims' trust, the scammers use a pretense to solicit money, like the need to pay an emergency medical expense. Last year alone, the FBI's Internet Crime Report estimated that Americans lost more than $650 million to romance scams. Kate Kleinert, a 69-year-old widow, previously told BI that she lost $39,000 to an online romance scam. Over the last two years, the Yahoo Boys started experimenting with deepfake video clips and video calls, according to Wired.

Persons: —, Kate Kleinert, Kleinart, David Maimon, Trina Higgins, Higgins, haven't Organizations: Service, Yahoo, Yahoo Boys, Department of Justice, Business, Federal Trade Commission, Social Security, Wired, Georgia State University, CNN, Nigerian, Prosecutors, Justice Department Locations: Nigeria, Hong Kong, Salt Lake City, Utah

☆ 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

CNN —Donald Trump’s campaign is asking Republican candidates and committees using the former president’s name and likeness to fundraise to give at least 5% of what they raise to the campaign, according to a letter obtained by CNN. The letter also included guidelines for Republican candidates and committees when they are using Trump’s name and likeness while fundraising and asked them to avoid “speaking on behalf of” Trump, “creating memberships, clubs, or rewards that are not authorized by the campaign,” “impersonating President Trump or his campaign,” and mentioning Trump’s family without their consent or the consent of the campaign. “It is important to protect small dollar donors from scammers that use the president’s name and likeness,” Trump campaign spokesperson Danielle Alvarez said in a statement. In 2021, his team sent cease-and-desist letters to the RNC and the party’s congressional fundraising arms, asking them to stop using his name and image in their fundraising appeals. Since becoming his party’s presumptive nominee, Trump has launched a takeover of the RNC and now is raising money jointly with the national party.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, fundraise, Susie Wiles, Chris LaCivita, Trump’s, … ” Wiles, LaCivita, Joe Biden’s, ” Trump, ” “, Trump, Danielle Alvarez Organizations: CNN, Republican, Trump National Committee, Republican National Committee, Politico, RNC Locations: Trump’s, York

☆ 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

☆ Online Dating After 50 Can Be Miserable. But It’s Also Liberating.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( Maggie Jones | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Online dating is a mixed bag for most people — queer, hetero, nonbinary. That includes profiles that are fake, created by scammers to try to lure private information from users. As tough as the process can be, older women have it worse than most. They report more negative online-dating experiences compared with men of all ages and younger women, according to a Pew Center for Research study. The pool of men narrows with time: Men’s life expectancy is seven years shorter than women’s.

Persons: scammers, ” “ Organizations: Pew Center for Research Locations: nonbinary . Plenty

☆ Herb Diamond and John Ring met on a dating site. Despite their 43-year age gap, they fell in love, and now, they're the Diamond-Rings.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-13 | by ( Gary Nunn | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Herb and John Diamond-Ring are married, and have a 43-year age difference. AdvertisementGiven their 43-year age gap, Herb and John Diamond-Ring face up to misconceptions about the nature of their relationship with good humor. Herb and John Diamond-Ring both enjoy sports. Courtesy Herb and John Diamond-RingThey met on a dating siteThe pair met on the dating site SilverDaddies.com in 2011 when Herb was living in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and John was living in Ireland. Herb first met John in person at Florida's Fort Lauderdale airport with flowers.

Persons: Herb, John Diamond, —, John, They'd, John said, who's, He's, He'd, it's, they've Organizations: Service, Manchester United Locations: Fort Lauderdale , Florida, Ireland, America, Fort Lauderdale

☆ WhatsApp lowers minimum age in Europe to 13
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-12 | by ( Anna Cooban | Eve Brennan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

London CNN —Social media giant Meta has lowered the minimum age required to use WhatsApp in Europe to 13 from 16, sparking criticism from children’s rights advocates. The new minimum age of 13 was also announced for users in the United Kingdom in February. Vicky Ford, a UK lawmaker from the ruling Conservative Party and member of a key government committee on education, called the decision to lower the minimum age without speaking to parents first “irresponsible,” PA Media reported. Meta under fireMeta has been roundly criticized in the past for its push to lower age restrictions across platforms in the United States. Last year, the company said it was planning to reduce the minimum age for its virtual reality app from 13 to 10 years old, despite pressure from US lawmakers not to market such services to younger users.

Persons: —, ”, Daisy Greenwell, “, Vicky Ford, Mark Zuckerberg, Zuckerberg, Europe — Meta Organizations: London CNN — Social, Conservative Party, Media, CNN, European Commission, Meta, Facebook, Europe — Locations: Europe, United Kingdom, United States

☆ Big donation to Rudy Giuliani defense fund is target of lawsuit alleging fraud by donor
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-11 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

There is no public evidence that Giuliani and Martorano know each other. Giuliani spokesman Ted Goodman, in an email to CNBC, said "This is a lawsuit unrelated to us." CNBC requested comment from lawyers for Martorano, his wife, and the other defendants in both the Georgia lawsuit and a federal civil racketeering and fraud lawsuit in California related to the alleged skincare cream scam. In her ruling, the judge wrote that the plaintiff "has shown by a preponderance of the evidence that Konnektive Defendants deceived banks and credit card companies." "The Konnektive software was designed specifically for the purpose of facilitating automated bank fraud," according to the federal suit.

Persons: Rudy Giuliani, Bonnie Cash, Rudy Giuliani's, Matthew Martorano, Giuliani, Donald Trump, Trump, —, Martorano, Kevin Kneupper, LeAnne Tan, Ted Goodman, Kathryn Martorano, Konnektive, Kneupper, San Diego judge's, Don Emmert Organizations: New York, U.S, Reuters, New York City, CNBC, La, Visa, Mastercard, Fulton County Superior Court, San Diego, Federal, New, Trump National Golf, AFP, Getty, Trump Save America, Save, Commission Locations: Washington , U.S, Georgia, Martorano, Fulton County, California, San Diego, San, New York, Bedminster , New Jersey

☆ Instagram to crack down on teen sextortion
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-11 | by ( Samantha Murphy Kelly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The company announced on Thursday it is testing new features to curb an alarming trend called financial sextortion, which often targets kids and teenagers. Once the nude images are sent, the scammers claim they’ll post them online, either on public websites or on newsfeeds where their friends will see, unless the victims send money or gift cards. In the upcoming weeks and among a subset of users, Instagram said it will roll out various new features, such as blurring nude images sent in direct messages and informing users when they’ve interacted with someone who engaged in financial sextortion. But the FBI recently said it has seen an increase in financial sextortion cases from strangers, often started by scammers overseas. Meta said it is also working on ways to identify accounts that may be engaging in sextortion scams by detecting and monitoring likely sextortion behavior.

Persons: Instagram, they’ve, ” Antigone Davis, “ It’s, sextortion, Meta, Meta Meta, ” Davis, “, ” Organizations: CNN, FBI, National Center for, Meta, Tech Coalition

☆ Cash App: Safety Features to Help Protect You From Scams
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-11 | by ( Business Insider | Cash App | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Popular payment app scamsAccording to Cash App, some of the most common payment app scams include:Giveaways — Look out for giveaways that require you to complete a "test transaction" on a mobile payment app, especially using hashtags like #cashappgiveaway and #cashappfriday. Based on the specifics, they along with Cash App can advise you on what to do next. Don't forget, payments on Cash App are immediate and you should use caution when sending payments to individuals that you don't know. Can you reverse a Cash App payment you've already made? If your Cash App payment has already been completed, it can't be reversed.

Persons: it's, Cash, you've Organizations: Paypal, Security, Federal Trade Commission

☆ Google sues crypto scammers for allegedly uploading fake apps to Android app store
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( Talia Kaplan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Google filed a lawsuit on Thursday against a group of crypto scammers, alleging they defrauded more than 100,000 people across the globe by uploading fraudulent investment and crypto exchange apps to Google Play. Google says it's the first tech company to take action against crypto scammers, and is doing so as a way to set a legal precedent to establish protections for users. The lawsuit claims the defendants made "multiple misrepresentations to Google in order to upload their fraudulent apps to Google Play, including but not limited to misrepresentations about their identity, location, and the type and nature of the application being uploaded." Sun, Cheung and their agents designed the apps to appear legitimate, showing users that they were maintaining balances on the app and earning returns on their investments, the lawsuit said. However, users couldn't withdraw their investments or purported gains.

Persons: Halimah DeLaine Prado, Sun, Alphonse Sun, Hongnam Cheung, Zhang Hongnim, Stanford Fischer, Cheung, couldn't Organizations: Google, CNBC Crypto, of Locations: Southern, of New York, U.S, Canada

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailBitcoin rises for a second day, and Ripple plans dollar-backed stablecoin: CNBC Crypto WorldCNBC Crypto World features the latest news and daily trading updates from the digital currency markets and provides viewers with a look at what's ahead with high-profile interviews, explainers, and unique stories from the ever-changing crypto industry. On today's show, in an exclusive on-camera interview, Halimah DeLaine Prado, general counsel at Google, discusses the tech company's lawsuit against crypto scammers for allegedly uploading fake apps to the Android app store.

Persons: explainers, Halimah DeLaine Prado Organizations: CNBC Crypto, CNBC, Google

☆ 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

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