Top related persons:
Top related locs:
Top related orgs:

Search resuls for: "scammers"


25 mentions found


Ridvan_celik | E+ | Getty ImagesEmployment scams surged last year, as criminals leveraged artificial intelligence to steal money and personal information from unsuspecting job seekers, experts said. Consumer reports of job scams jumped 118% in 2023 from the prior year, according to a recent report by the Identity Theft Resource Center. How job scams can rip you offCon artists will "push you for money" during the hiring process, the FTC said. Job seekers should not expect to have to hand over personal information until after they've received and accepted a job offer, Velasquez said. How to protect yourself from job scams
Persons: ITRC, Eva Velasquez, Velasquez, Con, Robert Rodriguez, they've Organizations: Getty, Theft Resource Center, Social, Federal Trade Commission, FTC, Google, Craigslist, Facebook, Finance, New York
Insider Today: Scammers on the loose
  + stars: | 2024-07-06 | by ( Joi-Marie Mckenzie | ) www.businessinsider.com   time to read: +6 min
download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. But first: Scammers are on the loose. AdvertisementThe FBI said last year thousands of people lost $350 million to real-estate scams in 2021, an increase of 64% from 2020. In fact, BI has been reporting on scams and how they can wreck one's financial life and sanity for years. AdvertisementMore of this week's top reads:The Insider Today team: Joi-Marie McKenzie, editor in chief of life, in New York.
Persons: , Tyler Le, Daniel Pietschnig, Alcynna Lloyd, they'd, Monica Humphries, it's, Max Nieuwdorp, Chelsea Jia Feng, Mark Von Holden, Rebecca Zisser, Kevin Costner's, Kevin Costner, Costner, Stefano Secchi, Axel F, Eddie Murphy, Axel Foley, Sam Taylor, Amy Winehouse, Dyson, Joi, Marie McKenzie, Jordan Parker Erb, Dan DeFrancesco, Lisa Ryan, Amanda Yen Organizations: Service, Rome, Business, FBI, Research, Warner Bros, Variety, Images, Netflix Locations: Italian, New York, New York City
Somehow a hacker got into her email account, and then was able to get all of our transaction information. But we got a call from our real attorney, and they said, "Hey, your down payment is due today." I called the seller's attorney, and he explained that the email account was not his, and the bank account wasn't either. AdvertisementWe found out the only real email address in the thread was our real-estate agent's, but she wasn't the one communicating with us. She told us via text message that her email account must have been hacked — that it was her email address, but she didn't write it.
Persons: , Daniel Pietschnig, Jessica Madalena, Daniel, Jessica, Jessica's, scammers, We'll, they'd, we've, we're, — we're Organizations: Service, Business, Social Security, FBI, Bitcoin Locations: Wood, , New Jersey, Jersey City, Newark, homebuyers
Courtesy: Magnolia PicturesScammers exploit 'fear and urgency'Scams like the one Thelma fell victim to are increasingly common, experts say. Typically, AI voice scams mimic distress calls. The common denominator is that it's coming from someone you care about who needs money "fast." A 2023 survey from McAfee found that 25% of adults have experienced a similar AI voice scam — and the company says 77% of victims have lost money as a result. But older adults aren't the only ones at risk; younger people who spend more time online are increasingly vulnerable, CFP Andrew Sivertsen said.
Persons: THELMA, Thelma, Carolyn McClanahan, McAfee, McClanahan, CFP Andrew Sivertsen, millennials, Margolin Organizations: Magnolia Pictures, McAfee, Partners, CNBC's, CFP, Planning Locations: Jacksonville , Florida, United States, Moline , Illinois
It's a big enough issue that federal agencies like the FBI and Federal Trade Commission have issued warnings about job scams. Then, they may ask you to send them money or personal information, according to Amanda Augustine, a career expert at TopResume. Some companies make executive-level job openings confidential to high-profile applicants at first, but they will begin disclosing more details about the role as the interview process gets underway. For job openings that have no reason being kept so tightly under wraps, a formal job description should be handed over upon request, Augustine explains. "If there's absolutely no digital trail about this company, or it's really, really sparse when you're running some Google searches, I would be concerned."
Persons: Amanda Augustine, there's, Phoebe Gavin, Augustine, Oscar Rodriguez, it's, Gavin Organizations: FBI, Federal Trade Commission, LinkedIn, Google
The company on Tuesday announced a set of new safety features, including expanded warning pop-ups that appear when a teen receives a message from someone they don’t share mutual friends with or have in their contacts. And Snapchat will now prevent the delivery of friend requests for teens to or from an account that they don’t share mutual friends with that is also located in regions often associated with scammers. Meta in April also announced new features aimed at combating sextortion, including informing users when they’ve interacted with someone who engaged in financial sextortion. Now, when a user blocks another account, any new accounts created on the same device will also automatically be blocked. The updates build on Snapchat’s existing teen safety features, which include a “Family Center” where parents can supervise the behavior of 13- to 17-year-old users, and mechanisms for removing age-inappropriate content.
Persons: New York CNN —, aren’t, ” Snapchat, Jacqueline Beauchere, sextortion, they’ve Organizations: New, New York CNN, CNN, Meta, Prevention Locations: New York
Experts say rental properties, vacation homes and homes where the owners are deceased can be targets of home title theft. Here are some ways to protect yourself:What is home title fraud? Home title fraud occurs when scammers impersonate homeowners to refinance or sell a victim’s property and pocket the money. In an email associated with Naussany Investments to CNN, a self-proclaimed scammer claimed responsibility for the attempted home title fraud. A standard American Land Title Association (ALTA) homeowner’s policy of title insurance covers home title forgery and impersonation.
Persons: scammers, Elvis Presley’s, David Fleck, , , ” Fleck, “ It’s, Lisa Marie Presley, Elvis, Priscilla Presley, Riley Keough, Naussany, Florida notary’s, Jonathan Skrmetti, scammer, I’ve, Jeremy Miller, ” Miller, Fleck, ALTA’s, Miller Organizations: CNN, Naussany, Naussany Investments, New York Times, Times, Allstate, Consumer Financial Locations: Memphis, Tennessee, Los Angeles, Graceland, Florida, Nigeria, California, Georgia
In early March, Dennis’ children scheduled a meeting to help their father get back on his feet after the scam. Matt and Adrienne lost their father Dennis to suicide in March after he fell victim to a cryptocurrency investment scam. Hard to believe I’m falling for a man I have never seen or spoken to,” Carina told him just a few weeks in. Carina, scam victimCarina didn’t tell her family about what had happened and the stress she was under until the very final moment. After months of hiding it, Carina told her family, who suggested she speak to Kraken directly.
Persons: Matt, , Adrienne’s, Dennis Jones, Jessie, , Dennis, Dennis ’, Adrienne, ” Matt, Chris Turner, Amanda Swinhart, they’ve, Erin West, “ I’ve, I’ve, Erin, “ We’ve, Shawn Bradstreet, Jim Castel, Bradstreet, Bumble, GASO, that’s, Tom Booth Rakesh, Rakesh, “ Klara Semonov, Tawee Sodsong, Tom Booth Pachara, Jeff Rosen, ’ Carina, “ Evan ”, Carina, WhatsApp, ” Carina, Evan Van ”, CNN Evan, Evan, consoling, Jim Castel ‘, ” Dennis messaged, ” Adrienne, Carina didn’t, “ It’s, ” Dennis ’ Organizations: Lifeline, International Association for Suicide Prevention, Befrienders Worldwide, CNN, Facebook, FBI, San, LinkedIn, Meta, Indian, Thai National Broadcasting, Befrienders Locations: Virginia, Southeast Asia, scammers, Santa Clara, California’s Bay, San Francisco, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Thai, , Russian, Salt Lake City, scamming
In this sluggish real estate market, it might seem like a dream — that is, if you're actually looking to sell. In 2023, the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Internet Crime Complaint Center saw more than 880,000 complaints about internet scams totaling $12.5 billion in losses. AdvertisementReal estate scams are an especially popular internet crime. In Caldwell's case, too, a scammer told prospective buyers to contact "Mandi" in Las Vegas and send $245 to the seller's mother. Advertisement"I'm kind of stuck here," Bertram told the Kansas City Star.
Persons: , Lauren Bertram, we're, Bertram, Burns, McDonnell, Jordan Pandy, Galen Caldwell, It's Organizations: Service, Kansas City, Business, Kansas City Star, Mandi, Federal Bureau of, FBI, BEC, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Seattle, CBS News Locations: Las Vegas, Mandi
Phishing scams targeting weight loss drugs like Ozempic rose 183% from January to April. Social media sites like Facebook are hotspots for these scams, McAfee says. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . The trendy weight loss drug Ozempic, which can cost $1,000 a month, is an opportunity apparently too good for them to pass up. New research released by McAfee, a computer and cybersecurity company, says that phishing scams targeting consumers interested in weight loss drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Semaglutide rose 183% from January to April compared to the previous three months.
Persons: McAfee, Organizations: Service, McAfee, Business
This disastrous mindset has hollowed out Silicon Valley's ability to innovate and caused regular people to grow increasingly frustrated with everyday tech. The large platforms have generally ignored this feedback for one big reason: The tech industry has been taken over by career managers. Now Google Search is more profitable and worse, elevating spammy content and outright scams, a problem exacerbated by artificial intelligence. AdvertisementBut today's tech products feel built to sell a dream of the future rather than solve a customer's existing pains. As long as the tech industry is controlled by people who don't build things, it will continue to build products that help raise growth metrics rather than help consumers with tangible problems.
Persons: scammers hawking, Meta's, Hewlett Packard, Kevin Systrom, Mike Krieger, Adam Mosseri, Systrom, Krieger, Mosseri, Mark Zuckerberg, Instagram, Kylie Jenner, Kim Kardashian, Sundar Pichai, Prabhakar Raghavan, Raghavan, Ben Gomes, Gomes, it's, Sam Altman, Helen Toner, Ilya Sutskever, Larry Summers, Fidji Simo, Meta —, , Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak Organizations: Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Oracle, Adobe, Meta, Builders, Apple, Xerox, HP, Department, Reuters Institute, Oxford University, Silicon Valley Locations: Silicon, Silicon Valley
Scammers tricked Gooding, Idaho employees into sending over $1 million to fake contractors. The payment was intended for a wastewater project but was diverted into the criminal's account. Sign up for our newsletter to get the latest on the culture & business of sustainability — delivered weekly to your inbox. Officials in Gooding said this week that an employee sent a payment of $1,092,519 meant for contractors working on a wastewater project, but it went to scammers instead. According to a city press release, the scammers impersonated representatives of a contractor hired by city officials, using a tactic called "social engineering" to gain the employee's trust.
Persons: Scammers, Gooding Organizations: FBI, Service, Business Locations: Gooding, Idaho, scammers
"Once a manufacturer receives certification for the Trust Mark, they will need additional time to retool their packaging, as well as shipping updated products from the manufacturer to retailers," he said. In 2024, according to research firm Statista, nearly 70 million homes in the U.S. are actively using smart devices, up more than 10% from last year. Staffers from Consumer Reports attended a White House meeting during which the Cyber Trust Mark program was announced. Barry Mainz, CEO of Forescout Technologies, a cybersecurity provider, says he is a big fan of the Cyber Trust Mark. Steps to take now to protect your home internetThere are actions consumers can take right now, before the Cyber Trust Mark program kicks in, to harden their cybersecurity.
Persons: Biden, Jessica Rosenworcel, Nicholas Leiserson, David Grossman, What's, Stacey Higginbotham, Higginbotham, Grossman, Barry Mainz, Mark — Organizations: Federal Drug Administration, National, Traffic Safety Administration, National Institute of Standards, Technology, NIST, Federal Communications Commission, U.S . Cyber, Energy Star, Cyber, Energy, Google, LG Electronics, Logitech, Samsung Electronics, FCC, Auburn University's, Institute, Consumer Technology Association, Park Associates, Consumer Reports, White, Survey, Consumer, Forescout Technologies Locations: U.S, Washington, Mainz
"I definitely see people who don't realize that the bot accounts aren't real sex workers," Leathers explained. Still, sex workers say it has become increasingly difficult to grow and reach their followings. "We balance this freedom by restricting exposure to Adult Content for children or adult users who choose not to see it," the policy says. Musk reportedly toyed with the idea of monetizing adult content, but the platform explicitly barred adult content from the program after introducing creator monetization in July 2023. "We're seeing consumers go to another site, to Reddit or Twitter where they can get adult content without age-verifying," Stabile said.
Persons: Elon, Sydney Leathers, Leathers, Musk, hasn't, Olivia Snow, monetization, Snow, influencer Pearl Davis, Trip Richards, Mike Stabile, Stabile, Richards Organizations: Twitter, SpankChain, UCLA, Free Speech Coalition, NBC Locations: Texas , Utah , Arkansas, Virginia , Montana , North Carolina and Mississippi, U.S
One legal expert even warned that AI could potentially usher in a new, modern-day "dark age," or a period of societal decline if the relatively new industry of AI goes largely unregulated. AdvertisementAI regulation, Pasquale said, could prevent many of the problems that could pave the way for this so-called new dark age dynamic. US intellectual property laws related to copyright infringement and state-level publicity rights are among the main legal frameworks being used to potentially regulate AI in the country. That includes how social media affects youth's mental health and the propagation of disinformation and misinformation, he said. AdvertisementHe noted that the ability to regulate social media today exists, but that it's not clear what the effective legal solutions are for the societal problems that have arisen.
Persons: , Frank Pasquale, OpenAI, Pasquale, Mark Bartholomew, Bartholomew, Harry Surden, We've, Surden Organizations: Service, Business, Cornell Tech, Cornell Law School, Microsoft, University, Buffalo, University of Colorado Law School, Stanford, CodeX, Legal Informatics Locations: United States
CNN —The recent and bizarre attempt to wrest control of Graceland, the Memphis, Tennessee, home of the late Elvis Presley, set off a number of red flags. But Elvis represents something different from Gilded Age robber barons such as Rockefeller and Carnegie, whose American Dream was fundamentally about the accumulation of wealth. “Seems we was always in debt,” recalled Gladys Presley, Elvis’s mother. Fans walk by the entrance to Graceland, the home of Elvis Presley, on August 14, 2007, in Memphis, Tennessee. Immediately after moving into Graceland, Elvis, the ultimate consumer, began renovations.
Persons: Michael T, Bertrand, , Elvis Presley, Presley, Elvis, Priscilla, Lisa Marie, Riley Keough, , John D, Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie, Ida Harris, Gladys Presley, Elvis’s, , ” Stephen Galvin, Joe Raedle, Gladys, throwed, Stan Honda, Horatio Alger, Graceland, Andrew Carnegie’s Organizations: Tennessee State University, CNN, Rockefeller, Carnegie, Getty, White Locations: Memphis , Tennessee, East Tupelo , Mississippi, Memphis, United States, Bluff City, Bryan , Texas, Graceland, AFP, drawl, Hollywood, Las Vegas, New York, Manhattan, America
Scammers are using deepfake celebrity videos to steal from fans. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementScammers in Australia are using deepfake photos and videos of celebrities to steal from people in increasingly creative ways. Australians have lost up to $8 million to scammers using online investment platform scams this year, according to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. The scammers use fake news articles and deepfake videos to trick people into believing that a celebrity is asking them for a large sum of money.
Persons: Robert Irwin, Organizations: Service, Australian Competition, Consumer Commission, Business Locations: Australia
As with all scammers, it’s unclear whether the person who emailed CNN is actually behind the scheme. The foreclosure sale was ultimately blocked, and Naussany Investments dropped its foreclosure efforts. A self-proclaimed scam artistCNN reached out to the email address listed as the company representative in Keough’s lawsuit for comment. “We use innocents and we steal identity,” said the scammer in an email to CNN. Sunderman believes that quick payoff may have been the scammer’s goal, not a successful foreclosure on Graceland.
Persons: Elvis Presley’s, I’ve, , Graceland, Lisa Marie Presley, she’d, Riley Keough, Elvis ’, gregoryenaussanyniplflorida@hotmail.com, Gregory Naussany, scammer, Elvis Presley, Mark Sunderman, , Presley, Sunderman, Jonathan Skrmetti Organizations: CNN, United Nations, Naussany Investments, Graceland, New York Times, Investments, Private, Shelby County, Times, University of Memphis, Civil Rights Museum, Locations: Memphis, Uganda, Kimberling City , Missouri, Shelby, Nigeria, Florida, California, Graceland, Tennessee, Shelby County
Editor’s Note: A version of this story appeared in CNN Business’ Nightcap newsletter. New York CNN —We can’t be 100% sure that an obscure lending company just tried to steal Graceland. Her lawsuit says that the documents Naussany presented, including a 2018 notarized promissory note signed by Lisa Marie Presley, were forged. Even the notary public whose name appeared on the disputed document, told the court in an affidavit that no, they’d never notarized Lisa Marie Presley’s signature. (“Not acquire to proceed?”)It added: “There was no harm meant on Ms. Keough for her mothers LMP mis habits and mis managing of money.”(LMP, presumably, is Lisa Marie Presley.
Persons: CNN Business ’, Elvis Presley’s, , Lisa Marie Presley, she’d, Naussany, Graceland, Riley Keough, Elvis’s, Keough, Mad Max Fury, Daisy Jones, , Naussany’s, Lisa Marie Presley’s, JoeDae Jenkins, Jenkins, ” Jenkins, Keough’s Organizations: CNN Business, New York CNN, Naussany, CNN, Naussany Investments Locations: New York, Tennessee, Graceland, Memphis, America, Shelby County, Naussany, Kimberling City , Missouri, Missouri
The Texas couple were staring down more than $100,000 in debt, much of which they had poured into WiFi Money. Those who give their money to WiFi Money are often encouraged to sign up other people in return for a cut of their profits — and perhaps, one day, a chance to become part of the WiFi Money crew. As the money poured in, WiFi Money gained a patina of mainstream credibility. AdvertisementThrough WiFi Money, Moeller and Frederick had created a virtuous cycle of money and influence. The same month investors took WiFi Money to court over the stores, DBC announced it was closing down.
Persons: Alex Moeller, influencer, Jasmine Sadry, Joey Martin, Martin, Moeller, Chris Frederick, Casa Moeller Martinez, MentorCI, Kim Kardashians, Gary Vee, Uber, Etsy, Farnaz Ghaedipour, Frederick, Jay Gatsby, Scott Fitzgerald's, Brandon Celi, There's, Billy, Chris Casey, There's Todd Cahill, Liz Friesen, Tana Mongeau, Kardashian, , James Ragano, BI Moeller, wouldn't, Kyle McDougal, Sadry, Kyncey, McDougal, hustlers, Kevin O'Leary, Jordan Belfort, Ronaldinho, Glenn Beck, I've, he'd, Daemon, I'm, they'd, It's, Chris Costello, Francis, Ashley, Costello, Gatsby, Casey, Avery Williamson, Victor Bermudez, DBC, They're, Instagram, Rolex Submariner Organizations: WiFi, Lamborghini, McLaren, Fox News, YouTube, Invest, Stanford University, PBS, BI, Social, Yahoo Finance, Business, Times, Piccadilly Circus, Fort, DMs, Kyncey Investments, Amazon, Kyncey, Investors, CNN, Fox Business, Big Tech, Florida Tropics Soccer Club, Royce, WiFi Money, Federal Trade Commission, WifiMoney, IRS, NFL, Dallas, Rolex Locations: Instagram, Mexico, Texas, Dallas, Quito, Ecuador, @amoeller, Florida, pecs, Maryland, Europe, Illinois, Mita, Burj, Fort Worth, dropshipping, Brazilian, New York City, ensconced, Minnesota, Los Angeles, Munich
Binance is finding 300,000 fake addresses every week, mainly on Ethereum and Bitcoin networks. AdvertisementAs crypto thieves find more creative ways to trick people, so do those trying to crack down on them. Binance, a major crypto exchange, told Business Insider that it has developed an algorithm to spot fake crypto addresses — used in so-called "address poisoning" scams. According to Binance, the company's algorithm is detecting some 300,000 fake addresses every week, mostly on Ethereum and Bitcoin networks. The FBI warns that services offering to return money to the victims of crypto scams might actually also be scams themselves.
Persons: , it's, Binance Organizations: Service, Services, FBI
Yet they're still getting through often enough that the Federal Trade Commission has recently warned the public about the prevalence of fake job scams. AdvertisementThe 'fake check' scamChris Conwell had initially applied to a job ad on LinkedIn in early March. Fake check scams generally involve a supposed employer mailing a fraudulent check to the would-be employee they're attempting to scam. But, Conwell told Business Insider, something felt wrong. A representative for the company also pointed to internal statistics that indicate LinkedIn intercepts the majority of detected fake accounts and scams before fake recruiters can post.
Persons: , they're, Chris Conwell, Conwell, Michael Hecht, he'd, Hecht, Oscar Rodriguez, Jordan Bittel, Bittel, you've Organizations: Service, LinkedIn, Business, Federal Trade Commission, Microsoft, verifications
Scammers used deepfakes to trick an employee at engineering firm Arup into handing over $25 million. The Hong Kong office employee believed that they were on a video call with the company's CFO. Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementScammers used deepfakes to trick an employee in the Hong Kong office of a major international corporation earlier this year, costing the firm $25 million.
Persons: Scammers, Arup, Organizations: Service, Financial Times, Sydney Opera House, Business Locations: Hong Kong, California
London CNN —The European Union is worried that Meta is failing to protect children on its platforms, Facebook and Instagram, and has launched a formal investigation that could result in a hefty fine. The probe is the latest evidence that regulators are increasingly focussing on the harmful impact of Meta’s platforms — and other social media — on young users, including by encouraging addictive behavior. The European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, will consider whether Meta (META) has complied with its obligations under the Digital Services Act (DSA), the bloc’s sweeping new law for online platforms. The legislation requires online platforms to put in place measures to protect children, including by preventing them from accessing inappropriate content and ensuring a high level of privacy and safety. The European Commission is concerned that Facebook’s and Instagram’s online interfaces “may exploit the weaknesses and inexperience of minors and cause addictive behavior,” it said in a statement Thursday.
Persons: Meta, Thierry Breton, ” Meta Organizations: London CNN, Facebook, European Commission, Digital Services, European, Meta, CNN, New Locations: New Mexico, Gaza
Hong Kong CNN —A British multinational design and engineering company behind world famous buildings such as the Sydney Opera House has confirmed that it was the target of a deepfake scam that led to one of its Hong Kong employees paying out $25 million to fraudsters. A spokesperson for Arup told CNN on Friday that it notified Hong Kong police in January about the fraud incident, and confirmed that fake voices and images were used. “Unfortunately, we can’t go into details at this stage as the incident is still the subject of an ongoing investigation. According to Hong Kong police, the elaborate scam saw the employee duped into attending a video call with people he believed were the CFO and other members of staff, but all of whom turned out to be deepfake recreations, Hong Kong police revealed in February. Authorities around the world are growing increasingly concerned about the sophistication of deepfake technology and the nefarious uses it can be put to.
Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, Arup, ” Rob Greig, Michael Kwok Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Sydney Opera, Hong Kong, CNN, Hong, Beijing Olympic Games, Arup’s East Locations: Hong Kong, British, Hong, Arup’s East Asia
Total: 25