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☆ Live updates: Israel-Hamas war news
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( Kathleen Magramo | Adam Renton | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

As the Biden administration continues its work to support Israel and move military assets into the region, US officials across the government are furiously working behind the scenes to piece together an accurate picture on the ground. Further complicating the situation, US officials say, is that Hamas consists of numerous and often competing subgroups and militias that all operate in Gaza. Before the US can put together a plan to recover hostages, officials first have to figure out which of those Hamas sub-groups may be holding them, and for what reason. Here's what is happening: The US is working closely with Israel, with FBI and Pentagon personnel on the ground in Israel providing support to Israeli special operators. These include members of the FBI's Critical Incident Response Group, which has extensive experience in helping to resolve hostage incidents, including in war zones from Afghanistan to Iraq and across the Middle East.

Persons: Biden, Joe Biden, Read Organizations: CNN, White, FBI, Pentagon, State Department, National Security Council Locations: Gaza, Israel, Afghanistan, Iraq

☆ How this 77-year-old widow lost $661,000 in a common tech scam: 'I realized I had been defrauded of everything'
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-08 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +19 min

Older adults, many of whom have saved their entire careers for retirement, can have the most to lose. The Covid pandemic was a disproportionate threat to older adults, keeping Americans indoors and quickly pushing them online. Outcomes hinge on a complex web of federal and state rules that govern banking and elder financial fraud. Such "heightened procedures" to protect older adults are part of the bank's duty of care relative to older customers, the lawsuit said. Scammers had her wire funds from her PNC bank account to an account at the now-defunct Signature Bank in New York.

Persons: Marjorie Bloom, she'd, Bloom, Roth, Ester, Ester Bloom, Rebecca Keithley, —, they'd, I'm, Kathy Stokes, Keithley, General Merrick Garland, she'll, Marjorie Bloom Bloom, trekked, Mount, Kriangkrai, I've, There's, Sergio Flores, scammers —, Carla Sanchez, Adams, Sanchez, Banks, Marve Ann Alaimo, Porter Wright Morris, Arthur, Alaimo, Cryptocurrency, Scammers, scammers, it's, Patrick Wyman, Wyman, Al Drago Organizations: PNC Bank, Finance, CNBC, Federal Bureau of Investigation, PNC, FBI, Social, Department of Justice's, Vanguard Group, Federal, Consumer Finances, AARP, Microsoft, Department of Energy, Guaranty Corporation, U.S, North Dakota ., Everest Base, Social Security, North Bethesda Camera, PNC Bank —, District of Columbia, Bloomberg, Getty, National Consumer Law, Signature Bank, Asset Unit Locations: Chevy Chase , Maryland, U.S, Vietnam, Mount Everest, North Dakota, liquidating, Nepal, Marjorie Bloom Maryland, District, —, Maryland, PNC, New York, Cayman Islands, Washington ,

☆ Jan. 6 rioter who urged mob to take officer's guns took a secret plea deal, DOJ confirms
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( Ryan J. Reilly | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Samuel Lazar, a pro-Trump rioter, also shot at a line of officers with pepper spray on Jan. 6, the government said. The Justice Department declined to comment on Lazar's case at the time. Video shows Lazar on Jan. 6 yelling "Let's get their guns! "They maced us, those tyrannical pieces of s---, and we maced them right the f--- back," he said, in video cited by the Justice Department. The joint filing unsealed Monday confirmed Lazar was released on Sept. 13, 2023, having served his 2.5-year sentence after factoring in credits for good behavior.

Persons: WASHINGTON —, Samuel Lazar, Trump, Lazar, Rudy Giuliani, Doug Mastriano, Mastriano, Amy Berman Jackson, Jan, Let's Organizations: Trump, Justice Department, NBC News, The, U.S, U.S . Capitol, Capitol, Federal Bureau of Prisons, BOP, Associated Press Locations: Pennsylvania

☆ The Great Zelle Pool Scam
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-01 | by ( Devin Friedman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +38 min

When I asked Chase to discuss Zelle fraud, I received an email saying, "Unfortunately, we don't have anyone available for an interview." The way the email messages from Gary were subliterate in a completely different way from the way a classic Gary email is subliterate. When Gary Kruglitz told us to Zelle him, he didn't really tell us to Zelle him. Out of all the kinds of money, money to build a pool is probably the very best kind of money for the world to suffer the loss of. It's possible that the government will eventually be moved to safeguard consumers against Zelle fraud.

Persons: Madison Ketcham, Gary Kruglitz, Gary, couldn't, he'll, Gary —, —, Cheryl, Sheryl, Sheryl —, we'd, Jeff Allen's, didn't, Jeff, Krystal, we'll, He'd, you've, Karen, I'm, she'd, Yellllow, Zelle, Chase, Sen, Elizabeth Warren, there's, That's, It's, Jesus, who'd, Donald Trump, Gary Kruglitzes, Cheryls —, Yasmine48, Nixon, Evan Kohlmann, cybercrime, we've, I've, Kohlmann, Guess, Let's, that's, Elizabeth Warren's, it's, they're, Warren's, Warren, I'd, they'd, blinked Organizations: Boston Pops, The New York Times, New York Times, Chase, Bank of America, PNC, US Bank, PayPal, Disney, NBC, Warner Bros, Netflix, JPMorgan Chase, Bank —, of, Professionals, Justice Department, Northeast . Contractors, Cloudburst Technologies, Facebook, FBI, Mafia, Massachusetts State Police, Monterey Police Department, Police Locations: Massachusetts, Lyme, Tennessee, Wells Fargo, Truist, Silicon Valley, Amsterdam, Northeast, what's, Paxful, Estonia, Korea, Monterey , Massachusetts, Monterey

☆ Zelle Fraud: I Got Scammed Out of $31,000 and My Bank Didn't Care
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-01 | by ( Devin Friedman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +38 min

Because a lot of bank branches were still closed, and the crew wanted their money, he requested that we transfer the money via Zelle. When I asked Chase to discuss Zelle fraud, I received an email saying, "Unfortunately, we don't have anyone available for an interview." The way the email messages from Gary were subliterate in a completely different way from the way a classic Gary email is subliterate. When Gary Kruglitz told us to Zelle him, he didn't really tell us to Zelle him. It's possible that the government will eventually be moved to safeguard consumers against Zelle fraud.

Underwood Archives/Getty Images Feinstein gets her makeup touched up for a photo shoot in San Francisco in 1955. Bettmann Archive/Getty Images Feinstein attends a campaign event for her mayoral run in San Francisco in 1971. Clem Albers/San Francisco Chronicle/Getty Images Feinstein attends a memorial service for assassinated Supervisor Harvey Milk in San Francisco in 1978. Roger Ressmeyer/CORBIS/VCG/Getty Images Feinstein speaks at the signing of an anti-gun bill at San Francisco City Hall in 1982. Douglas Graham/CQ Roll Call/Getty Images Feinstein greets first lady Hillary Clinton at the 2000 Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles.

Persons: Washington CNN — Dianne Feinstein, Feinstein, Gavin Newsom, Newsom, NBC’s “, ”, Feinstein’s, Ramsay Hunt, I’m, “, ” Feinstein, Lindsey Graham, Amy Coney Barrett, Leah Millis, Nancy Pelosi, Democratic Sen, Dick Durbin, Kevin McCarthy, Chuck Schumer, “ Dianne Feinstein, ” Schumer, Sen, Dianne Feinstein, Joe Biden, Celeste Sloman, Dianne Emiel Goldman, George Moscone, Harvey Milk, Duke Downey, Clem Albers, Janet Fries, Quentin Kopp, Sal Veder, Richard Blum, Walter Mondale, Georges, Roger Ressmeyer, Steve Ringman, Tony Bennett, Jeff Reinking, Neal Ulevich, Bishop Desmond Tutu, Eric Risberg, Willie Brown, Cecil Williams, Dr, Martin Luther King Jr, Paul Sakuma, Kim Komenich, Mark Reinstein, Barbara Boxer, Alan Greth, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Carol Moseley, Braun, Doug Mills, Charles Tasnadi, Kathleen Brown, Bill Clinton, Dirck Halstead, Lisa Leslie, Gigi Goshko, Douglas Graham, Hillary Clinton, Clinton, Paul J, Richards, Orrin Hatch, Patrick J, Leahy, William H, Pryor Jr, Scott J, Ferrell, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Schwarzenegger, Tim Sloan, Rick Friedman, Condoleezza Rice, George W, Bush, Colin Powell, Chuck Kennedy, John Roberts, Mark Wilson, Eileen Mariano, Mariano, interning, Tom Williams, Carson, Jay L, Barack Obama, Ralf, Finn Hestoft, Hina Rabbani Khar, Brendan Smialowski, Jacquelyn Martin, AP Sen, Chuck Grassley, Christine Blasey Ford, Brett M, Kavanaugh, Ford, Donald Trump, Chip Somodevilla, Barrett, Bonnie Cash, Graham, Samuel Corum, Jonathan Ernst, Simone Biles, Larry Nassar, Aly Raisman, Maggie Nichols, McKayla Maroney, Bob Dole, Oliver Contreras, Kent Nishimura, Kevin Dietsch, Dianne Feinstein's, Moscone, Milk, CNN’s Dana Bash, Dan White, ‘ Dan, ’, Harvey, California’s, Bash, Richard Blumenthal, Bill Clark, Annette Bening, Donald Trump’s, South Carolina Republican Lindsey Graham’s Organizations: Washington CNN, Senate, California Democratic, Democratic, Press, Democrats, Democratic Party, Capitol, Senate Intelligence, California Democrat, Capitol Hill, CNN, Golden State ”, Illinois, Republican, New York Times, Underwood Archives, Getty, San Francisco City Hall, San Francisco, of Supervisors, Bettmann, San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco Ice Company, White, Steiner, Forbidden, Democratic National Convention, United States Senate, United, United States women's, team, Convention, Washington Post, Circuit, Images California, McClatchy, Tribune, Service, Supreme, California, Rancho, Pakistan's, AP, Committee, White House, Los Angeles Times, Stanford University, San, Supervisors, Administration Committee, federal, Inc, South Carolina Republican, Judiciary, Intelligence, Appropriations Locations: Washington, California, San Francisco, America, ” San Francisco, Washington , DC, DC, Forbidden City, Beijing, China, Feinstein , California, Los Angeles, United States, New York, AFP, Boston, Rancho Bernardo, San Diego, San Francisco , California, Maryland, San Francisco County, Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut

☆ House Judiciary Committee threatens to subpoena FBI over Charles McGonigal documents
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Mattathias Schwartz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

House Judiciary is demanding that the FBI turn over internal records about ex-agent Charles McGonigal. The FBI ignored a letter from the committee sent in February, a committee spokesperson told Insider. Jordan first demanded that the FBI turn over McGonigal-related documents in February, a few days after he was indicted in New York and Washington. The bureau never responded beyond acknowledging receipt of the letter, a spokesperson for the committee told Insider. In a video interview, Buma told Insider that Jordan's committee is cherry-picking its witnesses, a charge that a spokesperson for Jordan has denied.

Persons: Charles McGonigal, McGonigal, Jim Jordan, Christopher Wray, Jordan, McGonigal's, Sheldon Whitehouse, Hillary Clinton, Trump, Johnathan Buma, Buma, Wray Organizations: FBI, Service, Justice Department, Bureau, New, Republicans, Veritas Locations: York, Wall, Silicon, Russian, Ohio, New York, Washington, Russia, New York City

☆ FBI director urges private sector to lend government more support in cyber intelligence
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

FBI Director Christopher Wray testifies during a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies hearing on Capitol Hill May 10, 2023 in Washington, DC. WASHINGTON, D.C. – FBI Director Christopher Wray said Monday that the federal government is relying more than ever on private sector support to ensure that U.S. infrastructure remains secure. Wray said that artificial intelligence may help China's cyber intelligence operations in their efforts to overpower U.S. defenses, and reiterated that Chinese hackers outnumber the FBI's cyber and intelligence agents by at least 50 to 1. China is poised to "use the fruits of their widespread hacking to power, with AI, even-more-powerful hacking efforts," he added. North Korean hacking groups, for example, often seek to generate revenue for the government while gathering espionage for the state.

Persons: Christopher Wray, Wray, it's, Colonial's Organizations: Commerce, Justice, Science, Capitol, WASHINGTON , D.C, Mandiant's mWise Conference, Google, FBI, Cybersecurity Infrastructure Agency, Colonial Pipeline Locations: Washington , DC, WASHINGTON ,, Washington, China, Korean, Ukraine, Eastern Europe, U.S, East

A lawsuit filed Monday by an Islamic civil rights group on behalf of Khairullah and other plaintiffs says his exclusion from the White House event demonstrates that Muslims face negative repercussions even after they are able to clear their name from the list. The Secret Service declined to comment on the lawsuit. The FBI's Terrorist Screening Center plays a primary role in the watchlist, though many government agencies are involved in the secretive process. CAIR contends that its lawsuits have uncovered the breadth of government agencies that use the list, from local law enforcement to the State Department to the Secret Service. That's because in most cases, the government refuses to tell people if they've been placed on the list or if they've been removed.

Persons: — Mohamed Khairullah, Khairullah, Bashar Assad, Assad, ”, Hannah Mullen, Justin Sadowsky, ” Mullen, Mullen, they've, ” Khairullah Organizations: WASHINGTON, White, Islamic Relations, CAIR, State Department, Secret Locations: U.S, Prospect Park , New Jersey, Newark , New Jersey, Syria, Boston, ”, Canada

☆ Co-founder of $4 billion crypto ponzi scheme gets 20 years in prison, 'Cryptoqueen' partner remains at large
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Damian Williams, the top federal prosecutor in Manhattan, speaks at a press conference to announce the addition of “Cryptoqueen” Ruja Ignatova to the FBI’s most-wanted fugitives list, in New York, June 30, 2022. The co-founder of the fraudulent OneCoin cryptocurrency, a massive pyramid scheme that amassed over $4 billion from millions of investors worldwide, was sentenced Tuesday to 20 years in prison. His partner, Ruja Ignatova, known as the "Cryptoqueen" on the FBI's Top 10 Most Wanted list, remains at large, the Department of Justice said. Greenwood "operated one of the largest fraud schemes ever perpetrated," U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in a press release. "We hope this lengthy sentence resonates in the financial sector and deters anyone who may be tempted to lie to investors and exploit the cryptocurrency ecosystem through fraud," Williams said.

Persons: Damian Williams, Ignatova, Karl Sebastian Greenwood, Ruja Ignatova, Greenwood, Williams Organizations: Department of Justice, U.S Locations: Manhattan, New York

☆ Rudy Giuliani keeps telling judges he's broke, but won't share financial statements and took a private jet to his Georgia booking
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-03 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Rudy Giuliani keeps saying he's broke and can't pay legal bills. Giuliani, US District Judge Beryl Howell wrote, provided only "a sliver of the financial documents required to be produced" for the lawsuit. Since the dawn of time, people have made up excuses to avoid doing things they do not want to do," Smartmatic's lawyers wrote. According to Smartmatic, Giuliani has provided shifting and slippery answers to questions about whether he can afford them. AdvertisementAdvertisement"So far, Giuliani's financial position tends to be whatever is most convenient for Giuliani," Smartmatic's lawyers wrote.

Persons: Rudy Giuliani, he's, Giuliani, Beryl Howell, Howell, didn't, — he's, —, Donald Trump, Rudy, Smartmatic, Joe Biden, Jacquelyn Martin, Giuliani hasn't, he'll, Spencer Platt, Mayor Giuliani, Ted Goodman Organizations: FBI, Service, US, Manhattan , New York City, Hamptons, New York Times, Trump, Save America PAC, Giuliani, Manhattan Locations: Wall, Silicon, Georgia, Manhattan, Manhattan , New York, Atlanta, New York

☆ Rudy Giuliani, who keeps telling courts he's broke, just got hit with a $132,000 bill from a judge
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Sonam Sheth | Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Rudy Giuliani automatically lost a defamation lawsuit brought by two election workers in Georgia. The judge said the "cloak of victimization" Giuliani wears in public won't fly in her courtroom. A jury will decide how much he will pay in damages to the election workers, in addition to the sanctions. AdvertisementAdvertisementGiuliani had broadcast false rumors that accused Georgia election workers Ruby Freeman and Wandrea' ArShaye Moss of fraud, and they sued him for defamation. He's also on the hook for another $43,684 in fees associated with his businesses' failure to hand over discovery evidence in the case.

Persons: Rudy Giuliani, Giuliani, Beryl Howell didn't, Howell, Ruby Freeman, Wandrea, ArShaye Moss, Freeman, Moss, He's, Ted Goodman, Goodman Organizations: Service, New York, New, US, Southern, of, FBI Locations: Georgia, Wall, Silicon, New York, Georgia's, of New York

☆ An Arizona man planned to build his retirement home on a plot of land he bought 20 years ago. The problem: It was sold for $200,000 without him knowing.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Jordan Pandy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

"I noticed the last four digits of the social security number were not mine and the address was wrong — the mail shouldn't have even gotten to me," Gordon told Insider. Gordon, 65, bought the undeveloped, 3 1/3-acre property in 1999 for $76,500, Pima County property records show. AdvertisementAdvertisementGordon spoke with Title Security Agency, the Arizona company that handled Gordon's title work when he purchased the property in 1999. He told Insider that in this instance, the seller was found out to be fraudulent soon after the deal closed. He told Insider he spoke with a broker that had four fraudulent incidents in one day.

Persons: William Gordon, Gordon, He's, —, Penny Davis, Gabriella Cázares, Kelly, it's, we've, Eric Gibbs, I'm, Gibbs, Jeff Murtaugh, he's, who's, Murtaugh, ORNTIC Organizations: Service, Security Agency, First American, Pima Recorder's, Title Security Agency, Realty ONE, Realty Executives, Old, Title Insurance, Insurance, News Locations: Tucson, Wall, Silicon, Tucson , Arizona, Pima County, Phoenix, Arizona, Pima, Texas, Bexar, —, Real, Realty Executives Arizona, Old Republic

☆ Tornado Cash founders charged with laundering more than $1 billion, including millions for North Korea
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Mackenzie Sigalos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Two founders of Tornado Cash, the widely known Russian cryptocurrency mixer, have been charged with laundering more than $1 billion in criminal proceeds. Charges in the indictment include conspiring to commit money laundering, conspiracy to commit sanctions violations and conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business. The third co-founder, Alexey Pertsev, who is not mentioned in this action, faces trial in Amsterdam over his involvement with Tornado Cash. Tornado Cash is used by some people as a legitimate way to protect their privacy in the still-nascent crypto market. Using a crypto mixing service like Tornado Cash masks those details by anonymizing the funds and concealing the identity of the buyer.

Persons: Roman, Semenov, Storm, James Smith, Alexey Pertsev, Roman Semenov, Damian Williams, Brian Klein, Waymaker, Klein, Lazarus Organizations: Tornado, Lazarus, Justice Department, CNBC, Tornado Cash, Storm, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Foreign Assets, Lazarus Group, U.S . Treasury, Treasury Department Locations: Russian, Korean, Washington, York, Amsterdam, U.S, Harmony

☆ How J. Edgar Hoover, the FBI's first and longest director of the FBI, used controversial methods to turn the agency into one of the most efficient investigative forces in the world
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( James Pasley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

J. Edgar Hoover took over the FBI, then known as the Bureau of Investigation in 1924 when he was 29 years old. He later used the bureau to gather information on influential people like John F. Kennedy, Albert Einstein, and Eleanor Roosevelt. Hoover turned the agency from a relatively powerless group into one of the most efficient investigative forces in the world. The list included President John F. Kennedy, Eleanor Roosevelt, Albert Einstein, and Felix Frankfurter. He later said of it, "J. Edgar Hoover was like a sewer that collected dirt.

Persons: Edgar Hoover, Hoover, John F, Kennedy, Albert Einstein, Eleanor Roosevelt, Felix Frankfurter, Laurence Silberman, J Organizations: FBI, Investigation, Service Locations: Wall, Silicon

☆ US House panel subpoenas FBI's Wray, DOJ's Garland in social media probe
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

[1/2] FBI Director Christopher Wray testifies before a House Judiciary Committee hearing on "oversight of the Federal Bureau of Investigation" and alleged politicization of law enforcement, on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., July 12, 2023. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Aug 17 (Reuters) - The U.S. House Judiciary Committee said on Thursday it had issued subpoenas to FBI Director Christopher Wray and Attorney General Merrick Garland related to the panel's investigation of allegations of online censorship. Reporting by Eric Beech; editing by Rami AyyubOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Christopher Wray, Jonathan Ernst, General Merrick Garland, Eric Beech, Rami Ayyub Organizations: Federal Bureau of, Capitol, REUTERS, Rights, U.S . House, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S

☆ Ex-FBI counterintelligence official pleads guilty to conspiracy charge for helping Russian oligarch
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

McGonigal is expected to change his plea to guilty after initially pleading not guilty. A former high-ranking FBI counterintelligence official pleaded guilty Tuesday to conspiring to violate sanctions on Russia by going to work, after he retired, for an oligarch he once investigated. McGonigal told the judge he accepted over $17,000 to help Deripaska collect derogatory information about another Russian oligarch who was a business competitor. McGonigal pleaded guilty to a single count of conspiring to launder money and violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. He supervised investigations of Russian oligarchs, including Deripaska.

Persons: Charles McGonigal, Oleg Deripaska, McGonigal, Deripaska, Rebecca Dell, Jennifer H, Rearden, Vladimir Putin, Matthew G, Olsen Organizations: FBI, Manhattan Federal Court, Emergency Economic, U.S, District of Columbia, Justice Department's National Security Division Locations: New York City, McGonigal, Russia, Crimea, New York, Washington ,, Albanian, Cypress, New Jersey, United States, Russian

[1/3] Charles McGonigal, a former FBI official who has been charged with working for sanctioned Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska, arrives at Federal Court in New York City, U.S., August 15, 2023. At the time, McGonigal pleaded not guilty to four criminal counts including sanctions violations and money laundering. McGonigal told the court he was "deeply remorseful" for his actions. U.S. District Judge Jennifer Rearden is scheduled to sentence McGonigal on Dec. 14. U.S. prosecutors charged McGonigal as they ramped up efforts to enforce sanctions on Russian officials and police their suspected enablers following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Persons: Charles McGonigal, Oleg Deripaska, Brendan McDermid, McGonigal, Vladimir Potanin, Seth DuCharme, Jennifer Rearden, Matthew Olsen, Washington, Jody Godoy, Grant McCool Organizations: FBI, Court, REUTERS, Prosecutors, Deripaska, U.S . Department of Justice's National Security Division, Kremlin, Thomson Locations: Russian, New York City, U.S, New York, Manhattan, Russia, Cyprus, New Jersey, Ukraine, Nornickel

☆ Phishing scams targeting small business on social media including Meta are a 'gold mine' for criminals
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( Ellen Sheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

CNBC quarterly surveys of small business owners in recent years have indicated that many do not rate the risk of cyberattack highly, yet the FBI says that in recent years a wave of hacks has targeted small business. Small business owners say social media giants such as Meta have done little to help them address the problem. Malware can target victims through email phishing, browser extensions, ads and mobile apps and various social media platforms. According to SCORE, a nonprofit partly funded by the U.S. Small Business Administration, nearly half of small business owners cited social media as their preferred digital marketing channel. And social media accounts of small businesses are like a gold mine," said Joseph Steinberg, a cyber security privacy and AI expert, who sees small business social media accounts as "low hanging fruit."

Persons: it's, Pat Bennett, Pat's Granola, Bennett, hasn't, Pat Bennett Bennett's, Joseph Steinberg, Bryan Palma, Europol, Palma, Cai Dixon, Dixon Organizations: Facebook, Meta, CNBC, FBI, SCORE, U.S . Small Business Administration, YouTube Locations: Cleveland, Europe

☆ Retailers are blaming organized theft for lower profits — but it's hard to tell if it's really rising
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Gabrielle Fonrouge | In Gabrielle-Fonrouge | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Lindsey Nicholson | Universal Images Group | Getty ImagesRetailers have zeroed in on organized retail theft as a top priority, as more and more companies blame crime for lower profits. Those mentions could flare up again as a flurry of retail companies will report financial results starting next week. Many of them described organized theft as an industrywide problem that's largely out of their control. While organized theft is a real concern, it is nearly impossible to verify the claims retailers make about it. Target has repeatedly said organized retail theft is fueling its inventory losses.

Persons: Lindsey Nicholson, Foot, Raphael Duguay, Duguay, Mark Cohen, Cohen, Bradlees Organizations: Universal, Getty, Retailers, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, Yale University School of Management, Columbia Business School, Sears Canada, Lazarus Department, National Retail Federation, Walgreens, Ucg, . Census, FBI, CNBC, Target Locations: Queens , New York

☆ Exclusive: A veteran FBI agent told Congress that investigations into Giuliani and other Trump allies were 'suppressed'
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Mattathias Schwartz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

An FBI veteran said his superiors suppressed investigations of Trump, Insider can exclusively reveal. Those figures, the statement claims, explicitly included "anyone in the [Trump] White House and any former or current associates of President Trump." The directions he received included a strict prohibition on filing intelligence reports relating to Giuliani or any other Trump associate. Even before the emergence of this new whistleblower, there has been ample evidence of individual FBI agents with pro-Trump partisan sympathies. Some FBI agents were reportedly satisfied by an assertion made by Trump's legal team that he'd turned over all his classified documents, and wanted to close the Mar-a-Lago government records investigation down.

Persons: Giuliani, Rudy Giuliani, Donald Trump, President Trump, Scott Horton, Robert Mueller, Trump, Pavel Fuks, Joe Biden, Giuliani wasn't, doesn't, Charles McGonigal, Spokespeople, Fuks, Christopher Wray, Donald Trump's Mar, Hunter Biden, insurrectionists, Jim Jordan, Biden, Jordan, Russell Dye, Dye, Jared Wise, —, Trump's, James Comey, Peter Strzok —, he'd, Genius, Mattathias Schwartz Organizations: FBI, Trump, Trump White House, Service, White, Committee, Rolling Stone, New, GOP, Federal Government, Rep, Capitol, Capitol Police, Washington Post, Post, Justice Department Locations: Wall, Silicon, Russia, Ukrainian, York, New York, Fuks, Lago, Burisma, Anchorage, San Juan

☆ FBI shoots and kills Utah man wanted for threats against Biden, Manhattan DA
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

U.S. President Joe Biden waves as he departs from Delaware Air National Guard Base in New Castle, Delaware, en route to Joint Base Andrews, Aug. 7, 2023. The FBI shot and killed a Utah man on Wednesday while trying to arrest him for threatening to murder President Joe Biden and the New York district attorney who is prosecuting former President Donald Trump in connection with hush money payments, NBC News reported. Many other politicians were also allegedly threatened by the man, Provo resident Craig Deleeuw Robertson, who was accused in court documents of vowing to retaliate against the FBI during an investigation. Robertson was fatally shot by at least one FBI agent at 6:15 a.m. in Provo, about 12 hours before Biden was due to visit the state in Salt Lake City No agents were injured. "The incident began when special agents attempted to serve arrest and search warrants at a residence,"the FBI said in a statement.

Persons: Joe Biden, Base Andrews, Donald Trump, Craig Deleeuw Robertson, Robertson, Biden Organizations: Delaware Air National Guard Base, Base, FBI, New, NBC News, Provo, FBI's Locations: New Castle , Delaware, Utah, New York, Provo, Salt Lake City

☆ Ex-FBI agent accused of working for Russian oligarch may change plea
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Luc Cohen | Thomson Reuters | Reports On The New York Federal Courts. Previously Worked As A Correspondent In Venezuela | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Charles McGonigal, a former FBI official who has been charged with working for sanctioned Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska, arrives at Federal Court in New York City, U.S., March 8, 2023. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File PhotoCompanies OK Rusal MKPAO FollowNEW YORK, Aug 7 (Reuters) - A former FBI agent accused by U.S. prosecutors of working for sanctioned Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska may change his plea in relation to criminal charges of evading U.S. sanctions and money laundering, court records showed on Monday. A change of plea hearing before U.S. District Judge Jennifer Rearden in Manhattan has been scheduled for Aug. 15. The charges against McGonigal came as U.S. prosecutors ramped up efforts to enforce sanctions on Russian officials and police their alleged enablers in response to the invasion of Ukraine. Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York; Editing by Mark Porter and Conor HumphriesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Charles McGonigal, Oleg Deripaska, Brendan McDermid, Jennifer Rearden, McGonigal, oligarch, Russia's, Luc Cohen, Mark Porter, Conor Humphries Organizations: FBI, Court, REUTERS, U.S, Deripaska, Kremlin, Thomson Locations: Russian, New York City, U.S, Manhattan, New York, Ukraine, Washington

☆ Simone Biles stepped away from ‘corrosive’ gymnastics for mental health. Now she’s back
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Savanna Stewart | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

“We’ve never seen an athlete like Simone Biles,” Ryan said. And yet that sport was corrosive enough and abusive enough that she really had to step away for her own mental health,” added Ryan. “I have to focus on my mental health and not jeopardize my health and well-being.”Biles was replaced in the all-around final by Jade Carey, who had finished ninth in the qualifying round. More than 150 athletes, including Biles, said that the former USA Gymnastics team doctor sexually abused them under the guise of providing medical treatment. “I think this just really shows the lack of leadership of USA Gymnastics and the United States Olympic Committee.”However, there is hope that a brighter future is in store for USA Gymnastics.

Persons: –, “, Joan Ryan, ” Ryan, Ryan, ” Simone Biles, Biles, “ We’ve, Simone Biles, ”, ” Biles, Jade Carey, Carey, Jamie Squire, Simone, ” Carey, Ryan’s, Dmitri Lovetsky, ’ ” Ryan, Larry Nassar, Nassar, …, McKayla Maroney, Aly Raisman, Maggie Nichols, General's, Saul Loeb, Jake Tapper, ” Raisman, Jill Geer, Gabby Douglas, Suni Lee, ” Geer, Geer, Douglas — Ryan, “ It’s, you’ve, what’s Organizations: CNN, CNN Sport, Olympics, USA Gymnastics, Oregon State University, US Gymnastics Federation –, Tokyo, USA, United States Olympic, Paralympic, New York, United, Capitol, United States Olympic Committee, National Team, “, ”, US women’s Locations: Hoffman Estates , Illinois, Tokyo, United States, Washington, Biles, “, Paris

☆ White House recommends scaling back FBI authority under intelligence act
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( Steve Holland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, July 31 (Reuters) - A White House review on Monday recommended that the FBI's ability to conduct non-national security queries under a controversial surveillance law be removed as part of reforms aimed at getting the law reauthorized. The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act's Section 702 permits the U.S. government to collect digital communications of foreigners located outside the United States. "If Congress fails to reauthorize Section 702, history may judge the lapse of Section 702 authorities as one of the worst intelligence failures of our time," concluded the review, which was conducted for the White House by the president's Intelligence Advisory Board. The review recommended that Attorney General Merrick Garland "remove FBI’s authority to conduct queries for evidence of a non-national security-related crime in its Section 702 data." "FBI’s use of Section 702 should be limited to foreign intelligence purposes only and FBI personnel should receive additional training on what foreign intelligence entails," the review said.

Persons: Donald Trump, Merrick Garland, Joe Biden's, Jake Sullivan, Jon, Steve Holland, Mark Porter, Deepa Babington Organizations: Foreign Intelligence, Republican, White, president's Intelligence, Department, FBI, Thomson Locations: United States

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