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☆ 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

☆ 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

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

NEW YORK (AP) — The IRS says it's making progress with initiatives to claw back money improperly distributed under the Employee Retention Credit. The ERC was designed to help businesses retain employees during pandemic-era shutdowns, but it quickly became a magnet for fraud. Its complex eligibility rules allowed scammers to target small businesses, offering help applying for the ERC for a fee — even if they didn't qualify. An ongoing program that lets small businesses withdraw unprocessed claims has led to 1,800 businesses withdrawing $251 million worth of claims. “We remain deeply concerned about widespread abuse involving these claims that have harmed small businesses,” said IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel.

Persons: “, ”, Danny Werfel Organizations: IRS, ERC

☆ Avoiding tax scams: Here's what to watch out for
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-02 | by ( Sharon Epperson | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailAvoiding tax scams: Here's what to watch out forMost Americans have less than two weeks to submit their 2023 individual tax return or file an extension, but scammers still have plenty of time to try to steal their personal and financial information. CNBC's Sharon Epperson joins 'Squawk Box' with more.

Persons: scammers, CNBC's Sharon Epperson

AT&T has also begun notifying customers whose personal information was compromised. Photos You Should See View All 60 ImagesFull names, email addresses, mailing address, phone numbers, dates of birth and AT&T account numbers may have also been compromised. HAS AT&T SEEN DATA BREACHES LIKE THIS BEFORE? AT&T has seen several data breaches that range in size and impact over the years. Avoiding data breaches entirely can be tricky in our ever-digitized world, but consumers can take some steps to help protect themselves going forward.

Persons: “, Troy Hunt, we’ve, ”, Hunt, You'll, Matt O'Brien Organizations: Associated Press, AP, Federal Trade Commission Locations: Dallas, Australia, Providence , Rhode Island

☆ Facebook started paying users to post. A wave of spam and illicit account sales followed.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-30 | by ( Rob Price | Sydney Bradley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Read previewThe influencer had a directive for the 75,000 members of her Facebook Group. Some creators' Facebook pages look vibrant, with thousands of followers and every photo and post they share accruing numerous comments, affirmations, and reactions. PLEASE refrain from using the normal words," wrote an administrator for "Maniifesting 55k (META}🤑" , a Facebook Group with 6,500 members. AdvertisementBuying and selling Facebook accounts is prohibited, but a bustling trade in Performance Bonus accounts is thriving in some of the Groups. The 22,000-member "$30k Performance Bonus" Group hosts a mix of posts begging for engagement and people openly selling Facebook accounts.

Persons: —, affirmations, Meta, That's, Baltimore influencer, tim e Organizations: Service, Facebook, Business, Baltimore, Facebook Groups, Facebook's, GE Locations: Baltimore

☆ 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

As Tax Day approaches, there are plenty of things small business owners should keep in mind when filing taxes this year. Since business tax filing is complex, most experts recommend small business owners work with a professional tax adviser rather than trying to file on their own or even with tax-filing software. Here are things small business owners should consider as the April 15 deadline looms. There’s also a tax credit based on employer contribution, up to $1,000 annually per employee, over the plan’s first five years. Designed to help small businesses keep employees during pandemic-era shutdowns, the generous credit let businesses file amended tax returns to claim the credit.

Persons: ”, Amber Kellogg, “, it’s, Mitch Gerstein, Gerstein, There’s, Scott Orn, Orn, ” Orn, Danny Castro, Occams Organizations: Occams Advisory, Isdaner, Congress, Kruze Consulting, BDO USA, BBO, ERC, IRS Locations: Florida

☆ Garbage AI posts like Shrimp Jesus are destroying Facebook
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-26 | by ( Meghan Morris | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Related storiesLast week, a duo from Stanford University and Georgetown University published a paper — not yet peer-reviewed — about AI images on Facebook, after studying 120 Facebook pages through early March. It's been covered by other media outlets well before last week's study; 404 Media wrote about it in December. Meta's president of global affairs said in February that the company is working on generative AI labels it will roll out later this year. Notably, this comes in an election year that's already been marred by generative AI issues, online and off. But I don't want to see labeled generative AI content in my feed — I don't want any generative AI pictures at all.

Persons: —, I, Joseph, Jesus, I'm, Mark Zuckerberg, Matthew, that's Organizations: Service, Business, Facebook, Stanford University, Georgetown University, Media Locations: Indiana, mmorris, insider.com

☆ My whole family shares their location with each other. As an admitted worrier, I don't check it often.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-25 | by ( Jennifer Cannon | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

I can see my husband and two daughter's location at all times. I don't need to know everything my kids do, when knowing where they are gives me peace of mind. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . It's always been because of a delayed flight, and I do sometimes check his location instead of calling. AdvertisementAt the end of the day, the positives far outweigh the negatives for location-sharing when it comes to our family.

Persons: —, worrier, we've, texted, I've, unabashedly, We're, should've, It's, he's, Jennifer Organizations: Service, Business Locations: New Jersey

☆ I was a first-time homebuyer and got scammed out of $167,000 of my life savings
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-23 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Pat and Marisa Lawlor were the victims of real estate wire fraud in 2022. The realizationThe real email came exactly one week after the scammers made off with Lawlor's money, he said. The methodIt turns out that the scammers hacked into the escrow office's email server through a process called business email compromise. With real estate wire fraud, they target mom-and-pop independent brokers, escrow, or title companies like the one we used. We've started a GoFundMe fundraiser to get that money back and raise awareness about real estate wire fraud.

Persons: Pat, Marisa Lawlor, They've, —, Pat Lawlor, Marisa, We'd, San Fernando Valley, Lawlor, That's, it's, It's, we've, We've Organizations: Service, California Association of Realtors, Riverside, States Secret Services Locations: Los Angeles, San Fernando, Riverside County

☆ Over 27,000 student-loan borrowers are getting $4.1 million in payments in the mail after debt relief companies 'lured' them into 'fake loan forgiveness claims,' a federal consumer agency says
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewThousands of student-loan borrowers are getting checks in the mail after paying companies accused of scamming them for debt relief services. The Federal Trade Commission on Wednesday announced it would be sending over $4.1 million in refunds to 27,584 borrowers who gave money to South Dakota corporations Mission Hills Federal and Federal Direct Group. According to the press release, the FTC said the companies "lured consumers with fake loan forgiveness claims and pocketed their money." Advertisement"Moreover, because Defendants have failed to apply most or any of consumers' payments to their student loans, many consumers have accrued additional capitalized interest on the balance of their loans," the complaint said. Those with questions about the payments can contact JND Legal Administration — the company overseeing FTC's refunds — at 844-566-0108, or seek information through the FTC's refund information website.

Persons: — Organizations: Service, Federal Trade Commission, Wednesday, Mission Hills Federal, Federal Direct Group, Business, FTC, Court, Central, Central District of, —, Consumer Financial, Education Department Locations: South Dakota, Central District, Central District of California, California, reportfraud.ftc.gov

☆ 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

☆ Stanley cup maker has a plan to make its product launches less chaotic
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-01 | by ( Parija Bhatnagar | Parija Kavilanz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

It’s because the Stanley tumbler is arguably one of the most viral products of the moment. So Stanley maker PMI has taken a different approach with its newest limited edition tumbler launch of the much-hyped chocolate and gold Quencher. The new chocolate gold Stanley tumbler. From StanleyOn Tuesday, Stanley unveiled the limited-edition chocolate gold Quencher tumbler on its website. When Target dropped a limited-edition Valentine’s collection of Stanley tumblers in bright pink and cherry red tones in December, the situation wasn’t pretty.

Persons: New York CNN — Stanley, Stanley tumbler, it’s, Stanley, Nike —, ” Andrew Lipp, ”, ” Lipp, William Stanley, Jr, marveled, Stanley tumblers, ” Matt Navarro, Lipp Organizations: New, New York CNN, Stanley, PMI, Nike, CNN, “, Starbucks Locations: New York, Australia

☆ My dad almost paid a ransom after being told I was kidnapped — but it was all a scam
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Conz Preti | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

In 2017 my dad called me panicked in the middle of the night. AdvertisementI remember vividly the sound of my dad's voice asking me to turn on the camera on my phone. AdvertisementScammers called him in the middle of the nightThe next day, my dad explained what had happened. Someone called him in the middle of the night and told him I had been kidnapped and he needed to pay a ransom if he wanted to see me again. AdvertisementMy dad called me at 2 a.m.My dad gave my mom the phone and asked her to get the wire transfer information from them.

Persons: —, Scammers, Zers Organizations: Service, FBI Locations: Brooklyn, New York City, Argentina, Argentine

☆ US Supreme Court prepares to hear landmark social media cases
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-25 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Monday’s Supreme Court showdown in NetChoice v. Paxton and Moody v. NetChoice will determine whether states can forbid social media companies from blocking or removing user content that goes against platform rules. The Florida and Texas laws are broadly written, but officials from both states say the laws will keep social media sites from unfairly silencing conservatives. Social media platforms have insisted for years that they don’t discriminate against right-wing speech. It also allows individual social media users to sue platforms if they believe they have been unfairly censored or “deplatformed.”Florida Gov. The NetChoice cases reflect a deep divide in how many people see social media.

Persons: Paxton, Moody, Ron DeSantis, Florida’s, Carl Juste, Greg Abbott, Donald Trump, Biden, David Paul Morris, “, ”, ” David Greene Organizations: Washington CNN, Facebook, YouTube, Social, Gov, Florida Gov, Miami Herald, Texas ’, Circuit, Republican, Texas, Bloomberg, Getty, Frontier Foundation, EFF, CNN, Freedom, Press Locations: Texas, Florida, . Texas, NetChoice, Miami, Walnut Creek , California

☆ Gen Zers can't stop talking about their money troubles on TikTok. It could come at a cost.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Lindsay Dodgson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

AdvertisementThey are crying out about their finances to anyone who will listen — but it could come at a cost. They follow the money, putting paychecks above career steps that were once viewed as aspirational, like management positions or promotions. A job is just a job to Gen Z, who feel like the juice of career progression is not worth the squeeze. "So you just got to be really, really careful with the content you're consuming and the people that you're trusting." This can lead to financial envy and money anxiety, Imam said, as well as something called "money dysmorphia."

Persons: —, Abby Ferrell, she'd, Gen Z, It's, Markia Brown, Brown, it's, Imam Organizations: Service, Business

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