#scams
#scams

Generative AI helping criminals create more sophisticated cyber attacks'

Generative AI tools like ChatGPT are being used by cybercriminals to create more convincing scams.

AI is also being used to help boost cyber defenses by identifying evolving threats.

The use of AI to create and spread disinformation is seen as a key threat in the future. [ more ]

San Francisco Bay Times

Be on the Lookout for Online Scams - San Francisco Bay Times

Total losses reported to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) increased by 84% in 2022 to $3.1 billion.

Tech and customer support schemes are the most common type of fraud reported, while investment fraud saw a 300% jump in monetary losses.

Scammers are becoming more sophisticated and are able to appear genuine and trustworthy, making it important to be on guard and skeptical of suspicious messages or requests. [ more ]

morecybersecurity

The Daily Dot

2 weeks ago

'He was really in the trenches': Viewers slam popular influencer for scamming small artist out of $20

Indie musicians use influencer marketing for success, but must beware of scams. [ more ]

Forbes

Top 10 Ways To Make Money Online In 2024, From Research

Opportunities for making money online abundant in 2024 with AI tools and flexibility.

Caution advised against 'get rich quick' schemes and scammers in online money-making ventures. [ more ]

english.elpais.com

3 weeks ago

Why Facebook has been filled with Jesus Christs made with eggs, spaghetti or cauliflowers

Facebook promotes AI-generated Jesus images for audience growth. [ more ]

Theregister

Chinese media exposes criminal smartphone farms

Smartphone motherboards used in bulk for scams and crimes

Operators of phone farms change IP addresses to evade detection [ more ]

time.com

The Internet Made Romantic Betrayal Even More Devastating

Online dating can lead to elaborate scams and romantic betrayal with high emotional stakes.

In the digital age, creating a fabricated persona online has become easier than ever, contributing to an increase in deceptive relationships. [ more ]

USA TODAY

Real products, fake endorsements: Why experts say AI-generated ads will get tougher to spot

MrBeast's likeness was replicated using AI in a deepfake video without his permission.

The rise of deepfake advertising poses a serious problem as scammers can create realistic fake celebrity endorsements. [ more ]

disinformation

Mashable ME

Report finds that Big Tech's ad monitoring tools are failing miserably. X is the worst.

Big Tech's ad transparency tools are failing, with X scoring the worst, hindering efforts to combat scams and disinformation. [ more ]

Mashable SEA | Latest Entertainment & Trending

Report finds that Big Tech's ad monitoring tools are failing miserably. X is the worst.

Big Tech's ad transparency tools, crucial for monitoring scams and disinformation, are found to be ineffective across various platforms. [ more ]

Mashable

Report finds that Big Tech's ad monitoring tools are failing miserably. X is the worst.

Big Tech's ad transparency tools are failing to provide meaningful data, hindering the ability to track scams and disinformation. [ more ]

moredisinformation

fraud

www.independent.co.uk

UK news

Scammer star of podcast claimed to be a psychic, witch and Irish heiress, victims say

Marianne Smyth posed as an Irish heiress and psychic to scam victims in America, facing extradition for fraud in Northern Ireland.

Reminiscent of Anna Sorokin, Smyth's scams involve impersonation, manipulation, and stealing money from victims through grand tales. [ more ]

www.independent.co.uk

UK news

Labour MP gives out bank details after scammer pretended she missed parcel

Fraud is prevalent, affecting millions in the UK. Even public figures like MPs can fall victim to scams. [ more ]

english.elpais.com

The other Bitcoin rally: How scams are cashing in on the cryptocurrency fever

Bitcoin has seen a 217% increase, outperforming other investments. Cryptocurrency scams are on the rise, with losses reaching $3.94 billion in 2023. [ more ]

time.com

Business

New Study Estimates as Much as $75 Billion in Global Victims' Losses to Pig-Butchering Scam

Scammers stole over $75 billion through pig-butchering scam

Crypto addresses of over 4,000 victims tracked to Southeast Asia scammers [ more ]

WIRED

How to Not Get Scammed Out of $50,000

Experts emphasize vulnerability to social engineering by scammers.

High alert, avoid isolation, and report suspicious activity to thwart scammers. [ more ]

Brooklyn Eagle

Combating elder abuse and scams against seniors

Elder abuse is on the rise, including physical, psychological, and financial exploitation.

Fraud against older adults resulted in $3.1 billion in losses in 2022, an 82.35% increase from the previous year. [ more ]

morefraud

identity-theft

Mail Online

The rise of 'ghost hacking' - hackers are stealing from the dead

Scammers use 'ghost hacking' to target deceased individuals' accounts for scams and theft.

Family members of the deceased can be emotionally manipulated by such scams. [ more ]

Entrepreneur

Don't Fall Victim to Rental Fraud. Adopt These Smart Practices to Prevent This From Happening to You. | Entrepreneur

Rental fraud is on the rise with 67% increase in U.S. from 2019 to 2021.

Real estate investors face various types of rental fraud like identity theft and subletting scams. [ more ]

AI heralds the next generation of financial scams

Voice cloning is a new tool used by tricksters

It allows them to mimic someone's voice and use it for nefarious purposes [ more ]

moreidentity-theft

generative-ai

Theintrinsicperspective

Here lies the internet, murdered by generative AI

Generative AI is flooding the internet with low-quality content, leading to a pollution of online spaces.

Authors are increasingly facing the impact of AI-generated content in the form of fake 'workbooks' and scams. [ more ]

Axios

Career

Job scams skyrocket

Fake job offers are on the rise in the U.S.

Scammers use generative AI and informal work communication to target job seekers. [ more ]

CNET

AI and You: ChatGPT Helps Author Win Literary Prize, Taylor Swift Isn't Pitching Cookware

Generative AI can be used to create deepfakes that manipulate audio and video, raising concerns about misinformation and manipulation.

Recent deepfakes involving Taylor Swift, Elon Musk, and Joe Biden highlight the potential dangers of this technology. [ more ]

Intelligencer

Celebrities Already Live in AI Hell

The use of generative AI to create fake celebrity endorsements has become a widespread issue, with ads featuring celebrity voices and likenesses endorsing scams and fraudulent products.

Celebrities have been warning their fans about the rise of AI clones and deepfakes, as they encounter fake versions of themselves promoting products or engaging in fraudulent activities. [ more ]

moregenerative-ai

AdExchanger

Netflix Enters The Live 'Sports' Arena; Google Shills Fake Weight Loss Gummies | AdExchanger

Livestreams are becoming essential for sports leagues to reach more fans and ad dollars.

Some scamsters use Google Analytics and Adsense to promote fake products and make money online. [ more ]

The Drum

Santander on how it tackled fraud with Ant & Dec

Santander and House 337 won the Consumer Services category at The Drum Awards for Social Media.

Fraud and scams are a persistent problem for Santander and other UK banks, with consumers losing over Â£1.3 billion to financial fraud in 2021. [ more ]

BuzzFeed

Scammers Are Probably Trying To "Smish" You. Here's What You Need To Know

Smishing, or SMS phishing, is a scam where bad actors try to get personal and banking information through unsolicited text messages.

Americans lost $330 million to smishing scams in 2022, with a median loss of $1,000. [ more ]

WSJ

Teen Boys Are Falling for a Snapchat Nude-Photo Scam. Here's How to Avoid It.

Scammers are using an online nude-photo scam to extort money from teen boys.

The scam involves scammers posing as teen girls to befriend boys online and exchange nude photos.

The scammers then demand money from the boys and threaten to share their photos if they don't pay. [ more ]

euronews

1 week ago

Information security

Cybercrime on the rise thanks to artificial intelligence

The global cost of cybercrime is estimated to reach 11.2 trillion euros a year by 2025. [ more ]

BKReader

2 weeks ago

Information security

Top 10 Tips for Seniors to Defend Against Scammers

Seniors are frequent targets of scammers due to trust and digital unfamiliarity. [ more ]

First For Women

5 days ago

Remote teams

Work From Home Airline Jobs: No Degree Required | First For Women

Be cautious of work-from-home airline job scams. Genuine opportunities are available with reputable airlines for roles like customer service, reservations, and administrative services. [ more ]

Remotive Blog

6 months ago

Remote teams

Finding a Data Entry Clerk Remote Position

Finding remote data entry jobs can be challenging due to high competition and scams.

Researching the company is crucial to avoid falling for fake job postings. [ more ]

www.npr.org

3 days ago

US news

AI-generated spam is starting to fill social media. Here's why

The proliferation of AI-generated images on social media platforms such as Facebook is leading to a bizarre and creepy user experience for many users. [ more ]

www.nytimes.com

2 days ago

Chelsea

Chelsea' Asked for Nude Pictures. Then the Sextortion Began.

Financial sextortion is a rapidly growing cybercrime targeting men, like David, who are coerced into sending explicit images followed by extortion threats. [ more ]

Coindesk

1 week ago

Exploiter Steals $68M Worth of Crypto Through Address Poisoning

A user lost $68 million worth of wrapped bitcoin due to address poisoning. [ more ]

London Business News | Londonlovesbusiness.com

3 weeks ago

Do your own crypto research: Don't just trust the hype

Conduct thorough research in cryptocurrency investing to avoid scams and misinformation. [ more ]

Coindesk

As Crypto World Watches SEC, Chair Gensler Says (Again) That Sector is Dangerous

SEC Chair Gary Gensler warns about the hazards of investing in digital assets amidst the pending decision on a Bitcoin ETF.

There is a concern about scams and fraud in the crypto sector, and companies may not be compliant with securities laws. [ more ]

Poynter

2 weeks ago

Medicine

Deepfake video falsely pitches dietary supplement "created with Pfizer" as diabetes remedy - Poynter

Posts claiming to help avoid health scams on Facebook may be scams themselves, like the deepfake video warning about Dr. Oz's scams. [ more ]

WIRED

How to Protect Yourself (and Your Loved Ones) From AI Scam Calls

Scammers are increasingly using AI voice cloning to trick victims into sending money or information.

AI voice clones are becoming more realistic and capable, making it harder to detect fraudulent calls. [ more ]

MobileAppAaily

AI Is Breaking More Hearts This Valentine's Day

77% of Indians have encountered at least one fake profile generated and completely handled by AI on dating apps and social media.

81% of Indians observed better responses to AI-generated messages than their own, leading to a positive view of AI for romance. [ more ]

Futurism

FCC Bans Robocalls With AI-Generated Voices

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has banned unsolicited robocalls that use AI-generated voices.

The ban is in accordance with the 1991 Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). [ more ]

www.mercurynews.com

FCC bans AI-generated voices in robocalls

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has banned robocalls that use AI-generated voices, sending a clear message that the technology will not be exploited for scams or voter manipulation.

The ruling empowers the FCC to fine companies using AI voices, allows call recipients to file lawsuits, and enables state attorneys general to crack down on violators. [ more ]

www.npr.org

The FCC says AI voices in robocalls are illegal

The FCC has ruled that robocalls using AI-generated voices are illegal due to concerns over scams and voter deception.

AI-generated voices have been used in robocalls to extort money from vulnerable individuals and imitate celebrities.

The ruling allows the FCC to fine violators, block telephone companies carrying the calls, and gives victims the ability to sue robocallers using AI. [ more ]

Theregister

The FCC wants to criminalize AI robocall spam

The FCC is seeking to make AI-powered robocalls illegal due to concerns about scams using voice-cloning technology.

State Attorneys General offices may receive new tools to crack down on robocall scams if this technology is recognized as illegal under existing law. [ more ]

Brooklyn Paper

Brooklyn

Brooklyn DA's office busts million-dollar 'pig butchering' crypto scam operation * Brooklyn Paper

Virtual Currency Unit dismantles pig butchering operation that defrauded millions.

Pig butchering scams lure victims with promises of financial returns, block withdrawals, causing complete loss. [ more ]

Axios

Ransomware attacks aren't as sophisticated as you'd think

Cybercriminals are self-centered and egotistical.

Ransomware gangs are known to scam and betray each other. [ more ]

New York Post

How to protect yourself from Venmo, Zelle and Cash App scams that ruin your savings in seconds

Mobile payment apps pose risks to both financial security and personal safety.

Manhattan district attorney demands improved security measures from app companies. [ more ]

New York Post

How to avoid these 5 popular gift card scams this holiday season

Gift card fraud has increased by 50% compared to last year, according to the Better Business Bureau.

Common gift card scams include tampering with cards on display racks and impersonating someone you know or trust. [ more ]

Kotaku

Video games

Helldivers 2 Players Scammed By Fake Steam Listings

Developers facing fraudulent game listings on Steam

Valve taking swift action to address the issue [ more ]

theweek

EU data protection

The latest scam tactics to look out for in 2024

The government has launched a campaign called Stop! Think Fraud to help people spot and report fraud, which costs society £6.8 billion annually.

Scams account for 40% of crime in England and Wales, with an estimated 3.2 million offences each year. [ more ]

Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles

In a Stanley cup daze? Woman wheels $2,500 in cups out of store without paying, police say

A Sacramento woman was arrested for shoplifting dozens of Stanley cups worth $2,500.

The popularity of Stanley cups has led to fights and scams, with some cups being sold for as much as $5,000. [ more ]

sfist.com

San Francisco

San Rafael Couple Nearly Scammed Out of $15,000 by AI Fake of Their Son's Voice

Scammers are using AI-generated voices to deceive people and orchestrate scams.

The availability of AI tools for voice manipulation has made it easier for scammers to mimic someone's voice. [ more ]

New York Post

New York City

Fear and Loathing at Floyd Bennett Field: Neighbors fume migrants' arrival brought 'lawlessness'

Increased crime rates and lawlessness have been reported in the communities near Brooklyn's Floyd Bennett Field since 2,000 migrants were moved there.

Residents have observed shoplifting, panhandling, gutter scams, and signs of street prostitution in the area.

Some migrants are engaging in scams like pretending to get injured in traffic accidents and extorting money from drivers. [ more ]

Deseret News

AI-generated Taylor Swift ad sweeps the internet as celebrity deepfakes become more common

Taylor Swift AI deepfake scam circulating online using her likeness and voice to endorse cookware.

Celebrity deepfake scams are becoming more common, prompting warnings from organizations like the Better Business Bureau. [ more ]

www.fastcompany.com

5 cybersecurity predictions for 2024

Cybersecurity costs are predicted to rise globally to $10.5 trillion by 2025 as cybercrime becomes more sophisticated.

AI-powered scams and advanced phishing techniques are expected to increase in 2024. [ more ]

Above the Law

Law

Think Twice Before Getting Those Gift Card Stocking Stuffers

Gift card scams are evolving with new tactics

Thieves are cutting the top of gift cards and replacing them to steal the funds [ more ]

The Times of India