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FCC issues record $300 million fine for auto warranty robocallers
After a months-long investigation, the FCC has decided to go ahead with its proposed record-setting $300 million fine against “the largest illegal robocall operation” the agency had ever encountered. This is the largest fine ever issued by the FCC, due to the massive scope and illegality of the robocalling operation.
Scammers used AI-generated Frank Ocean songs to steal thousands of dollars
More AI-generated music mimicking a famous artist has made the rounds — while making lots of money for the scammer passing it off as genuine. A collection of fake Frank Ocean songs sold for a reported $13,000 CAD last month on a music-leaking forum devoted to the Grammy-winning singer.
Hinge is adding video identity verification to combat scam accounts and catfishing
Selfie Verification will prompt users to upload a video of themselves to confirm they look like the person pictured in their profile.
US Treasury asks regulators to take more action against crypto scams
The Treasury has called on federal regulators to further crack down against crypto scams.
Senate committee chair grills Apple, Google over protection against crypto app scams
A Senate committee chair has asked the CEOs of Apple and Google to explain what they do to fight crypto app fraud.
Traders are selling themselves their own NFTs to drive up prices
Traders are selling themselves their own NFTs to drive up prices, according to a new report by Chainalysis.
Apple makes it easier to report bad apps and scams
Following reports that revealed that a significant percentage of top App Store apps were scams, Apple is allowing users to report such behavior.
T-Mobile, AT&T and Verizon have taken steps to reduce spoofed scam calls
All three major US carriers have met the deadline to implement the FCC's new anti-spoofing protocol designed to protect users from scam caller impersonation.
Report suggests two percent of the top 1,000 App Store titles were scams
A report suggests two percent of the top 1,000 App Store titles were scams, including VPNs, dating apps and QR readers.
PayPal has a fraud problem
A string of 'invoice' scams suggests PayPal isn't doing enough to prevent fraud.
Twitter's Bitcoin hackers had almost limitless access
Imagine getting the keys to the Twitter kingdom -- access to all the account admin panels in the world. What would you do? If you're any kind of seasoned attacker, you wouldn't blow your own cover by tweeting from the world's biggest accounts -- for a bitcoin scam.
Two Nigerians face US charges over online fraud worth 'hundreds of millions'
Two Nigerians have been sent to the US to face charges over massive online fraud schemes.
Facebook Messenger adds pop-ups to warn users about scams
Facebook wants to make it harder for scammers to trick unsuspecting users on Messenger.
FCC proposal would help fight one-ring call scams
The FCC may allow voice service providers to block one-ring robocall scams.
Facebook’s new Messenger hub shares tips for staying connected virtually
Today, Facebook launched a new "Messenger Coronavirus Community Hub," which so far basically just explains how people, communities and businesses can use Messenger to stay connected during the coronavirus pandemic. If you already use Messenger, this isn't going to introduce any groundbreaking ideas or features. Instead, the hub will provide tips like how parents and educators, for example, can host virtual playdates or use voice and video calls to check in on students and colleagues.
Porn bots are now storming Twitter's trending topics
Instagram isn't the only social media app being invaded by porn bots. Now they're on Twitter, too. For the past few days, as I was scrolling through Twitter's trending section, I noticed a number of accounts showing similar behavior as the bots that have taken over Instagram comments. But, whereas on Instagram they're leaving messages like "We gonna ignore the fact that I've GOT A HUGE BOOTY?" or "DON'T LOOK at my STORY, if you don't want to M A S T U R B A T E !" on Twitter the spam also includes pictures of women in bikinis and a bunch of words relevant to topics currently trending on Twitter. And they're even more brazen in their attempts to lure in gullible readers, with messages like "I moan very much during sex, if this does not scare you, call me on whatsapp."
Instagram’s 'huge booty' problem keeps getting worse
There isn't a day when I don't come across comments from bots on Instagram. They're all over the place. But there's nothing they love more than to spam high-profile pages with millions of followers. Whether it's LeBron James, Kim Kardashian, ESPN or Ariana Grande, their posts are often the target of comments such as "We gonna ignore the fact that I've GOT A HUGE BOOTY?" or "DON'T LOOK at my STORY, if you don't want to M A S T U R B A T E !" Behind these, are fake accounts featuring pictures and videos of naked and half-naked women, whose primary goal is to get people to sign up for shady porn sites. This has become a serious problem for Instagram, one that seems to be getting worse by the day and that the company needs to get a handle on, before it gets more out of control.
Drake sparks hundreds of fake eBay listings for Steph Curry's hair lint
Aubrey Graham, better known to the world as Drake, is basically a human meme. He has this uncanny ability to make people on the internet want to turn anything he does into viral content. Drake also happens to be an ultimate troll. Last night, during game one of the 2019 NBA Finals between the Golden State Warriors and Toronto Raptors, he exchanged some words with superstar Steph Curry. As that was happening, Drake seemingly took a moment to pull lint out of Curry's hair. That may seem strange, but you should know that Drake has Curry's number tattooed on his arm. Yes, even though he's a Raptors fan. After the game, which the Raptors won, Drake then had an exchange with another Warriors player: Draymond Green, who was on the receiving end of something along the lines of "you're trash."
Bots have invaded Instagram comments
The last thing I expected to find on Instagram was someone telling me not to look at their Story if I didn't want to masturbate. But that comment, which I can only assume was intended reverse psychology, wasn't just directed at me. It was left on a post from Sky Sports and, thanks to the thousands of likes garnered by the comment, it was the first thing the account's 2.7 million followers would see when they looked at the comments on that picture. There are similar comments all over Instagram, particularly on high-profile pages with millions of followers. And they have one thing in common: They're spam profiles with pictures and videos of naked and half-naked women, which were created to get you to look at their accounts and then have you sign up for shady pornographic sites.
T-Mobile starts verifying callers to fight spam
More US carriers are taking steps to prevent junk calls from reaching your phone. T-Mobile has launched a Caller Verified system that uses new standards (SHAKEN and STIR) to fight caller ID spoofing and ensure the number you see is real. Ideally, this makes it harder for ad spammers and tech support scammers to dodge screening efforts and blacklist apps.
