Scams
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Deepfakes of Elon Musk are pushing crypto giveaway scams on YouTube Live
A YouTube Live broadcast that ran for five hours today used a deepfake of Elon Musk to push a cryptocurrency scam. It's only the latest in a series of these scams, which tell users to deposit their crypto in order to receive double in a giveaway.
Someone apparently hacked 50 Cent’s accounts to peddle a memecoin and made off with millions
Scammers used 50 Cent’s X account and website, Thisis50, to push $GUNIT on Friday, the rapper said in an Instagram post.
Google announces new scam detection tools that provide real-time alerts during phone calls
Google just announced forthcoming scam detection tools coming to Android phones later this year. It provides real-time alerts.
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.