cybercrime

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Silicon Valley Exec Scammed Out of $400K

Rana Robillard thought she was sending a down payment, was actually having her money stolen

(Newser) - A Silicon Valley executive who was on the brink of buying a house instead ended up scammed out of nearly $400,000. Rana Robillard told her story to NBC News as a warning to other homebuyers about how sophisticated cybercrime has become. An email in late January, apparently from her...

Ticketmaster Customers Won't Love This News

Data breaches and scalpers reverse-engineering ticket resale barcodes are making headlines

(Newser) - If you're a Ticketmaster customer, you may have a concerning email waiting for you. Customers in the US, Canada, and Mexico have received a cautionary message from Ticketmaster to "be vigilant and take steps to protect against identity theft and fraud"—including by keeping close tabs on...

Man Accused of Setting Up 'Evil Twin' WiFi at Airports

He allegedly used network to steal login details, access personal information

(Newser) - After the arrest of a man accused of setting up "evil twin" WiFi networks in multiple airports to steal people's data, police in Australia warned the public about using free networks. Perth resident Michael Clapsis, 42, appeared in a court in the city Friday and was granted bail...

Hackers: We Stole Data on 560M Ticketmaster Customers

Hacking group ShinyHunters offers to sell data for $500K

(Newser) - Ticketmaster's bad month appears to be getting worse. A well-known hacking group claims to have stolen information on 560 million customers, Quartz reports. In a post on a hacking forum, the group, ShinyHunters, offered to sell the 1.3 terabytes of data for a "one-time price" of $500,...

England Has Its First Conviction for Cyberflashing

Nicholas Hawkes was found guilty of sending unsolicited photos of his genitals, gets 5.5 years

(Newser) - England's first convicted cyberflasher was sentenced Tuesday to 5 1/2 years in prison. Nicholas Hawkes, 39, a convicted sex offender who sent unsolicited photos of his genitals to a girl and a woman, was the first person in England and Wales convicted of violating the Online Safety Act, per...

FTC Issues Warning on QR Code Scams
FTC: Beware of QR Code Scams
Dec 11, 2023 2:40 PM CST

FTC: Beware of QR Code Scams

Agency says squares can conceal 'harmful links'

(Newser) - QR codes have become ubiquitous, especially since the pandemic, but the Federal Trade Commission says consumers shouldn't let their guard down. In a blog post , the FTC warns that scammers can use the jumbles of black-and-white squares to hide harmful links and steal personal information. The agency says scammers...

How Did Little Tokelau Become a Cybercrime Hub? Think '.tk'

'MIT Technology Review' unpacks the inadvertent twist for Pacific territory

(Newser) - Unless you're a geography buff, you may never have heard of the tiny Pacific territory of Tokelau. It's no wonder: As Jacob Judah explains in the MIT Technology Review , Tokelau is made up of three small atolls, has only about 1,400 inhabitants, and didn't even get...

He Lost Life Savings to Scam. The Bank Stepped Up

Australia's ANZ recognized 78-year-old Alex Shaw, who has dementia, had been taken for $300K

(Newser) - An elderly man from Down Under who was scammed out of his life savings has received a reprieve, in a tale described by the Good News Network as "a story of corporate responsibility in the face of personal tragedy." ABC Australia notes that although scam victims in the...

Cops: Cyberscam Led Man to Kill His Family

Thai police say Sanit Dokmai, now charged with premeditated murder, also tried to take his own life

(Newser) - At least 11 people are suspected to be involved with a loan scam that allegedly drove a man to kill his wife and two young boys before trying to take his own life in their family home, Thai police said Wednesday. Sanit Dokmai has been charged with premeditated murder after...

Energy Department, Other Agencies Hit by 'Intrusions'

Ransomware attack that appears to have exploited a computer flaw has affected other groups globally

(Newser) - The Department of Energy and multiple other federal agencies are the victims of a ransomware attack that has already hit businesses in the UK and elsewhere around the globe. The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, or CISA, is lending support to those agencies "that have experienced intrusions,"...

FBI: Don't Use Free Public Phone-Charging Stations
FBI: Free Public
Phone-Charging
Stations Are Dangerous
in case you missed it
Apr 15, 2023 4:15 PM CDT

FBI: Free Public Phone-Charging Stations Are Dangerous

Malware could be introduced onto your device, bureau warns

(Newser) - Desperate for some juice for your phone while traveling? Don't resort to using a free public phone-charging station, the FBI warns. "Avoid using free charging stations in airports, hotels or shopping centers," the FBI's Denver office tweets . "Bad actors have figured out ways to use...

Russian Cybercriminals and Miami Gangs Find Synergy
Miami Street Gangs 
Feed Off Russian Hackers 
longform
Mar 13, 2022 2:15 PM CDT

Miami Street Gangs Feed Off Russian Hackers

For gangs, identity theft is an easy way to raise money, and Russian criminals are making it easy

(Newser) - "Fraud is the new dope." So says Armando Aguilar of the Miami Police, per a recent report by Thomas Brewster for Forbes about links between Miami street gangs and Russian cybercriminals. Gangs have always seen identity theft as a low-risk funding source. Crips from the East Coast to...

Scammers Clone Exec's Voice, Steal $35M From Bank

Dubai investigators say deepfake technology fooled bank manager

(Newser) - The crimes of the future are here today, according to a court document connected to a $35 million bank heist in the United Arab Emirates. Per the document, investigators in Dubai say a bank manager "received a phone call that claimed to be from the company headquarters. The caller...

The Publishing World Has Been Battling a Truly Bizarre Thief

Someone has been working to access manuscripts for years, but not for profit

(Newser) - Reeves Wiedeman has spent years trying to unravel a literary-world mystery, and his lengthy recap of his digging for New York Magazine is confounding at times. As is the mystery. In simplest terms, for the past four years someone has been using somewhat sophisticated measures to try to steal book...

'Stupidly Obvious' Flaw Led to Massive Xbox Fraud
'Stupidly Obvious' Flaw
Led to Massive Xbox Fraud
longform
Jul 10, 2021 8:00 AM CDT

'Stupidly Obvious' Flaw Led to Massive Xbox Fraud

Microsoft engineer was able to generate millions in fake gift-card codes and sell them

(Newser) - The crime was audacious, lucrative, and relatively simple—and the mastermind might have gotten away with it had he not gotten too greedy, too fast. Last year, a Microsoft engineer was imprisoned over fraud related to Xbox gift cards, and Bloomberg now offers an in-depth look at Volodymyr Kvashuk's...

Feds Charge Russian in Plot to Sow Distrust

They say he was part of 'Project Lakhta'

(Newser) - The Trump administration has charged a Russian national in a sweeping plot to sow distrust in the American political process and imposed sanctions against a Russia-linked Ukrainian lawmaker accused of interfering in the US presidential election. Those actions on Thursday, combined with a Microsoft announcement on hacking attempts targeting US...

Working From Home During Virus? Beware of 'Zoombombs'
Working From Home During
Virus? Beware of 'Zoombombs'
THE RUNDOWN
Apr 1, 2020 12:27 PM CDT

Working From Home During Virus? Beware of 'Zoombombs'

FBI warns that hackers are 'hijacking' videoconferencing app

(Newser) - As the coronavirus pandemic rages on, people stuck at home have taken to using videoconferencing apps to hold work meetings and chat with family and friends. One such app that's become ubiquitous: Zoom, founded by Cisco engineer Eric Yuan. But be careful before you log in for that virtual...

Brazil Accuses Glenn Greenwald of Cybercrimes

Prosecutors allege the US journalist was involved in hacking phones of officials

(Newser) - "The reporting will continue." So tweeted American journalist Glenn Greenwald on Tuesday as federal prosecutors in Brazil accused him of cybercrimes. They allege he "helped, encouraged, and guided" phone hackers who accessed messages sent between prosecutors and other officials who were involved in a corruption investigation, reports...

Visa Issues Warning About Buying Your Gas Like This

Using cards at gas pumps can be risky, Visa says

(Newser) - Ever wonder about the safety of using credit cards at gas pumps? Well, Visa has issued two recent security alerts ( here and here ) about cybercrime groups that have hacked North American fuel dispensers, installed malware, and culled out what appears to be unencrypted card data, ZDNet reports. Seems...

Johansson Talks Deepfake Porn
Johansson Talks 
Deepfake Porn
Jan 1, 2019 10:15 AM CST

Johansson Talks Deepfake Porn

The actor laments a seedy Internet practice

(Newser) - Scarlett Johansson is throwing in the towel: How can deepfake porn be stopped? For the uninitiated, deepfakes are AI-generated videos that place one person's face on another's body to simulate them doing something they'd likely never do, per Business Insider . Deepfakes can be fairly harmless fun—like...

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