Israel, working with FBI, arrests 26 for crypto investment fraud

Well, as they say, truth is the new hate speech.

Being alone with your thoughts is a skill you can practise Aeon Home Country Harpers      Revealed: Facebook’s Secret Blacklist of ‘Dangerous Individuals and Organizations.’ “As with other attempts to limit personal freedoms in the name of counterterrorism, Facebook’s DIO policy has become an unaccountable system that disproportionately punishes certain communities, critics say. It is built atop a blacklist of over 4,000 people and groups, including politicians, writers, charities, hospitals, hundreds of music acts, and long-dead historical figures.”

Top Stories   Russia CEO of cybersecurity company arrested and charged with treason; may have shared information with foreign intelligence services   Facebook marketplace has grown larger than Craigslist; vehicle scams have moved there; charges that Facebook does not adequately police it   UK says fraud up 30%; £753 million lost in last six months; increasing problem with money mules; becoming national security issue   ScamAdviser releases worldwide survey on scams 82% said they were exposed to a scam last year 71% said they could recognize a scam, but 67% fell for one last year Only 12% thought law enforcement is doing enough Head of the US National Security Agency says ransomware is a national security threat; discusses plans for fighting it     Reviews and recommendations:   One of our stops on vacation was Santiago de Compostela in Spain.  This is the end of a pilgrimage trail on which people hike long distances.  We saw hundreds of cheerful people arrive there every day.  This trip is also the subject of an excellent 2010 movie starring Martin Sheen, and directed by his son Emilio Estevez.   Shipping container fraud:  Believe it or not, crooks are now advertising shipping containers for sale. You know, the big metal boxes that carry goods on cargo ships.  Some people use them as storage sheds.  So Derek Smythe in South Africa, at AA419, tells the Fraud Report that the same scammers who engage in pet fraud (Cameroonians) have been increasingly “selling” and collecting money for containers that never arrive.   This has been reported around the world, most recently in Canada.  So far as I know this has not yet been on the radar in the U.S., but we need to be aware of it.   BBB Studies. Here are links to some of the study topics: puppy fraud, tech support fraud, romance fraud money mules, apartment rental, crooked movers, government imposters, online vehicle sale scams, rental fraud, gift cards and job scams.   Coronavirus  Detroit: Two charged for selling vaccination cards; one for selling counterfeit cards from China; the other a nurse who sold legitimate cards Texas: Man gets 15 months for virus hoax; claimed people with Covid had licked items in grocery store New York call center worker, three others arrested in scam that rented out hotel rooms reserved for virus quarantines; pocketed $400,000 Fraud News Around the world Japan agrees to assist Nigeria’s EFCC in fight against online scams Amazon settles case it brought against social media influencers for pushing counterfeit goods Seniors committing suicide after being scammed Scammers steal $1.5 million in Apple digital gift cards Scammers contacting nurses impersonating licensing board; or claim a crime was committed and demand payment of a “bond” Houston: Man from India pleads guilty to tech support fraud; got money through gift cards Louisiana: Prison for two from Mexico over timeshare resale fraud; Canadians also ripped off Boston: Nigerian charged with laundering scam investment money and sending it to Nigeria FCC to make phone carriers act against gateway carriers the allow foreign robocalls into the US Former military contractor gets 12 ½ years prison for identity theft of military and providing it to Philippines player who used it to steal benefits Crooked movers leave woman’s goods on the curb; tell neighbors they are free Meet the scam baiters; volunteers who goof with fraudsters UK seeing 63% increase in “courier fraud;” calls from scammers impersonating banks or police and asking for funds to “protect” assets Little hope of eliminating robocalls any time soon At request of Canadian gov’t Google pulls links to fake ArriveCan app UK group Which? sets up fake Facebook business page; finds it is easy to buy fake positive review; 97% of them based in Bangladesh Humor  Police find man standing in a corner covered with a blanket and with his feet sticking out RCMP releases new photos of men who broke into Dildo Pharmacy Man calls in bomb threat on Iowa McDonald’s because he did not get dipping sauce for McNuggets Missing drunk man joins search party looking for himself FTC and CFPB   Memo to staff from FTC Chair lists areas for potential change; including staffing up regional offices Senate confirms Chopra to head CFPB; leaves FTC tied 2-2 FTC sending checks for $1.1 million to victims of bogus income opportunities FTC sends warning letters to 70 for profit colleges; warn against deceptive claims about prospects for graduates Virus Benefit Theft Los Angeles: owner of trucking companies pleads guilty to PPP fraud; got $667,000 St. Louis: Two in timeshare exit company indicted for PPP fraud; got $2.8 million Omaha: Three charged with PPP fraud; got $489,000 Toronto: Fourth person charged in case stealing government virus benefits Brooklyn: Three bank employees charged with PPP fraud Audit finds Kansas paid $700 million in fraudulent unemployment claims Murder defendant charged in fraud with unemployment benefits Business Email compromise fraud (read BBB study) Indonesia: Four arrested for BEC fraud Delaware: Illinois man, probable Nigerian, pleads guilty to laundering BEC and romances scam victim funds New Jersey: Man pleads guilty to conspiracy; handled $700,000 from BEC fraud, romance fraud, virus benefit fraud and funds from fake tax returns Buffalo, New York: Nigerian man charged with BEC fraud Social Media Top ten scams on social media; Facebook is #1 Ransomware   Hits Kansas hospital Attack shuts down Iowa grain co-op Shuts down trade publication Sandhill Global Ukraine arrests two for ransomware; tried to get $80 million ransom Attacks cripple two Indiana hospitals Attack on hospital in suburban Washington, DC Data Breaches  Neiman Marcus suffers data breach; lose info on 4.6 million people Bitcoin and cryptocurrency Israel, working with FBI, arrests 26 for crypto investment fraud IRS and tax frauds  Florida man sentenced to 54 months (4.5 years) in prison for stolen identity refund fraud; filed 745 bogus returns ATM skimming Massachusetts: Romanian man pleads guilty to RICO charges over ATM skimming Romance Fraud and Sextortion (read BBB romance fraud study) Romance frauds increase in China, called “pig butchering” there Thailand: Nigerian man and local woman arrested for romance fraud Miami: Jury convicts man of money laundering for romance and investment scams; sent money to Nigeria