The Simpsons Library Instagram accounthas been documenting all of the books, magazines, and other printed matter that has appeared on the long-running sitcom.
“In the Paine, Ellsberg and Assange cases, those in power moved quickly to silence their critics even by perverting the course of justice”.
Four Corners v Julian Assange: your ABC, their sneers
SEPTA rape case is latest in a U.S. pandemic of police lying. There must be consequences Will Bunch, The Inquirer
“The Federal Bureau of Investigation is issuing this announcement to alert and help the public recognize and avoid spoofed, or fake, unemployment benefit websites. Cyber criminals have created these spoofed websites to collect personal and financial data from US victims. These spoofed websites imitate the appearance of and can be easily mistaken for legitimate websites offering unemployment benefits. Cyber criminals register website domains and email addresses to appear like those which legitimately facilitate the processing of unemployment benefits. These domains and email addresses often will have misspelled words or will replace “[.]gov” with “[.]xyz.” For example, one such domain is “illiform-gov[.]xyz.” These domains lead victims to malign websites that are usually similar in appearance to legitimate counterparts. The fake websites prompt victims to enter sensitive personal and financial information. Cyber actors use this information to redirect unemployment benefits, harvest user credentials, collect personally identifiable information, and infect victim’s devices with malware. In addition to a loss of benefits, victims of this activity can suffer a range of additional consequences, including ransomware infection and identity theft…”
Worldwide survey of scams by country; overall victims losing $47.8 Billion
FBI’s internet crime complaint center warns scammers are creating fake sites to apply for state unemployment benefits; collect personal information about people; ID theft risk high
South Africa: Eight Nigerians arrested with help of FBI and Secret Service, also head of local Black Axe chapter; engaged in romance fraud and other financial crimes
New FTC data spotlight looks at scammers impersonating Amazon; you get an email about a large order you supposedly placed, call scammers who move money from one account to another, claim they over refunded you and you need to return money; ask to remote into your PC; ask you to buy gift cards to “block” scammers. These are all tactics used by scammers in India with IRS or SSA scams.
Review and recommendation: I just watched the Outlaw Josie Wales again, which I had not seen for years. I highly recommend it, not just because that it is a great Clint Eastwood western, but also because it deals with how the North and South dealt with and reconciled after the Civil War. That had to be incredibly difficult.
BBB Studies. Here are links to the study topics: puppy fraud, romance fraud; BEC fraud, sweepstakes/lottery fraud, tech support fraud, romance fraud money mules, crooked movers, government imposters, online vehicle sale scams, rental fraud, gift cards and job scams.
Coronavirus
Fraud News Around the world
- FBI, EPA issue warning about cyber-attacks on US water and wastewater systems; include several ransomware attacks
- Fake Online pharmacies take off during Covid; real danger of dangerous counterfeit drugs
- 60 Minutes: Deep fake videos are really good
- NPR: Fake text messages up 146%; FCC wants to take action
- Virginia: Man pleads guilty to money laundering by shipping stolen cars to Nigeria; romance fraud victim
- Suspect who stole U-Haul calls police and ask them to stop chasing him
- Man calls 911 to report theft of truck at 2:11 am, later realizes he left it at bar
- Man says waitress at Waffle House pulled gun on him
- CFPB names senior staff after Chopra confirmed
- FTC releases report on activities involving people of color
- FTC puts 700 companies on notice that if they use fake reviews they can be subject to civil penalties (fines). List of companies here
- Analysis of FTC warnings to advertisers about reviews and endorsements
- CFPB settles with JPay; charged excess fees on debit cards issued to released inmates to bridge immediate expenses; to pay $6 million
- Veteran FTC Deputy Consumer Protection director Daniel Kaufman leaves FTC; goes to BakerHostetler
- FTC sends refunds of $1.1 million to those who bought dietary supplements for pain and aging issues
- FTC issues annual report to Congress on efforts to help older consumers
- Pennsylvania: Three plead guilty to PPP fraud; got $700,000
- New Jersey: Man pleads guilty to $6.8 million PPP fraud
- Massachusetts man charged with fraud in getting virus unemployment benefits
- Israeli hospital suffers attack
- New FinCEN study of Bank Secrecy Act data shows 487 ransomware cases all of last year; 635 for first half of 2021
- Attack on Sinclair broadcasting takes dozens of radio stations offline
- Accenture attack included loss of proprietary data
- Candy corn maker hit by ransomware
North Carolina: Jury convicts Liberian of romance fraud; took in $1.5 million; traveled to see victims in person to get money; pretended to be love interest for other scammersWe