Now comes the final countdown to either peace or war The Saker
Visualizing the Accumulation of Human-Made Mass on Earth Visual Capitalist
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My new BBB study on online shopping fraud
Thought of the week: Who is behind the scams? For example, we know many/most lottery scams are conducted from Jamaica, Romanian gangs are deeply involved in selling nonexistent vehicles online and in ATM skimming, and free trial offer scams usually emanate from the US and Canada. Where law enforcement knows who is behind the scams, they can focus their efforts to fight it better. So I try to give the best information available about who the scammers are. This is an organized industry and there is a need to focus if we are to fight it. Of course nothing on criminal groups can suggest that the broader populations of countries are complicit in the scams, any more than the presence of Al Capone in Chicago tells you anything about the character of the its citizens. In fact, criminal gangs often prey on local people. In these sensitive times there is a temptation to disguise countries where the scams flourish to avoid the potential of being accused of giving offense. But crime exists, it tends to concentrate in specific places, and law enforcement both in those countries and elsewhere need the best information available to combat it.
BBB Studies. Here are links to the study topics of my studies: 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.
Virus ScamsFraud News Around the world
Romance Fraud and Sextortion
My new BBB study on online shopping fraud
- Biggest overall source of complaints to the BBB
- Breaks down into several categories:
- Pet scams 30%, nonexistent vehicle scams, free trial offers
- Biggest category is items sold on Facebook/Instagram
- Nothing delivered, counterfeits, or cheap knockoffs instead
- Payment by credit card or PayPal
- Web sites often pretend to be in the US, items mailed from China
Thought of the week: Who is behind the scams? For example, we know many/most lottery scams are conducted from Jamaica, Romanian gangs are deeply involved in selling nonexistent vehicles online and in ATM skimming, and free trial offer scams usually emanate from the US and Canada. Where law enforcement knows who is behind the scams, they can focus their efforts to fight it better. So I try to give the best information available about who the scammers are. This is an organized industry and there is a need to focus if we are to fight it. Of course nothing on criminal groups can suggest that the broader populations of countries are complicit in the scams, any more than the presence of Al Capone in Chicago tells you anything about the character of the its citizens. In fact, criminal gangs often prey on local people. In these sensitive times there is a temptation to disguise countries where the scams flourish to avoid the potential of being accused of giving offense. But crime exists, it tends to concentrate in specific places, and law enforcement both in those countries and elsewhere need the best information available to combat it.
BBB Studies. Here are links to the study topics of my studies: 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.
Virus ScamsFraud News Around the world
- Maryland man (Cameroonian?) gets 2.4 years for pet fraud; over 100 victims
- Interpol arrests 1003 cybercrime suspects around the world in four month effort; includes romance scams, investment fraud
- Why you should avoid using Google to find company phone numbers; scammers impersonating them post the numbers
- New phishing scam claims your TSA precheck is expiring; asks for your info
- Europol arrests 12, seize €2.6 million worth of goods in effort against counterfeit goods, take down 500,000 web sites
- EFCC in Nigeria arrests at least 60 at Yahoo boys award ceremony
- Multilevel marketing hits Gen Z
- WalMart pulls toy that sings about cocaine use and swears in Polish
- Los Angeles woman leads cops in a chase with bread truck
- The FTC sends information requests for data on supply chain disruptions to major retailers
- FTC sending $1.8 million in refunds to victims from Lifewatch action
- Eight civilians with Philadelphia police charged with unemployment fraud
- Philadelphia: Tax preparer indicted in conspiracy over PPP and EIDL loan fraud; got $7.3 million
- Boston: Man pleads guilty to PPP fraud; got $220,000
- Michigan paid $3.9 billion in unemployment to ineligible claimants
- Jury convicts Florida woman for PPP fraud; got $2 million
- Texas man sentenced to more than 9 years for PPP fraud; got $1.6 million
- North Dakota: Man indicted for PPP fraud; got $330,000
- Shipping giant Swire hit by ransomware
- Closes campuses of Lewis and Clark Community College
- Attack on IKEA email systems
- Survey: 48% of employees at companies asked to aid ransomware
- Shuts down Pennsylvania community college
- Attacks worlds largest wind turbine company in Denmark
- Hack of DNA database site gets data, including SSN’s, of 2 million
- Breach at California Pizza Kitchen loses SSNs of 100,000 employees
Romance Fraud and Sextortion
“Why is bullshit so common in some organizations? Existing explanations focus on the characteristics of bullshitters, the nature of the audience, and social structural factors which encourage bullshitting. In this paper, I offer an alternative explanation: bullshitting is a social practice that organizational members engage with to become part of a speech community, to get things done in that community, and to reinforce their identity. When the practice of bullshitting works, it can gradually expand from a small group to take over an entire organization and industry. When bullshitting backfires, previously sacred concepts can become seen as empty and misleading talk.”