The two most powerful warriors are patience and time.
Managers at the tax office could soon be expected to dob in staff members they suspect might be using illegal drugs outside of work or drinking on the job, under new rules proposed by the human resources office.
The Australian Taxation Office's proposed zero tolerance approach will force managers and colleagues to be on the lookout for behaviour that might indicate someone in their team is under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or might be impaired from it, such as a hangover.
ATO's 'hardline' drug, alcohol policy will drive substance abuse underground, union warns
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Top Stories
FTC examines data on frauds using social media
- 25% of fraud complaints say scam started on social media, for losses of $770,000
- Those 18-29 twice as likely to be scammed there
- More than half of investment scams started there; tops list
- Romance scams #2. More than 1/3 in 2021 found person on Facebook or Instagram
- 45% of reports about losses on social media were to online shopping; 70% never got the goods they ordered
Chinese young people held captive in Cambodia to take part in romance scams and other internet frauds against Chinese
Victim of moving scam finds her goods because she put an Airtag in the box
Scam complaints just the tip of the Iceberg? Paper by FTC economist on who scam victims report to and how often; finds that only 4.8% complain to the BBB or a government agency
National Consumers League releases top ten scams of 2021; lottery scams top the list
FBI warns that scammers are impersonating real companies on job boards; realistic looking web sites
Thought of the week. Before the American Revolution British troops posted in Boston fired on a crowd, killing several people. John Adams represented these soldiers at their trial, partly to prove that they could get a fair trial in the Colonies. In urging the jury to be fair he famously noted “facts are stubborn things.” They are indeed, and in these fractious times we need them, and those reporting issues of the day, left or right, do us no service if they bury or misrepresent them.
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, job scams, and online shopping fraud.
Virus Scams
Fraud News Around the world
- Bulgarian enforcers take down web of investment scammers; mainly targeted Germans and Greeks; took in € 10 million
- Singapore investigating 259 scammers and money mules
- New Jersey: Nigerian man pleads guilty to role in Nigeria-based gang that ran scams using fake check
- Nigeria arrests man for laundering money for Yahoo boy scams; his nine year old son profiled as a billionaire and social media influencer
- Consumer Reports: How to protect yourself from common scams
Humor
- Man beaten with iron skillet after declining offer of potatoes
- Rash of sewing machine thefts in Nebraska
- UK man drove without a license or insurance for 70 years
- New research claims drinking red wine reduces risk of Covid
FTC and CFPB
- FTC bans marketing company from doing work for the auto industry over deceptive prize offers and claims of government affiliation
- CFPB issues report on financial issues for those in jail and their families
- FTC testimony to US Senate; pandemic issues, big jump on government imposter scams
Virus Benefit Theft
- New Jersey: Man charged with PPP fraud; got $860,000
- Minnesota: Man pleads guilty to PPP fraud; got $841,000
- New Jersey: Woman charged with PPP and EIDL fraud; got $1 million
- Georgia: 22 people charged with PPP fraud; got nearly $4 million
- Wisconsin: Man indicted for PPP fraud
- Connecticut: Man pleads guilty to PPP fraud; got $4 million +
- New York: Man gets five years for EIDL fraud; took in nearly $5 million
Ransomware
Data Breaches
Bitcoin and cryptocurrency
- Israeli get 97 months prison (over 8 years) for operating web site that connected criminals to darkweb markets; got $8.1 million
- Florida: CEO of crypto currency exchange indicted for money laundering, theft
- Cofounder to cryto DeFi business protocol charged with crimes
Romance Fraud and Sextortion
- Singapore romance scam victims lost $33.1 million last year
- Ohio:Man from Ghana arrested for romance fraud and acting as money mule; funds back to Ghana
- NAAG to host a webinar on romance scams on Valentine’s Day
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