Monday, September 01, 2025

South Korean man arrested for laundering crypto into gold; handled $50 million

 


Interpol leads crackdown in Africa against scammers; 1209 arrested across Africa; $97.4 million seized; from crypto mining investment scams to inheritance frauds
 
New fraud technique called “Ghost-tapping:” crooks put stolen credit cards onto burner phones; link to Google Pay and Apple pay; can have mules buy goods at a physical location and just tap the card
 
FCC bars 1200 voice service providers from the US phone system in crackdown on illegal robocalls
 
CBS Interview with Apple Cofounder Steve Wozniak on online scams; how he sued Youtube for using clip of him to further bitcoin scam
  

Fraud Studies: Here are links to the studies I’ve written for the Better Business Bureau: puppy fraudromance fraud; BEC fraudsweepstakes/lottery fraud,  tech support fraudromance fraud money mulescrooked movers, government impostersonline vehicle sale scamsrental fraud, gift cards,  free trial offer frauds,  job scams,  online shopping fraud,  fake check fraud and crypto scams
 
Fraud News Around the worldHumor FTC and CFPBArtificial Intelligence and deep fake fraudBenefit Theft Business Email compromise fraud Bitcoin and Crypto FraudRansomware and data breachesATM Skimming                                                         Jamaica and Lottery FraudRomance Fraud and Sextortion 

The authoritarian checklist

 

Did you think the lion was sleeping because he didn't roar?
~ Friedrich Schiller


Trump’s new chief design officer aims to make federal websites ‘satisfying’

Washington Post [no paywall] – “Joe Gebbia, an Elon Musk ally who also worked for DOGE, said navigating dot-gov websites should be just as easy as visiting the Apple Store. President Donald Trump’s new chief design officer sayshe wants to overhaul the interface of government websites to make them more beautiful and less complicated to use — like a visit to the Apple Store.



The authoritarian checklist

Can We Still Govern – Don Monyihan: “It is time to admit that America is no longer a functioning democracy. There is so much happening that occasionally pausing to take stock is necessary. So where are we? 


In deep trouble. America may not be fully authoritarian, but by no means can we consider it to be a functioning democracy. There will be no announcement, no headline saying “America Not A Democracy.” 

But if you are willing to look clear-eyed at the cumulative evidence, the inescapable conclusion is that our deeply held beliefs about American democracy no longer match our present reality. 

Today, America is a competitive authoritarian system, with a rapidly increasing emphasis on the authoritarian part. The concept of competitive authoritarianism is useful because it suggests that there is not a binary option between democracy and authoritarianism, like a light switch. 

Instead, democracy can be powerfully degraded even as elections still exist. If you are an authoritarian, or a wannabe authoritarian, you are inherently driven to follow a specific checklist that allows you to a) consolidate power and b) neutralize sources of dissent. Here is the authoritarian checklist…”

Snakes on the plane in Mumbai - Good employees make mistakes and good leaders allow them to

Good employees make mistakes and good leaders allow them to…


Indian man arrested with 47 venomous vipers in bag at Mumbai airport


Europe burns as deadly infernos tear through Spain and Portugal in worst wildfire season on recordDaily Mail


Europe’s Eclipse of Intelligence – Diplomacy Finn Andreen


Trump Has No Idea How to Do DiplomacyForeign Policy

Norris retires as Piastri wins chaotic Dutch GP

Another Conversation with General Evgeny Buzhinsky… How Did the Russian Military Survive the Collapse of the Soviet Union? Larry Johnson


After the Alaska Summit, Europe’s Moment of TruthThe National Interest


With MAGA’s help, Europe’s far-right marches into the mainstream Axios


DOGE Put Critical Social Security Data at Risk, Whistle-Blower Says

The New York Times – “Members of the Department of Government Efficiency uploaded a copy of a crucial Social Security database in June to a vulnerable cloud server, putting the personal information of hundreds of millions of Americans at risk of being leaked or hacked, according to a whistle-blower complaint filed by the Social Security Administration’s chief data officer.


Trump's Plan To Conquer Heaven


How Trump Used 10 Emergency Declarations to Justify Hundreds of Actions

The New York Times [no paywall] – “In his seven months back in office, President Trump has declared nine national emergencies, plus a “crime emergency” in Washington. Those emergency declarations have been used to justify hundreds of actions — including immigration measures, sweeping tariffs and energy deregulation — that would typically require congressional approval or lengthy regulatory review, according to a New York Times analysis of presidential documents.


The White House’s Bizarre Defense of Chinese Foreign Students American Conservative


RFK Jr continues to make dubious health claims as CDC roils under his leadership Guardian 


President Trump revokes Kamala Harris’s Secret Service protection The Hill


Transportation Dept. Cancels $679 Million for Offshore Wind Projects New York Times