Human Trafficking & Scam Slavery – UN Issues New Report

By United Nations and SCARS Editorial Team

UN Report: Scam Slavery Is A Form Of Human Trafficking In Which People Are Forced To Work In Scam Call Centers

SCARS Overview

The victims are often lured with promises of good jobs and high salaries, but once they arrive at the call center, they are forced to work long hours under abusive conditions. They are also often threatened with violence or deportation if they try to escape.

Southeast Asia is a major hub for scam slavery. The region is home to a large number of poor and unemployed people who are vulnerable to exploitation. The perpetrators of scam slavery often target these people with promises of easy money.

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3 Smart Bank Strategies to Stop Scams

By Ken Palla, Retired Director, MUFG Union Bank – Courtesy of BioCatch

3 Smart Strategies to Stop Scams That Don’t Break the Bank

In the first part of this blog series on financial scams, Dr. Tim McGuinness and Debby Montgomery Johnson (also a scam victim herself), Board Directors at the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams (SCARS) talked about how to interact with potential scam victims once there was a potential scam transaction alert. In this article, we will look at some specific initiatives that FIs use once they get a scam alert and ways to improve customer education.

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16shop Phishing-As-A-Service Platform Taken Down

By Interpol & SCARS Editorial Team – Society of Citizems Against Relationship Scams Inc.

Interpol Coordinated Takes Down 16shop Phishing-As-A-Service Platform Used By 70,000 People

16shop Notorious phishing platform shut down, arrests in international police operation

In a remarkable triumph over cybercriminal activity, the curtains have fallen on the nefarious phishing-as-a-service platform known as 16shop. This decisive outcome emerged from a comprehensive international effort led by Interpol.

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Cybercriminals Operating Major Ransomware Hosting Service Arrested In Poland

By SCARS Editorial Team – Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc., portions Department of Justice and Europol

Cybercriminals Running ‘Bulletproof’ Webhosting Domain Charged in Connection with Facilitation of ‘NetWalker’ Ransomware

U.S. Authorities, along with Europol Announce Court-Authorized Seizure of LolekHosted.net

5 European cybercriminals were also arrested!

An indictment was unsealed yesterday in Tampa, Florida, USA charging a Polish national with computer fraud conspiracy, wire fraud conspiracy, and international money laundering in connection with the provision of “bulletproof” web hosting services that facilitated the operation of ransomware attacks and the subsequent laundering of the illicit proceeds.

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FraudGPT – AI For The Bad Guys

By Tim McGuinness, Ph.D. – Anthropologist, Scientist, Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc.

FraudGPT: The New AI-Powered Cybercrime Tool

The rise of generative AI models has changed the fraud & cybercrime threat landscape drastically and FraudGPT is a new plateau in this new arms race..

Threat actors can now use these models, such as FraudGPT to create realistic and convincing phishing emails, malware, and other malicious content that is flawless (or almost flawless.)

In July 2023, a new AI tool called FraudGPT was discovered on the Dark Web. FraudGPT is a bot that can be used to create realistic phishing emails, cracking tools, and other malicious content. The tool is currently being sold on various Dark Web marketplaces and the Telegram platform.

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APP Scam/Fraud Repayment In The UK Moves A Step Further

By SCARS Editorial Team – Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc., portions PSR

UK’s PSR Takes First Step In Implementing New APP Scam Refund/Reimbursement Requirements

Today, the United Kingdom’s Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) has published its consultation on two of its draft directions which are the legal means to put its new Authorized Push Payments APP scam reimbursement requirements in place. This marks the start of the regulator’s plans to implement new requirements that will see mandatory reimbursement for victims of APP scams.

In June, the regulator set out its requirements for tackling APP scams and improving protections for victims of these frauds. These include:

• New rules in Faster Payments – the payment system across which the vast majority of APP fraud currently takes place – strengthening Pay.UK’s ability to tackle fraud.
• All payment firms will be incentivised to take action, with sending and receiving firms splitting the costs of reimbursement 50:50.
• Customers will be more protected under consistent minimum standards, with most APP fraud victims being reimbursed within five business days and additional protections offered for vulnerable customers.
• Industry will have clearer guidance to follow, including around the ability to apply a claim excess and maximum level of reimbursement, which the PSR will consult on later this year.

The PSR said it would seek views on the legal means by which the new changes will be enforced and focuses on the detail of two of the three legal instruments.

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Robocall Refunds From The FTC & State Of Florida $540,000

By SCARS Editorial Team – Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc., portions FTC

FTC and State of Florida Send More Than $540,000 to Consumers Who Lost Money to Robocall Scammers Selling Bogus Interest Rate Reduction Services

The Federal Trade Commission and the Florida Attorney General are sending refunds totaling more than $540,000 to consumers nationwide who were defrauded by Life Management Services of Orange County, LLC, and related companies who tricked them into paying for worthless credit card interest rate reduction and debt elimination programs. The average check amount is $117.

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Family Takes Legal Action Against Banks After Navy Veteran Loses $3.6 Million in Wire Fraud Scheme

By SCARS Editorial Team – Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc., portions NBC

Family Files Lawsuit Against Banks After Veteran Loses $3.6 Million in Wire Fraud Scheme The family of a veteran who fell victim to a devastating wire fraud scheme has taken legal action against multiple banks involved.

A Navy veteran’s family is pursuing legal action against banks and credit unions in Virginia, claiming they should have taken stronger measures to prevent the veteran’s substantial losses in an apparent wire fraud scheme. The lawsuit, filed on behalf of the late Larry Cook’s estate, accuses Wells Fargo and Navy Federal Credit Union of negligence and other claims. According to court documents, Cook initiated 74 international wire transfers through Navy Federal and one transfer through Wells Fargo. The family suspects Cook was deceived by a phishing scam, resulting in unauthorized transfers. The case raises concerns about financial institutions’ responsibility in protecting customers from fraud and the need for enhanced prevention measures.

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Government Impersonation Scams Are On The Rise!

By SCARS Editorial Team – Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc.

Government Impersonation Scams: What You Need to Know

In today’s digital age, scammers have found new avenues to exploit unsuspecting individuals, and one of the most insidious forms of deception is government impersonation scams. These scams involve fraudsters posing as government officials or agencies to manipulate victims into disclosing sensitive information, making fraudulent payments, or engaging in other illegal activities. This article aims to shed light on the dangers of government impersonation scams, the tactics employed by scammers, and ways to protect oneself from falling victim.

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Thoughts About Boundaries

By Tim McGuinness, Ph.D. – Anthropologist, Scientist, Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc.

Boundaries & No Self Limits – A Leading Cause Of Scams

What Are Boundaries and Why Do YOU Need Them?

Boundaries are imaginary lines that separate us from each other. It separates your physical space, your feelings, needs, and responsibilities from others.

Your boundaries also tell other people how they can treat you – what’s acceptable and what isn’t. Without boundaries, people may take advantage of you because you haven’t set limits about how you expect to be treated.

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Cybersecurity Failure Is Inevitable – Plan For It

By Tim McGuinness, Ph.D. – Anthropologist, Scientist, Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc.

The Saying NEVER SAY NEVER Is More Applicable In Cybersecurity & Online Safety Than Ever

Businesses are aware they need to plan for their cybersecurity, but they don’t know they also need to plan for their failure!

All cybersecurity is ultimately dependent on people, and people fail.

In fact, people almost always fail – not every day, but eventually, someone will make a mistake. Cybersecurity must do the right things 100% of the time, but the bad guys only need one mistake.

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The Subtle Sabotage Of Blame In Cybersecurity & Online Safety

By Tim McGuinness, Ph.D. – Anthropologist, Scientist, Director of the Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc.

Blame in Cybersecurity & Online Safety is Rampant!

We all do it, we all blame someone for something.

Sometimes blame is justified, sometimes there is cause, and it is very hard to remove it from your vocabulary – but it is always destructive.

I recently heard a cybersecurity training professional tell a story about motivating a corporate team to do better with cybersecurity. It was something to the effect that they needed to learn the material because “You don’t want to be the one that lets a breach happen!” That is blame!

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Romance Scammers’ Favorite Lies Exposed

By Emma Fletcher – U.S. Federal Trade Commission

Scammers Are Liers! We All Know This!

Romance scammers are especially expert at crafting stories to lure and hold their victims

Romance scammers tell all sorts of lies to steal your heart and money, and reports to the FTC show those lies are working. Last year’s romance scam numbers looked a lot like 2021 all over again, and it’s not a pretty picture. In 2022, nearly 70,000 people reported a romance scam and reported losses hit a staggering $1.3 billion.[1] The median reported loss: $4,400.[2]

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