Computer-assisted fraud: Hundreds arrested in worldwide crackdown against scam romances, lotteries

The US The Justice Department announced Tuesday that it had arrested 281 of them – including 74 people in the United States – and charged them with wire fraud, money laundering and other crimes for a wide range of digital scams designed to prey on the unsuspecting. The arrests were part of a four-month crackdown on digital schemes called Operation reWired.

The scams tended to target real-estate buyers, the elderly and others by convincing them to make wire transfers to bank accounts that the suspects controlled, according to the department. The suspects would impersonate a key employee to make a transfer after gaining access to the victim’s email account, or perhaps sensitive employment or tax records, often through romance or lottery scams, according to the department.

The arrests included 167 people in Nigeria, 18 in Turkey, 15 in Ghana and others in France, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Malaysia and the United Kingdom. Authorities seized nearly $3.7 million, the Justice Department said.

US extracted top spy from inside Russia in 2017

In a previously undisclosed secret mission in 2017, the United States successfully extracted from Russia one of its highest-level covert sources inside the Russian government, multiple Trump administration officials with direct knowledge told CNN.

A person directly involved in the discussions said that the removal of the Russian was driven, in part, by concerns that President Donald Trump and his administration repeatedly mishandled classified intelligence and could contribute to exposing the covert source as a spy.
The decision to carry out the extraction occurred soon after a May 2017 meeting in the Oval Office in which Trump discussed highly classified intelligence with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and then-Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak. The intelligence, concerning ISIS in Syria, had been provided by Israel.
The disclosure to the Russians by the President, though not about the Russian spy specifically, prompted intelligence officials to renew earlier discussions about the potential risk of exposure, according to the source directly involved in the matter.

A bank mistakenly put $120,000 into a couple's account.

A Pennsylvania couple is facing felony theft charges after their bank accidentally put $120,000 in their account, and the couple spent most of it instead of contacting the bank, police said.

Robert and Tiffany Williams of Montoursville are also facing overdraft fees from the bank of about $107,000, according to the criminal complaint filed in the Lycoming County magisterial district court.
In an interview with law enforcement, Tiffany Williams said the money was spent on an SUV, a camper, two four wheelers and a car trailer, among other things, according to an affidavit.
The bank error occurred May 31 when a customer in Georgia made a deposit of $120,000, and the BB&T Bank teller entered a wrong account number. When the customer contacted the bank to ask about the missing deposit, investigators discovered the funds had gone into the Williams' joint account, the affidavit said.
"While we can't comment on the specifics of this issue due to client privacy practices, we always work as quickly as possible to address any issue that affects our clients," Brian Davis, a spokesman for BB&T, told CNN in a statement.
"We're also continuously working to enhance our client service and operating procedures to provide the best client experience possible."

Google has uncovered evidence of a sustained effort to hack large numbers of iPhones

Google has uncovered evidence of a sustained effort to hack large numbers of iPhones over a period of at least two years, its researchers said.

Earlier this year, Google cybersecurity experts "discovered a small collection of hacked websites" that exploited vulnerabilities in Apple's (AAPL) smartphone software, Ian Beer, a researcher with Google's Project Zero, said in a blog post published Thursday. He did not name the websites.
"Simply visiting the hacked site was enough for the exploit server to attack your device, and if it was successful, install a monitoring implant," Beer added. "We estimate that these sites receive thousands of visitors per week."
The implant was capable of giving hackers access to iPhone users' contacts, photos and location, as well as data from apps like iMessage, WhatsApp, Telegram, Gmail and Google Hangouts, according to the Project Zero researchers.

James Cameron teases possible 'Terminator' trilogy

 

"Terminator: Dark Fate" picks up after James Cameron's "Terminator: Judgment Day," and a new trailer for the franchise's latest installment is here. "You may have changed the future, but you didn't change our fate," says human/Terminator hybrid from the future Grace, played by Mackenzie Davis. Fans shouldn't expect this latest movie, produced by Cameron and directed by Tim Miller of "Deadpool," to wrap up the "Terminator" saga.

Top Fashion Trends: Sunglasses/Prescription you need in 2019

You don’t need a blazing sun to wear sunglasses, but it’s an incentive, and with summer just around the corner, it’s time you up your game with the hottest sunglasses of the moment.
Don’t worry, Jupitoo have a wide range of runaway approved shades and rounded up the latest sunglasses trends for you to try on. From circular to square, vintage to modern, and neutral to bright colored, the Spring/Summer collections have them all.


Sunglasses are arguably the one item that can make or break your entire summer wardrobe. Think about it: If you've settled on the perfect pair that makes a statement but still somehow goes with everything, it will take your look from zero to 100 in an instant. But on the other hand, make the mistake of leaving it at home, and your outfit can never really live its best life.

Mexico bar fire attack: Toll rises to 28

Gunmen burst into a Mexican strip club in a hail of bullets and killed at least 28 people as they trapped revelers inside and started a raging fire, officials said Wednesday.

Many of the dead were dancers who worked there, according to managers.

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador condemned the "shameful" attack in the city of Coatzacoalcos, and said federal authorities would investigate evidence it may have stemmed from collusion between local authorities and organized crime.

The Tuesday night attack, which also left nine people badly wounded, is the latest to rock the state of Veracruz, a flashpoint in turf wars between Mexico's rival drug cartels and a hotbed of political corruption.

Survivors said gunmen sprayed bullets when they descended on the bar, the Caballo Blanco (White Horse), then blocked the exits and set the club alight.

Because of the loud reggaeton music pounding inside, many patrons and dancers did not notice the attack until the bar was in flames, they said.

Authorities said many of the victims died of smoke inhalation. It was not immediately clear whether some died of gunshot wounds.

After a Georgia teenager reported a sexual assault to her school administrators, she says she was expelled for 'sexual impropriety.' Now she's suing.

A teenager in Georgia is suing the Fayette County Board of Education, saying she was expelled for "sexual impropriety" after she reported a sexual assault.

The teenager, identified as "A.P." in court documents, said that when she was a 16-year-old sophomore at Fayette County High School in 2017, she told administrators that another student sexually assaulted her and pressured her into performing oral sex.

She was then expelled for the rest of the school year, and the principal said she violated a school conduct code that prohibited "sexual impropriety," the lawsuit said.

The lawsuit accuses Fayette County High School of violating Title IX by expelling her from school.

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A teenager in Georgia is suing her former school district, saying she was expelled for "sexual impropriety" after she reported a sexual assault.

In a lawsuit filed on Friday seen by Insider and first reported on by The Lily, the teenager, identified as "A.P." in documents, said that when she was a 16-year-old sophomore at Fayette County High School in 2017, she told administrators that another student sexually assaulted her and pressured her into performing oral sex.

How phone apps put millions of Britons' internet addresses up for sale

Millions of Britons’ internet addresses are being sold online without their knowledge, allowing fraudsters and criminals to raise ticket prices, create fake social media followers and to conduct cyber attacks.

Software hidden within smartphone apps allows individuals and organisations to route internet traffic through devices owned by members of the public. It can be used to mask traffic to social networks and online retailers, experts said.

Luminati, an Israeli start-up owned by a British investor, boasted that it had access to 1.7 million Britons' internet protocol (IP) addresses and millions more worldwide.

The company legally obtains access to people's connections by embedding software within apps that run on Android smartphones. Another proxy network provider, Oxylabs, boasts of 1.1m British IP addresses and GeoSurf, which Luminati is suing for allegedly stealing its technology, said it has tens of thousands.

Luminati says that it offers reputable Fortune 500 clients a way to detect advertising fraud and check cyber security. However, it is not clear to the Britons giving up their IP addresses, which is linked to their residential address, what they are sharing and for what purpose.

Fast food may contribute to teen depression, study says

Preteens are known for their defiant attitudes and dramatic mood swings, but over the last decade a much more disturbing characteristic has been increasing: depression.

A new study finds that one culprit may be a high fast-food, low plant-based diet. When researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham analyzed urine from a group of middle schoolers, they found high levels of sodium and low levels of potassium.

"High sodium, you've got to think of highly processed food," said lead author Sylvie Mrug, chair of the psychology department at UAB. "This includes fast food, frozen meals and unhealthy snacks."
Low potassium, Mrug added, is an indication of a diet that lacks healthy fruits and vegetables that are rich in potassium, such as beans, sweet potatoes, spinach, tomatoes, bananas, oranges, avocados, yogurt and even salmon.
The study also found that higher urine levels of sodium, and potassium at baseline, predicted more signs of depression a year and a half later, even after adjusting for variables such as blood pressure, weight, age and sex.

Wingsuit Champion And Former NASA Scientist Angelo Grubišić Dies In Base Jump

A wingsuit scientist who worked on making the extreme sport garments safer has died in a base jump in Saudi Arabia, his family has confirmed.

Dr Angelo Grubišić - who had led a wingsuit design team at the University of Southampton - was killed in the jump on Tuesday.
The 38-year-old - who was crowned a British wingsuit champion just last month - had previously worked on spacecraft propulsion for the European Space Agency and NASA.

In a statement to the BBC, Angelo's family said he was 'phenomenally talented'.

They added: "Angelo lost his life doing what he loved the most, wingsuit base jumping, and we want to ensure his achievements and ambitions are known to the world and to celebrate the mark he made on all of our lives.

US Health Officials Say First Patient Has Died Due To Illness Caused By Vaping

Health officials in the US have announced the first death of a person due to an illness caused by vaping.

The unnamed patient from Illinois was said to have developed a severe respiratory disease after using e-cigarettes. As yet, the person's age or gender have not been revealed.
Dr Jennifer Layden, the chief medical officer and state epidemiologist in Illinois, said the patient was taken to hospital with an 'unexplained illness after reported vaping or e-cigarette use'.

Robert Redfield, director of the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement: "We are saddened to hear of the first death related to the outbreak of severe lung disease in those who use e-cigarette or 'vaping' devices."

He added: "This tragic death in Illinois reinforces the serious risks associated with e-cigarette products."

'Black Panther' sequel release date announced

"Black Panther" fans can finally mark their calendars for the highly-anticipated sequel. Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige took the stage at Disney's D23 Expo in Anaheim, California, along with film director Ryan Coogler, to announce that the second movie of the "Black Panther" saga will debut in theaters on May 6, 2022.

 The Disney-Marvel movie won three Oscars for original score and production as well as costume design. Since hitting theaters in February 2018, "Black Panther" has grossed more than $700 million, according to Box Office Mojo.

US seizes 52,000 gun parts illegally imported from China to California

Federal officials say they've seized more than 52,000 firearms parts that arrived illegally from China at California's Los Angeles and Long Beach ports.

The parts -- sights, stocks, muzzles, buffer kits and grips -- arrived in three shipments and had a combined value of more than $378,000, US Customs and Border Protection said Thursday in a news release.
The parts arrived over a period of three months and were bound for a legitimate US-based gun parts seller and distributor, agency spokesman Jaime Ruiz told CNN.
The United States restricts imports from countries with which it has an arms embargo, including China. The US imposed an arms embargo after the deadly 1989 crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Tiananmen Square.
"This seizure is an exceptional example of CBP officers and import specialists vigilance, commitment and keen focus in enforcing complex arms embargo regulations," Carlos C. Martel, the CBP's director of field operations in Los Angeles, said.

Inside dark underbelly of Las Vegas where Pornhub star Jenni Lee battles to survive in deadly flood tunnels with 1,000 homeless ‘mole’ people who eat scraps from casino bins

THE Las Vegas strip is the ultimate in glittering excess, with glaring neon lights, headline shows and millions being gambled in the luxurious casinos. But just 25ft below the roulette tables of Sin City lurks a hidden world where hundreds of homeless people fight for survival in a network of underground tunnels. The grim underbelly of the Nevada gambling mecca was revealed this week, when Dutch documentary workers discovered Pornhub star Jenni Lee living in the dank storm drains.




 It’s estimated around 1000 homeless eke out an existence below the strip, living on food rescued from bins and the odd cash handout from jubilant gamblers who struck lucky. Residents - dubbed 'mole people' - range from full-time workers, unable to afford housing in the cash-rich city, to gambling addicts and drug addicts, who occupy three separate tunnels depending on whether they prefer crack, meth or heroin.