Free Republic

It starts off looking harmless. You’ve pulled into a petrol station, you’re in a rush, maybe even heading off on holiday, and a stranger at the next pump leans over with a polite smile. ‘Could you put five euros on your card for me? I’ll give you the cash now.’ It sounds like nothing – a neighbourly gesture, a quick favour. But what many drivers in Spain don’t realise is that this “harmless” exchange is the basis of a clever new scam sweeping petrol stations across the country. And those five euros? They could end up draining your bank account...

Experts have warned hackers recently used a generative AI tool to replicate several web pages belonging to the Brazilian government in an effort to steal sensitive personal information and money. The fake websites were examined by Zscaler ThreatLabz researchers, who discovered multiple indicators of the use of AI to generate code. The websites look almost identical to the official sites, with the hackers using SEO poisoning to make the websites appear higher in search results, and therefore seem more legitimate. AI generated government websites In the campaign examined by ThreatLabz, two websites were spotted mimicking important government portals. The first...

Drag racing is a sport built on connection. From pit area handshakes to social media shoutouts, NHRA drivers have long embraced fan engagement as part of their identity. But in a rapidly evolving digital landscape, that connection has turned dangerous. Top drivers in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series say they are increasingly being impersonated online, targeted by spammers, stalkers, and con artists who deceive fans into fake relationships, VIP club memberships, and worse. The problem, they say, is out of control—and in some cases, even life-threatening. Brittany Force. Erica Enders. Alexis DeJoria. Ida Zetterström. Jeg Coughlin Jr. Larry...

At the Computer History Museum in Silicon Valley, the exhibits chart how technology got to where it is today. And there could be no better guide to this history than Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple. In 1976, Wozniak built the Apple 1, and from that he and Steve Jobs built a company. "Incredible times," said Wozniak. "Just came on down wanting to build a neat product." Wozniak was the inventor, Jobs was the master salesman; and when Wozniak created the Apple II, Jobs had something new to sell: the first personal computer to display color. "That was the machine that...

WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that eight Chinese nationals who obtained student visas to attend college in the United States were indicted by a federal grand jury for conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Those indicated include: Yankun Jiang, 24, of State College, PA, Hanlin Yang, 24, of State College; Chenhao Chen, 25, of California; Xiaoqing Tu, 24, of California; Dongjie Lu, 35, of California; Lei Bao, 22, of New York; Kuo Zhang, 31, of New Jersey; and Jiacheng Zhang, 25, of Florida.According to Acting United States Attorney John Gurganus, the indictment...

Victims think they’re talking to Keanu Reeves. Or Kevin Costner. Then come the pleas for cash. The brazen AI-fueled con that fleeces lovestruck fans and has Hollywood finally fighting back. In November, Margaret climbed into her Toyota Camry, left her husband of 10 years at their comfortable brick home in the rural South and drove an hour to a hotel where — she was sure — Kevin Costner was coming to meet her. By this point, Margaret, 73, had spent months making weekly bitcoin deposits for Costner totaling about $100,000. He had messaged her that he was using the money...

Rapper Akon has revealed plans for a futuristic $6 billion city in his Senegal homeland modelled on Black Panther's Wakanda. The R&B star, who boasts two multi-platinum albums, told a news conference on Monday he had laid the first stone for the city in the Atlantic Ocean village of Mbodiene, around 60 miles south of the capital Dakar. The solar-powered Akon City will offer hotels, a university, hospitals, business and leisure centres including a casino, as well as movie studios, all featuring futuristic designs by architect Hussein Bakri, with African sculptures for inspiration.

A former waitress in Minnesota became entangled in an elaborate scam that funneled millions of dollars to North Korea through a network of remote workers using stolen U.S. identities. The scheme also enabled North Korean spies to snoop on Zoom meetings and download sensitive materials from the companies that hired them. The Wall Street Journal reports that federal prosecutors have uncovered an intricate scam orchestrated by North Korea, involving the infiltration of the U.S. remote jobs market. The scheme, which has netted an estimated $17.1 million from over 300 American companies, relied on the unwitting participation of everyday Americans like...

Ever been scrolling through job listings only to come across the seemingly perfect role? It matches your skillset, pays an incredibly high salary, and offers a remote work schedule. You submit your application only to find that something seems off—they ask for financial information upfront, the job description doesn’t match the listing, or the hiring manager’s emails are full of mistakes and confusing language. Yes friends, you may have come into contact with a scammer. Here’s what you need to know.Fake Job DescriptionsNot all job descriptions are created with honest intentions. Scammers often post fake job listings to harvest resumes,...

Let’s face it—insurance is already one of those necessary evils, like flossing or assembling IKEA furniture. You pay for it, you hope you never have to use it, and when you do, you cross your fingers and hope the process isn’t as painful as stepping on a LEGO. But just when you think you’ve got it all figured out, scammers show up with their trickery, ready to part you from your hard-earned cash faster than you can say “deductible.”Hang up when anything seems fishy. BestForBest/ShutterstockHere’s the good news: Knowing what to watch for can help you avoid falling victim to...

ABC’S Aaron Katersky on Business owners who say some construction workers are faking work site injuries in hopes of getting big insurance payouts.

Video is 60 minutes long This youtuber, Stephanie Soo, has an excellent way of telling true crime stories. Three Thai women escaped a “human egg farm” in the country of Georgia.

President Donald Trump celebrated his whirlwind first four weeks back in the Oval Office in a speech before the Conservative Political Action Conference Saturday afternoon, mentioning what he called "flagrant scams" uncovered by Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency. "I signed an order creating the Department of Government Efficiency — you probably haven't heard of it — which is now waging war on government waste, fraud and abuse. And Elon is doing a great job," Trump said at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center Saturday in Oxon Hill, Maryland, just outside the nation's capital. "He's doing a...

An illegal immigrant is facing deportation after he was caught allegedly scamming an elderly woman in Hermon with an aggressive scheme involving numerous escalating demands and multiple visits to her house. The Penobscot County Sheriff’s Department received a report on February 3 that scammers repeatedly called an elderly Hermon woman, claiming that her bank account was compromised and demanding that she withdraw the funds. According to the department’s report, the alleged scammers initially attempted to sound professional before resorting to more aggressive demands. The alleged scammers successfully coerced the woman into handing over a large, undisclosed amount of money in...

Thai authorities have cut off internet, power and fuel along the Thailand and Myanmar border in a bid to thwart the operation of scam centres there. The move on February 5, 2025, came amid growing pressure for Thailand to do more to help clamp down on the illegal compounds that have ensnared vast numbers of people from many jurisdictions. The Thai Provincial Electricity Authority disconnected power supplies at five points along the northern border, including Myawaddy in Myanmar’s Shan state. The high-profile rescue of a Chinese actor from a scam operation near the Thai border in January has put the...

Ever wonder who the sociopaths are you see in Netflix documentaries, catfishing people from the internet using dating apps? Well, look no further. Australia’s News.com.au profiled one such person this week, a young worker inside of a “mass scamming call center”. The person, named “Beard”, said that he “fled war-torn Syria for Dubai” and was desperately looking for work. Thinking he landed an advertising role, he told news.com.au he found himself at a “bizarre office location in the middle of the Dubai desert where those inside tried to confiscate his passport”. He was eventually held captive and forced to scam...

Experts urge consumers to keep an eye on packages they never orderedThe U.S. Postal Service has warned about the scam in the past, which uses unexpected gifts delivered to a doorstep to lure victims. Brushing scams are an emerging threat to unsuspecting consumers as Black Friday shopping begins. The first type of the scam begins when fraudsters gain information such as a name and home address. From there, scammers will set up an Amazon account with the victim’s information and send a package to the targeted person’s home with no return address. “Once you have signed to confirm receipt of...

Local law enforcement in a Florida county announced the arrest of over 100 people who committed looting and similar crimes in the aftermath of Hurricanes Helene and Milton, with at least 41 of these suspects being illegal aliens. As reported by Fox News, police officers on patrol for looters in Pinellas County have made the arrests over the course of the last three weeks. A total of 45 suspects were arrested on 68 different charges, ranging from robbery and burglary to grand theft, vandalism, and trespassing. “They’re going into people’s homes, they’re taking stuff, they’re rummaging through their things,” said...

The annual cost of cybercrime is expected to reach $10 trillion dollars next year. To put that figure into context, in terms of GDP it would be the third biggest economy in the world after the US and China. That’s why countries from Australia to China, the UK and US are racing to tighten up their cybersecurity laws – and why the UN is expected to pass a landmark cyber treaty in the next few weeks. For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app. From deep-fakes and disinformation to hacks and attacks on...

Phone scams have been around for a while, but recent advancements in artificial intelligence technology is making it easier for bad actors to convince people they have kidnapped their loved ones. Scammers are using AI to replicate the voices of people’s family members in fake kidnapping schemes that convince victims to send money to the scammers in exchange for their loved ones’ safety. The scheme recently targeted two victims in a Washington state school district. Highline Public Schools in Burien, Washington, issued a Sept. 25 notice alerting community members that the two individuals were targeted by “scammers falsely claiming they...