Crime
What’s worse than thieves breaking into your bank account? When they steal your phone number too
WASHINGTON (AP) — One Monday morning in May, I woke up and reached for my phone to envision the news and browse memes. But there was no signal. I couldn’t make calls or text messages.
But it turned out that this was the least of my problems.
Using my home Wi-Fi connection, I checked my email and saw a notification that $20,000 had been transferred from my bank card to an unfamiliar Discover Bank account.
I foiled the transfer and reported the cell phone issues, but my nightmare was just starting. A couple of days later, someone managed to transfer $19,000 from my bank card to the identical strange bank account.
I fell victim to a scam often called port-out hijacking, also often called SIM swapping. This is a less common type of identity theft. New federal laws aimed toward stopping port-out hijacking are currently being considered, however it is unclear how far they will go in stopping this crime.
Port-out hijacking goes beyond breaking into a store, bank, or bank card account. In this case, thieves take your phone number. Any calls or text messages go to them, not you.
Once your phone is compromised by a criminal, the identical steps you once took to guard your accounts, equivalent to two-factor authentication, will be used against you. It doesn’t help when your bank sends you a text message to confirm a transaction when the phone receiving the text message is within the hands of somebody attempting to hack into your account.
Even when you’re a reasonably tech-savvy person and follow all of the recommendations to guard your electronic devices and identity, this could still occur to you.
Experts say these scams will change into more common and complex, and data shows they are continually growing.
I’m not a tech-savvy person, but I’m a legal-trained journalist who focuses on financial reporting. Because of the highly online nature of my job, I used to be taught all of the methods of staying secure online: continually changing passwords with multi-factor authentication, logging out of apps I don’t use often, and keeping my personal information off the web.
Even though I used to be secure, I used to be vulnerable to criminals. And it took me quite a lot of time and work to get my money and phone number back.
The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center reports that SIM swap complaints increased by more than 400% between 2018 and 2021. There were 1,611 SIM swap complaints filed, with personal losses totaling more than $68 million.
The number of criminal complaints to the FCC has doubled from 275 complaints in 2020 to 550 reports in 2023.
Rachel Tobac, CEO of online security firm SocialProof Security, says the crime rate is probably going much higher because most identity thefts go unreported.
He adds that two-factor authentication is an outdated approach to keeping consumers secure because anyone can find their phone number, date of birth and Social Security number online through any number of public or private databases.
The possibility of thieves obtaining your personal information was exposed again Friday when AT&T said nearly all of its customer data was downloaded to an out of doors platform in a security breach two years ago. While AT&T said no personal information was leaked, cybersecurity experts warn that breaches involving telecom corporations expose customers to SIM swapping.
These days, changing a number from one phone to a different is straightforward and will be done online or over the phone. The process takes less than a couple of hours if the criminal has your personal information at hand.
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Consumers have to be smart about using different passwords and protections, Tobac said, but they also must “put pressure on the companies tasked with protecting our data.”
“We need to update consumer protection protocols,” she said, because two-factor authentication just isn’t enough.
FCC rules were recently modified to force corporations to do more to guard consumers from some of these scams.
In 2023, the FCC introduced rules that require wireless service providers to “adopt secure customer authentication methods before routing a customer’s phone number to a new device or to a new provider,” amongst other latest rules. Companies could require more information when a customer tries to port a phone number to a different phone, from requiring government identification, voice verification or additional security questions.
The rules were set to take effect July 8, but on July 5 the FCC granted telecom corporations a waiver that delays implementation of the principles pending further review by the White House Office of Management.
The wireless industry had been pushing for a delay, citing, amongst other things, that corporations need more time to comply. CTIA, which lobbies on behalf of the businesses, said the brand new rules would require major changes to technology and procedures each at wireless corporations and of their interactions with handset makers.
But experts say if FCC rules had been in effect back then, it might have been harder to steal my phone number.
Ohio State University professor Amy Schmitz says the FCC’s latest rules make it easier for consumers to guard themselves, however it still is dependent upon consumer motion and awareness.
“I still have doubts that consumers will be aware of this and take action to protect themselves,” she said.
It took ten days to get my number back from Cricket Wireless — and that was only after I told company representatives I used to be writing an article about my experience.
During that point, the scammer managed to access my bank account thrice and ultimately managed to transfer $19,000 from my bank card — though I removed my number from my bank account, froze my credit, modified all my passwords and took other measures.
Bank of America took motion to reverse a $19,000 wire transfer after I visited a branch near the AP office in Washington.
Cricket apologised for the error and said in an email that it “expects to provide a much better experience for customers”.
“Port-out fraud is a form of theft perpetrated by sophisticated criminals,” the corporate said in an emailed statement. “We have implemented measures to help defeat them, and we work closely with law enforcement, our industry, and consumers to help prevent this type of crime.”
An AT&T representative informed me in an email that “all carriers are working to implement the new FCC rules regarding number porting and SIM swaps.”
I’m still unsure how this person accessed my accounts – whether through my Social Security number, phone number, date of birth, or possibly a recording of my voice.
It was a painful lesson in how vulnerable we’re once we lose control over our personal data that’s so publicly available.
Crime
Founder of an AI Tech startup accused of fraud and combining numbers with investors
Joanna Smith-Griffin, 33, CEO of startup AllHere Education, Inc. dealing with AI education accused of defrauding investors.
The Southern District of New York prosecuted Smith-Griffin securities fraud, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. The grand jury indictment alleged that Smith-Griffin lied concerning the education platform’s funds and posed as a financial consultant to supply false information to investors. While acting as a financial consultant for AllHere Education, Smith-Griffin is accused of falsifying the corporate’s financial records mislead potential investors and inflate the worth of her company and its revenues.
AllHere Education is an AI-powered learning platform utilized in primary and secondary schools. Smith-Griffin has had little success integrating the K-12 platform into individual school districts in California and Georgia. However, the principal didn’t secure long-term contracts with school districts. She used these short-term partnerships to misrepresent to investors the reach and financial success of AllHere Education.
Smith-Griffin told potential AllHere investors that AllHere generated about $3.7 million in revenue in 2020, about $2.5 million in money and has major school district customers similar to New York City Department of Education (“NYC DOE”) and Atlanta Public Schools. In fact, AllHere generated roughly $11,000 in revenue in 2020, had roughly $494,000 in money, and had no contracts with many of the clients it represented, including the NYC DOE and Atlanta Public Schools.
Smith-Griffin continued to boost capital to support the startup, raising one other $10 million in funding. When the corporate collapsed financially, Smith-Griffin allegedly used the money injection to pay for an extravagant three-day wedding in Florida and a residence in North Carolina.
FBI Deputy Director James E. Dennehy commented on Smith-Griffin’s decision to prioritize her personal aspirations over the needs of an educational platform.
“Her alleged actions impacted the potential to improve the learning environment in core school districts by selfishly prioritizing personal expenses,” he said.
Smith-Griffin faces a compulsory two years in prison for the identity theft charge and a maximum of 20 years for every fraud charge. AllHere Education is currently in Chapter 7 bankruptcy.
Crime
Prosecutors say Sean “Diddy” Combs is trying to obstruct justice by heading to prison
NEW YORK (AP) — Sean “Diddy” Combs was trying to reach potential witnesses and influence public opinion while in prison in a bid to influence potential jurors in an upcoming sex trafficking trial, prosecutors said in a court filing during which they urged a judge to deny his latest bail request.
The government charges were filed Friday evening in federal court in Manhattan, which opposed the music mogul’s latest offer of $50 million bail. A bail hearing is scheduled for next week.
Prosecutors wrote that a review of recorded phone calls Combs made while in prison shows that he asked relations to contact potential victims and witnesses and urged them to create a “narrative” to influence the jury pool. They say he also encouraged the use of promoting strategies to influence public opinion.
“The defendant has demonstrated time and time again – even while in custody – that he’ll flagrantly and repeatedly disregard the foundations so as to improperly influence the consequence of his case. In other words, the defendant has demonstrated that he can’t be trusted to abide by the terms and conditions,” prosecutors wrote in a press release containing redactions.
Prosecutors wrote that from his behavior it might be inferred that Combs wanted to blackmail victims and witnesses into remaining silent or providing testimony helpful to his defense.
Combs’ lawyers didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.
Prosecutors said Combs, 55, began breaking the foundations almost immediately after being taken into custody Metropolitan Prison Center in Brooklyn after his September arrest.
He pleaded not guilty to the costs brought against him he abused and molested women for years with the assistance of a network of collaborators and employees, while silencing victims through blackmail and violence, including kidnapping, arson and physical beatings.
Two judges found he was a danger to the community and a flight risk.
His lawyers recently filed a 3rd bail application after rejecting two previous attempts, including a $50 million bail offer.
In their motion, they cited modified circumstances, including latest evidence, that they believed justified Combs’ release so he could higher prepare for his May 5 trial.
However, prosecutors said defense lawyers created the most recent bail proposal based on evidence provided to them by prosecutors, and the brand new material was already known to defense lawyers after they submitted previous bail applications.
In their presentation to the judge, prosecutors said Combs’ behavior in prison shows he must remain locked up.
For example, they said, Combs asked relations to plan and execute a social media campaign around his birthday “with the intent of influencing a potential jury in this criminal proceeding.”
He encouraged his children to post a video on their social media accounts of them gathering to have a good time his birthday, he added.
He then monitored statistics on the jail, including audience engagement, and “explicitly discussed with the family how to ensure the film would have the desired impact on potential jury members in this case,” they said.
The government also alleged that Combs made clear in other conversations that he intended to anonymously publish information that he believed would help him defend against the costs.
“Defendant’s efforts to impede the fairness of these proceedings also include his persistent efforts to contact potential witnesses, including victims of violence, who could provide strong testimony against him,” prosecutors wrote.
Crime
Celebrity chef and former NFL player Tobias Dorzon is recovering from a shooting attack
Celebrity chef and former NFL player Tobias Dorzon is recovering after being shot during an alleged robbery.
The shooting occurred on the evening of Tuesday, November 5 in Hyattsville, Maryland, when multiple suspects attempted to rob a man and woman who had just returned from dinner, based on statement from the Hyattsville Police Department.
Police said the victims were taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Although authorities didn’t initially discover the victims, local council member Wanika Fisher revealed that Dorzon was amongst those attacked.
“I am disheartened and saddened by the news that Prince George’s County restaurant owner Tobias Dorzon was one of two people shot during an attempted robbery Tuesday evening in my neighborhood,” Fisher began in a news release.
She added that Dorzon, a Riverdale native, owns two “amazing” restaurants in Hyattsville and is considered a “dear” friend of hers.
“Such a terrible act could not have happened to a better person,” Fisher continued within the statement. “I offer my sincere condolences to him and the other victim, as well as their families and friends, and wish them both a speedy recovery. This type of senseless violence has no place in our county and county.”
According to Fisher, Dorzon is an “extremely talented” chef who has represented Prince George’s County on the national stage and appeared on several Food Network shows. Most recently, the 39-year-old chef participated within the Food Network’s “Last Bite Hotel,” where he made it to the ultimate 4. He also hosts “Time Out with Tobias” on ESPN.
Off-screen, Dorzon currently owns and manages a company Huncho’s house and exclusive 1123 By Chef Tobias. This spring, he was named Maryland Chef of the Year, the primary honor for somebody from Prince George’s County. In 2021 helped James Harden open his restaurant Thirteen in Houston.
Before becoming a master chef, the Maryland native played within the NFL for each the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Tennessee Titans. He also had a stint playing for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League.
Every week after the shooting, Dorzon updated followers Instagram on his progress.
“I’m still here, thank you all for your prayers. See you soon…. Huncho,” he wrote within the caption of a post that included a screenshot of a tweet during which he admitted that, all things considered, he should be “God’s favorite.”
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