Michelle Mildred is the proud entrepreneur behind the company Coloring Your Own. She’s not the owner of a company called “Flolyed Shop,” which is just one of the many sites posting fake ads using her face and voice.
The single mother says the ads are promoting products that look like hers, and sending customers to scam sites overseas.
“I oscillate between like, ‘I can hang on until this ends,’ and then, ‘I don’t know how much more I can take,’” Mildred said.
She says some customers are getting counterfeit products when ordered from scam sites, and some aren’t. If they are, they’re much lower quality.
“You can see the print is really glitchy,” she said while showing WCCO a knockoff one of her customers unknowingly purchased.
“Within 36 hours there were fraudulent videos on Amazon, and then Walmart, Temu,” she said.
Mildred individually reported the sponsored ads on TikTok, Facebook and Instagram.
“I did hire an intellectual property firm. They’ve taken down 175 listings, but I’ve reported over 750 and it takes them a while to get up and running,” she said.
It’s an effort costing her nearly $2,000 a month out-of-pocket, and endless back-and-forth conversations.
“I have to bring this to Facebook and be like, ‘Hey, turn off this revenue stream for you because it’s causing damage to my small business,’” she said.
Mildred is now taking steps to watermark her videos, website and urging you to watch out, too.
“I didn’t pay myself for four years,” she said. “I don’t know what the future looks like.”
Mildred says these are ways you can best protect yourself:
If you see something advertised on social media, click on the page itself to see who’s running the ad and their reviews.
Go to the website and see what other items are offered, and if they look AI-generated.
Search the website in Google and write “scam or fraud” and look at the products on Trust Pilot.
WCCO has reached out to Meta and TikTok for comment.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A federal grand jury indicted the leader of the Black Lives Matter movement in Oklahoma City over allegations that millions of dollars in grant funds were improperly spent on international trips, groceries and personal real estate, prosecutors announced Thursday.
Tashella Sheri Amore Dickerson, 52, was indicted earlier this month on 20 counts of wire fraud and five counts of money laundering, court records show.
Court records do not indicate the name of Dickerson’s attorney, and messages left Thursday at her mobile number and by email were not immediately returned.
According to the indictment, Dickerson served since at least 2016 as the executive director of Black Lives Matter OKC, which accepted charitable donations through its affiliation with the Arizona-based Alliance for Global Justice.
In total, BLM OKC raised more than $5.6 million dating back to 2020, largely from online donors and national bail funds that were supposed to be used to post bail for individuals arrested in connection with racial justice protests after the killing of George Floyd by a Minnesota police officer in 2020, the indictment alleges.
When those bail funds were returned to BLM OKC, the indictment alleges, Dickerson embezzled at least $3.15 million into her personal accounts and then used the money to pay for trips to Jamaica and the Dominican Republic, retail shopping, at least $50,000 in food and grocery deliveries for herself and her children, a personal vehicle, and six properties in Oklahoma City deeded to her or to a company she controlled.
The indictment also alleges she submitted false annual reports to the alliance stating that the funds were used only for tax-exempt purposes.
If convicted, Dickerson faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for each count of wire fraud and 10 years in prison and fines for each count of money laundering.
In a live video posted on her Facebook page Thursday afternoon, Dickerson said she was not in custody and was “fine.”
“I cannot make an official comment about what transpired today,” she said. “I am home. I am safe. I have confidence in our team.”
“A lot of times when people come at you with these types of things … it’s evidence that you are doing the work,” she continued. “That is what I’m standing on.”
The Black Lives Matter movement first emerged in 2013 after the acquittal of George Zimmerman, the neighborhood watch volunteer who killed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Florida. But it was the 2014 death of Michael Brown at the hands of police in Ferguson, Missouri, that made the slogan “Black lives matter” a rallying cry for progressives and a favorite target of derision for conservatives.
The Associated Press reported in October that the Justice Department was investigating whether leaders in the Black Lives Matter movement defrauded donors who contributed tens of millions of dollars during racial justice protests in 2020. There was no immediate indication that Dickerson’s indictment is connected to that probe.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Luxury cars, private villas and overseas wire transfers: CBS News obtained dozens of files and photos that reveal how Minnesota fraudsters blew through hundreds of millions in taxpayer dollars as part of one of the biggest COVID-erafraud schemes.
The files document a spending spree in which defendants, many of Somali descent, took taxpayer money meant to feed hungry children and used it to buy cars, property and jewelry. Videos show them popping champagne at an opulent Maldives resort. In a text message, one defendant boasts: “You are gonna be the richest 25 year old InshaAllah [God willing].”
The documents feature exhibits from a recent federal trial, many of which are being made public by CBS News for the first time. The exhibits include:
A confirmation email for a stay in an overwater villa with a private pool at Radisson Blu Resort Maldives
Lakefront property in Minnesota
Receipts showing wire transfers to China and East Africa
First class tickets to Istanbul and Amsterdam
A 2021 Porsche Macan
Stacks of cash, texted between defendants
A lakefront home presented as evidence in a Minnesota fraud trial.
Court exhibit
At the sentencing of a defendant who used taxpayer funds for cars and the Maldives vacation, 24-year-old Abdimajid Mohamed Nur, U.S. District Judge Nancy E. Brasel admonished him, saying: “Where others saw a crisis and rushed to help, you saw money and rushed to steal.” He was sentenced to 10 years in prison and ordered to pay nearly $48 million in restitution for his role in the fraud scheme.
Nur is one of dozens who siphoned hundreds of millions in stolen taxpayer funds — with questions still swirling about where all the money went. The crime has drawn renewed attention in recent weeks: House Republicans last week launched a probe into Minnesota Democratic Gov. Tim Walz’s handling of the cases, and the Treasury Department said it will investigate whether money made its way to al Qaeda affiliate al Shabaab, which is based in Somalia.
“A lot of money has been transferred from the individuals who committed this fraud,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Sunday on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan.” Much of that money “has gone overseas, and we are tracking that both to the Middle East and to Somalia to see what the uses of that have been.” Multiple federal investigators told CBS News there is no evidence taxpayer dollars were funneled to al Shabaab, and prosecutors have yet to present any evidence linking any of the fraudsters to terrorism.
“The vast majority of the money that these folks made went to spending on luxury items for themselves,” said Andy Luger, the former U.S. Attorney who led the office which prosecuted Nur and other related frauds from 2022 until January. “There was never any evidence that this money went to fund terrorism nor was there any evidence that was the intent of the 70 people we indicted.”
One of the luxury cars presented as government evidence in a Minnesota fraud trial.
Court exhibit
A CBS News review of the files shows that defendants wired millions in stolen funds overseas, including to banks and companies in China. Officials said finding the ultimate recipients of money routed through China will be challenging because it can be an investigative black hole.
The defendants also transferred nearly $3 million to accounts in Kenya.
Abdiaziz Shafii Farah, 36, who was sentenced to 28 years in prison last month for his role in the scheme, made six separate wire transfers worth more than $1 million to banks in China between February and July 2021, according to records reviewed by CBS News.
This photo of a text exchange, presented in court, shows a box stuffed with cash and a message saying “$270,000 dollars.”
Court exhibit
In one text, Farah instructed someone to “please send $1000 to Mogadishu bakara,” an apparent reference to a one-time al Shabaab stronghold that was the site of the infamous 1993 “Black Hawk Down” incident in which 18 American servicemembers died.
Farah owned and operated Empire Cuisine and Market, a Minnesota restaurant that contracted with the nonprofit Feeding Our Future to cook and provide meals to children. Prosecutors say he and his co-defendants billed the state for $47 million, claiming to have served 18 million meals at more than 30 locations — but they didn’t distribute a single meal.
Hundreds of documents related to Farah’s case detail how he spent money on luxury cars, investment properties at home and overseas, plus first-class travel to exotic destinations, including Istanbul and the Emirates. The defendants used sea planes to travel to resorts in the Maldives, where in one video, Farah is seen popping champagne at a private pool villa in July 2021.
Screenshots of videos from a Maldives vacation, presented as government evidence in a Minnesota fraud trial.
Court exhibit
At Farah’s sentencing, a judge said his crimes were motivated by “pure, unmitigated greed.” Farah’s attorneys did not respond to CBS News’ request for comment, including to a question about whether any of the fraud proceeds were diverted to Al Shabaab.
Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar said Sunday on “Face The Nation with Margaret Brennan”that any link between allegations of fraud by members of the Somali community and terrorism would be a “failure of the FBI.”
“If there was a linkage in the money that they have stolen going to terrorism, then that is a failure of the FBI and our court system in not figuring that out,” Omar said.
So far, federal prosecutors have convicted 61 people in the widening Minnesota fraud scandal. More investigations are ongoing.
NEW YORK — Cryptocurrency mogul Do Kwon is scheduled to be sentenced Thursday for misleading investors who lost billions when his company’s crypto ecosystem collapsed in 2022.
Kwon, known by some as “the cryptocurrency king,” pleaded guilty in Manhattan federal court in August to fraud charges stemming from Terraform Labs’ $40 billion crash.
The company had touted its TerraUSD as a reliable “stablecoin” — a kind of currency typically pegged to stable assets to prevent drastic fluctuations in prices. But prosecutors say it was all an illusion that came crumbling down, devastating investors and triggering “a cascade of crises that swept through cryptocurrency markets.”
Kwon, who hails from South Korea, has agreed to forfeit over $19 million as part of the plea deal.
While federal sentencing guidelines would recommend a prison term of about 25 years, prosecutors have asked the court to sentence Kwon to 12 years. They cited his guilty plea, the fact that he faces further prosecution in Korea and that he has already served time in Montenegro while awaiting extradition.
“Kwon’s fraud was colossal in scope, permeating virtually every facet of Terraform’s purported business,” prosecutors wrote in a recent memo to the judge. “His rampant lies left a trail of financial destruction in their wake.”
Kwon’s attorneys asked that the sentence not exceed five years, arguing in their own memo that his conduct stemmed not from greed, but hubris and desperation.
In a letter to the judge, Kwon wrote, “I alone am responsible for everyone’s pain. The community looked to me to know the path, and I in my hubris led them astray,” while adding, “I made misrepresentations that came from a brashness that is now a source of deep regret.”
Authorities said investors worldwide lost money in the downfall of the Singapore crypto firm, which Kwon co-founded in 2018. Around $40 billion in market value was erased for the holders of TerraUSD and its floating sister currency, Luna, after the stablecoin plunged far below its $1 peg.
Kwon was extradited to the U.S. from Montenegro after his March 23, 2023, arrest while traveling on a false passport in Europe.
NEW YORK (AP) — Cryptocurrency mogul Do Kwon is scheduled to be sentenced Thursday for misleading investors who lost billions when his company’s crypto ecosystem collapsed in 2022.
Kwon, known by some as “the cryptocurrency king,” pleaded guilty in Manhattan federal court in August to fraud charges stemming from Terraform Labs’ $40 billion crash.
The company had touted its TerraUSD as a reliable “stablecoin” — a kind of currency typically pegged to stable assets to prevent drastic fluctuations in prices. But prosecutors say it was all an illusion that came crumbling down, devastating investors and triggering “a cascade of crises that swept through cryptocurrency markets.”
Kwon, who hails from South Korea, has agreed to forfeit over $19 million as part of the plea deal.
While federal sentencing guidelines would recommend a prison term of about 25 years, prosecutors have asked the court to sentence Kwon to 12 years. They cited his guilty plea, the fact that he faces further prosecution in Korea and that he has already served time in Montenegro while awaiting extradition.
“Kwon’s fraud was colossal in scope, permeating virtually every facet of Terraform’s purported business,” prosecutors wrote in a recent memo to the judge. “His rampant lies left a trail of financial destruction in their wake.”
Kwon’s attorneys asked that the sentence not exceed five years, arguing in their own memo that his conduct stemmed not from greed, but hubris and desperation.
In a letter to the judge, Kwon wrote, “I alone am responsible for everyone’s pain. The community looked to me to know the path, and I in my hubris led them astray,” while adding, “I made misrepresentations that came from a brashness that is now a source of deep regret.”
Authorities said investors worldwide lost money in the downfall of the Singapore crypto firm, which Kwon co-founded in 2018. Around $40 billion in market value was erased for the holders of TerraUSD and its floating sister currency, Luna, after the stablecoin plunged far below its $1 peg.
Kwon was extradited to the U.S. from Montenegro after his March 23, 2023, arrest while traveling on a false passport in Europe.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Royal Bank of Canada is developing tools by combining new and old tech to fight scams powered by gen AI. The bank is blending AI and gen AI tech to fight fraud, Geoffrey Morton, senior director of fraud strategy at RBC, told FinAi News. “We’re exploring specifically within scams,” Morton said. “It’s one thing to be able to detect the scam activity but it’s another problem to convince […]
Before you click “purchase” on a Black Friday online deal, you may want to think twice.
Black Friday is expected to be one of the biggest shopping days of the year, with Americans forecast to spend $11.7 billion online, according to Adobe Analytics. Mobile shopping will drive more than half of all sales, Adobe estimates.
As millions of Americans search apps and websites for deals, experts warn that consumers should be on the lookout for fraudsters who will try to capitalize on the holiday shopping rush.
“Limited time only, gotta do it now, before it sells out, whatever it is. That whole sense of urgency is something bad guys love,” Lisa Plaggemier, executive director of the National Cybersecurity Alliance, told CBS News Texas.
Fake QR codes, phony social media posts and phishing emails are just some of the tools scammers use to lure consumers into unwittingly forking over their information.
To pull off their schemes, fraudsters are increasingly leveraging artificial intelligence. One common scam is creating “deepfakes” — videos that appear to be a celebrity or influencer promoting a product but are in fact a dupe — to bait people into visiting counterfeit websites. That means that what you see may not be what you get.
Once there, fraudsters can steal both your payment information and your personal credentials.
“You can’t rely on your eyes and ears anymore,” Plaggemier said.
Scammers are also creating social media ads that mimic popular brands to fool customers into thinking whatever they are buying is the real deal, according to LifeLock, an identity theft protection service.
Here are some tips to avoid scams if you’re planning to make online purchases on Black Friday.
Check the URL to make sure it’s from a reputable retailer. Scammers often create fake websites that mirror other businesses’ URLs. The fake ones, however, will contain misspellings or extra numbers and letters. For example, a fraudster might use the lookalike URL be5tbuy.com to mimic bestbuy.com, according to LifeLock. If something seems amiss, take a moment to reconsider your purchase.
Use a credit card. Experts say using a credit card can better protect against fraud. With debit cards, the onus falls on you to get your money back, according to NerdWallet, a personal finance website. With credit cards, it’s up to the card issuer to get the money back, meaning the consumer faces less legwork and an easier path to getting a refund. Whatever card you use, experts encourage shoppers to track their purchase history to make sure nothing is amiss.
Be skeptical of offers or discounts that seem too good to be true. Caila Schwartz, director of consumer insights at Salesforce, told CBS News in an email that shoppers should verify offers directly on the retailer’s web page.
Read the fine print. While it may be easy to skim over purchase details, experts encourage shoppers to give them some extra attention. Melanie McGovern, the director of public relations and social media at the nonprofit Better Business Bureau, told CBS News Texas that shoppers should check shipping dates, return policies and restocking dates for sold-out items. “Just doing general things before you make that purchase will help you to make sure you get the item before the holidays,” she told CBS News Texas.
Use the Better Business Bureau’s Scam Tracker.The tool lets you report scams and read those documented by other consumers, helping you avoid falling for the same tactics.
Be wary of links from unsolicited emails and text messages. Scammers often send messages that appear to come from a legitimate company, urging you to take an action such as updating your payment information. LifeLock advises consumers to check the sender’s email address to confirm it matches the organization it claims to be. Shoppers should also watch for spelling or branding mistakes, a common sign of a scam.
BANGKOK (AP) — A court in Thailand said Wednesday that it has issued an arrest warrant for a co-owner of the Miss Universe Organization in connection with a fraud case.
Jakkaphong “Anne” Jakrajutatip was charged with fraud then released on bail in 2023. She failed to appear as required in a Bangkok court on Tuesday. Since she did not notify the court about her absence, she was deemed to be a flight risk, according to a statement from the Bangkok South District Court.
The court rescheduled the hearing for Dec. 26.
According to the court’s statement, Jakkaphong and her company, JKN Global Group Public Co. Ltd., were sued for allegedly defrauding Raweewat Maschamadol in selling him the company’s corporate bonds in 2023. Raweewat says the investment caused him to lose 30 million baht ($930,362).
Financially troubled JKN defaulted on payments to investors beginning in 2023 and began debt rehabilitation procedures with the Central Bankruptcy Court in 2024. The company says it has debts totaling about 3 billion baht ($93 million).
JKN acquired the rights to the Miss Universe pageant from IMG Worldwide LLC in 2022. In 2023, it sold 50% of its Miss Universe shares to Legacy Holding Group USA, which is owned by a Mexican businessman, Raúl Rocha Cantú.
In an unrelated case in Mexico, federal prosecutors announced Wednesday that Rocha Cantú has been under investigation since November 2024 for alleged organized crime activity, including drug and arms trafficking, as well as fuel theft.
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The Attorney General’s Office said in a statement that Raúl “R” was the target of the investigation. A federal agent who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the investigation confirmed that was Rocha Cantú.
The Miss Universe Organization did not respond to a request for comment.
Earlier this month, a federal judge in Mexico approved 13 arrest orders against targets in the case. The federal agent would not confirm or deny whether an order was issued for Rocha Cantú.
Jakkaphong resigned from all of the company’s positions in June after being accused by Thailand’s Securities and Exchange Commission of falsifying the company’s 2023 financial statements. She remains its largest shareholder.
Her whereabouts remain unclear. She did not appear at the 74th Miss Universe competition, which was held in Bangkok earlier this month.
This year’s competition was marred by various problems, including a sharp-tongued scolding by a Thai organizer of Fátima Bosch Fernández of Mexico, who was crowned Miss Universe 2025 on Nov. 19. Two judges reportedly dropped out, with one suggesting that there was an element of rigging to the contest. Separately, Thai police investigated allegations that publicity for the event included illegal promotion of online casinos.
On Monday, JKN denied rumors that Jakkaphong had liquidated the company’s assets and fled the country, but there has been no immediate reaction regarding the arrest warrant. She could not be reached for comment.
Jakkaphong is a well-known celebrity in Thailand who has starred in reality shows and is outspoken about her identity as a transgender woman.
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AP writer Fabiola Sánchez in Mexico City contributed to this report.
A Nigerian romance scammer was found guilty last month of money laundering. His victims include a Triangle area man trying to buy a home in Apex.
A Nigerian romance scammer was found guilty by a federal jury of laundering more than $120,000 from a Triangle area man, officials announced Wednesday.
Saheed Sunday Owolabi, 34, was convicted Oct. 16 of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering, court records show. He was arrested in July 2024, about four months after he arrived in the United States on a spousal visa, according to court documents.
Owolabi was indicted in June 2022, along with another Nigerian man and two American men, court documents show. He and Stephen Ojo, the other Nigerian, posed as women online and convinced men to send and receive money for them, the indictment states.
“Investigators recovered chat messages in which Owolabi admitted he was running a romance scam until he realized he was actually communicating with another fraudster,” a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice states. “That individual mocked Owolabi’s efforts and told him to ‘learn how to do a cleaner job.’”
One of those victims was Derrick Donahue Davis of Concord, according to court documents. Davis fell for Ojo, who was allegedly going by the name “Kyra Carter,” after meeting the fake woman on a dating app in 2018, court documents state.
Davis ultimately played a crucial role in an April 2020 scam where the men sent a Triangle area man identified as “KCN” an email pretending to be KCN’s attorney. KCN was closing on a home in Apex, and the fake email used the COVID-19 pandemic as a ploy to get KCN to wire $120,768.17 to Davis’ bank account to avoid a delayed closing, court documents allege.
Davis then sent the money to several other people, and at least $1,500 made its way back to Owolabi, according to court documents. The victim didn’t realize he’d been scammed until he arrived at the closing appointment. Law enforcement noticed the large transaction and told Davis he was participating in criminal activity, but he allegedly continued to move money for Ojo and Owolabi nonetheless, court documents state.
Davis pleaded guilty in April 2023, and was sentenced to four years and six months in prison, court documents state. Ojo, who lived in Turkey during much of the criminal activity, has yet to be arrested, according to court records.
Owolabi is scheduled to be sentenced in January. He faces up to 40 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release, according to federal officials.
Lexi Solomon joined The News & Observer in August 2024 as the emerging news reporter. She previously worked in Fayetteville at The Fayetteville Observer and CityView, reporting on crime, education and local government. She is a 2022 graduate of Virginia Tech with degrees in Russian and National Security & Foreign Affairs.
A former investment advisor who lived in a Coconut Grove luxury high-rise condo has pleaded guilty to directing a Ponzi scheme that fleeced $94 million from Venezuelan investors and Catholic dioceses in the South American country over the past two decades.
Andrew H. Jacobus, 64, pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud and money laundering this month. He now faces 15 years or more in prison at his sentencing in early February in Miami federal court after admitting that he bilked dozens of Venezuelans living in South Florida and abroad, according to his plea agreement and other court records.
Jacobus, who was granted a bond after his arrest in July and now lives in a Fort Lauderdale apartment, must repay the victims of his investment scheme and assist federal investigators in tracking down their stolen funds, but it’s unclear from court records how much the former investment advisor still has available in assets.
Jacobus induced the various Venezuelans — including a nonprofit group that supports the retirement and healthcare of Catholic priests — to invest tens of millions of dollars by promising them high-yield returns on fixed-income funds under his companies’ control, says a factual statement filed with his plea agreement. Jacobus admitted that he used those funds to pay off some investors while stealing from others to enrich himself between 2004 and 2024, the statement says.
Jacobus, who operated two Coral Gables-based businesses, Finser International Corp. and Kronus Financial Corp., promised yearly investment returns of 12% to 15% on certificates of deposit and other fixed-income securities as he secretly swindled investors until some learned of his theft in 2022 and complained to federal authorities, leading to an Internal Revenue Service criminal investigation and grand jury indictment filed in Miami this year.
Fictitious account statements
The factual statement, underscoring Jacobus’ guilty pleas to two counts in the indictment, notes that one Venezuelan investor transferred $1 million to a Kronus bank account in July 2020 “based on the defendant’s false representations that the money would be used for investment purposes.” Instead, Jacobus moved $120,000 from that account to another so that he could pay other investors to perpetuate his international Ponzi scheme.
“To conceal his fraud, Jacobus would create and provide to the victims fictitious account statements or balances purporting to show the investment portfolio and related balances, when in fact the victims’ accounts had significantly smaller balances,” Jacobus admitted in the factual statement signed by him, his defense attorney, Bruce Lehr, and federal prosecutor Robert Moore.
In addition to the indictment, the Securities and Exchange Commission also sued Jacobus and his companies, alleging he committed the same fraud scheme in a civil lawsuit.
The Venezuelan investors — 10 people are listed by their initials and two others as faith-based organizations in the indictment — turned to the United States as a safe haven to protect their money as their country collapsed economically during the administrations of the late President Hugo Chavez and current leader Nicolas Maduro.
At least five lawsuits in Miami-Dade
In recent years, several investors sued Jacobus and his firm, accusing them of fraud and civil theft involving tens of millions of dollars, according to civil court filings. They also notified the SEC, which had sanctioned Jacobus over pocketing exorbitant fees in a cease-and-desist order in 2020 when he and his firm, Finser International Corp., managed about $79 million in investment funds.
Among Jacobus’ investment victims: a wealthy businessman who owns a crane business, a plastic surgeon and a renowned sculptor, all from Venezuela, according to court records.
Jacobus’ investors accused the investment advisor of withholding and misappropriating their funds after they demanded he return their money, according to at least five lawsuits filed in Miami-Dade Circuit Court.
Miami attorney Michael Padula, who filed three of those suits against the former investment advisor, said Jacobus “preyed on churches and hard-working entrepreneurs and investors and cost people their life savings.”
The first two cases accusing Jacobus of fraud and other civil violations were brought in 2022 by Padula, a former prosecutor at the Justice Department and U.S. Attorney’s Office who had focused on white-collar crime. Padula accused Jacobus of running a “Ponzi scheme” by using newer investors’ money to pay off older ones — an allegation that caught the attention of other Venezuelans who invested millions of dollars with Jacobus.
Padula’s clients, Fermin Suarez, a wealthy Venezuelan crane business owner, and Tubalcain Morales, who lives in Venezuela and Spain, reached respective settlements with Jacobus totaling about $18.5 million and $650,000, according to court records. Jacobus made a few payments to both men, then defaulted, Padula said.
Padula’s third client, Manuel Egea, a plastic surgeon residing in Venezuela, also filed suit in Miami, claiming he invested his “life savings” of about $9.5 million with Jacobus. The surgeon’s money was mostly placed in fixed-income investment funds that regularly yielded substantial monthly returns for years, his lawsuit states. But in 2023, Egea claims in his suit, the payments stopped, despite “several written requests to withdraw portions of [his] investment.”
Egea received a final judgment for his loss against Jacobus’ entities for $30 million, Padula said. But recovering funds from Jacobus or his companies has proven difficult, he said.
‘Jacobus had cleaned out her account’
Court records show other victims: Beatriz Aleman, an investment manager herself, and her husband, James Mathison, a sculptor whose work has been exhibited at shows in Miami, Venezuela and Europe, had an investment relationship with Jacobus dating back to 2012.
In their lawsuit filed in Miami-Dade Circuit Court, the couple said they invested about $2 million with Jacobus through the fall of 2022 and Aleman herself referred more than 20 investors to him over the past decade.
The couple’s lawyer, Clarissa Rodriguez, said that before filing suit, she sent a letter to Jacobus demanding that he return the couple’s money — but he refused. The couple pursued legal action against Jacobus after they initially asked him to turn over about $760,000 in savings that he invested with the discount online firm, Interactive Brokers.
According to the couple’s suit, Aleman grew suspicious of Jacobus when she asked him to transfer $200,000 from her Interactive account to her bank in May 2023.
In an email, Aleman gave him instructions on where to wire the money, but Jacobus gave her excuses about transferring it, according to the suit. She then asked for a conference call with Jacobus, and he responded in an email that he was tired of repeating himself “ad nauseum” on the phone about the reasons for the delay. But they had never talked on the phone about the money transfer, leading Aleman to believe Jacobus “gaslighted” her, according to the couple’s suit.
Aleman learned from Interactive that her log-in credentials no longer existed and that the email address on file for her account had been changed to Jacobus’, the suit states. She found out that “Jacobus had cleaned out her account,” leaving Aleman with only $15,000 in savings at Interactive. A representative told Aleman that the monthly statements Jacobus had sent her showing her savings intact were “fake.”
On June 21, 2023, Jacobus admitted that he took her money for his own personal needs.
“I want to begin this note by asking for your forgiveness,” Jacobus emailed Aleman in Spanish, which was translated in the couple’s court filing. “I needed to make an urgent payment and without consulting you first, I boldly borrowed funds in your account at Interactive, with all the intention of returning them to you with a 15% return and without causing you any loss.”
But Aleman and her husband, Mathison, never got back their money, according to their lawyer.
Jay Weaver writes about federal crime at the crossroads of South Florida and Latin America. Since joining the Miami Herald in 1999, he’s covered the federal courts nonstop, from Elian Gonzalez’s custody battle to Alex Rodriguez’s steroid abuse. He was part of the Herald teams that won the 2001 and 2022 Pulitzer Prizes for breaking news on Elian’s seizure by federal agents and the collapse of a Surfside condo building killing 98 people. He and three Herald colleagues were 2019 Pulitzer Prize finalists for explanatory reporting on gold smuggling between South America and Miami.
As entrepreneurs, we obsess over funnels, pixels, and creative. But here’s the quiet leak many businesses miss: your links. In a world of AI-generated phishing and domain spoofing, a sketchy-looking URL isn’t just an aesthetic issue, it’s a trust issue. Consumers reported $12.5 billion in fraud losses last year, and attackers are weaponizing AI to make scams nearly impossible to spot.
Trust is fragile. DigiCert’s State of Digital Trustresearch found that 47 percent of consumers stopped doing business with a company after losing trust in its digital security, and 57 percent say they’d likely switch if they felt that trust erode. You don’t need a breach to trigger that. Looking “phishy” is often enough.
The pattern you normalize is the behavior you get
Generic shorteners and off-brand domains may be cheap and convenient, but they also look exactly like the links your customers are trained to avoid. CISA flags untrusted shortened URLs as a phishing red flag, and universities and security vendors warn that shortened links are a common obfuscation technique. When brands normalize those patterns, they’re teaching audiences to click them, and attackers will thank you.
An Inc.com Featured Presentation
Meanwhile, these bad-actors are scaling. KnowBe4’s 2025 benchmarking data found that 82 percent of phishing emails currently use AI. Microsoft recently exposed an AI-aided phishing campaign that generated fake sign-in pages with convincing realism. This isn’t the future, it’s today’s inbox.
Branded domains aren’t cosmetic, they’re conversion and security
When the domain matches your brand, hesitation drops. Across channels (QR, SMS, email, social) an on-brand URL helps customers decide in milliseconds: Is this really you? According to a Journal of Advertising Research study, users show higher click propensity when the search includes a brand name. More importantly, branded links harden your ecosystem: Clean, governed link patterns are harder to spoof and easier to audit.
You don’t need to build new infrastructure to do it. Most reputable SaaS platforms now let you connect your own branded domain and SSL certificate in minutes. You keep the ease of third-party tools, while retaining ownership of your customer-facing identity.
The QR and SMS moment: Trust at first glance
QR codes have become the bridge between offline and online (packaging, TV, live events), but they also create a new moment of truth. When someone scans a QR code, their phone usually shows a preview of the destination address before opening it. If that preview shows a third-party domain, you’ve already lost a little trust, and potentially leaked a little data. Using your own branded domain for every QR code ensures that the link preview itself reassures customers and keeps click analytics within your control.
The same principle applies to SMS messages, one of today’s most common phishing channels. Texts that include unfamiliar or third-party domains look indistinguishable from scam attempts. Whether it’s a delivery notification, a password reset, or a limited-time offer, the link should always live under your brand’s domain. That single design choice protects the most vulnerable users (our parents, kids, and grandparents), while reinforcing that every authentic message from your company looks the same.
Own your click front door. Every campaign, QR code, or text link should live under your domain, even if powered by outside tools.
Enforce HTTPS. Security signals and trust signals are now the same thing.
Audit quarterly. Look at the domains your customers actually see. If they aren’t yours, fix them.
The simplest marketing policy you’ll ever write might also be the most powerful: “If a link doesn’t come from our domain, don’t click it, and don’t forward it.”
That one rule aligns teams, protects customers, and quietly trains your entire ecosystem in URL literacy. It’s the digital equivalent of locking your front door.
Trust drives engagement
From startups to global enterprises, trust drives engagement. During “attack seasons” such as the holidays, elections, or major events, phishing spikes and customer attention wanes. Strong link practices cut through the noise to reduce bounce and abandonment, while boosting clicks.
Once trust is in place, the fun begins. The next step is making links smarter, so they understand what someone wants and where they are in their journey. Call it AI for links. But intelligence only works when the foundation is trusted. In an AI-driven threat landscape, trust is your conversion rate. Own trust at the link level.
BANGKOK (AP) — A court in Thailand said Wednesday that it has issued an arrest warrant for a co-owner of the Miss Universe Organization in connection with a fraud case.
Jakkaphong “Anne” Jakrajutatip was charged with fraud then released on bail in 2023. She failed to appear as required in a Bangkok court on Tuesday. Since she did not notify the court about her absence, she was deemed to be a flight risk, according to a statement from the Bangkok South District Court.
The court rescheduled the hearing for Dec. 26.
According to the court’s statement, Jakkaphong and her company, JKN Global Group Public Co. Ltd., were sued for allegedly defrauding Raweewat Maschamadol in selling him the company’s corporate bonds in 2023. Raweewat says the investment caused him to lose 30 million baht ($930,362).
Financially troubled JKN defaulted on payments to investors beginning in 2023 and began debt rehabilitation procedures with the Central Bankruptcy Court in 2024. The company says it has debts totaling about 3 billion baht ($93 million).
JKN acquired the rights to the Miss Universe pageant from IMG Worldwide LLC in 2022. In 2023, it sold 50% of its Miss Universe shares to Legacy Holding Group USA, which is owned by a Mexican businessman, Raúl Rocha Cantú.
Jakkaphong, who is transgender, resigned from all of the company’s positions in June after being accused by Thailand’s Securities and Exchange Commission of falsifying the company’s 2023 financial statements. She remains its largest shareholder.
Her whereabouts remain unclear. She did not appear at the 74th Miss Universe competition, which was held in Bangkok earlier this month.
This year’s competition was marred by various problems, including a sharp-tongued scolding by a Thai organizer of Fátima Bosch Fernández of Mexico, who was crowned Miss Universe 2025 on Nov. 19. Two judges reportedly dropped out, with one suggesting that there was an element of rigging to the contest. Separately, Thai police investigated allegations that publicity for the event included illegal promotion of online casinos.
On Monday, JKN denied rumors that Jakkaphong had liquidated the company’s assets and fled the country, but there has been no immediate reaction regarding the arrest warrant. She could not be reached for comment.
Jakkaphong is a well-known celebrity in Thailand who has starred in reality shows and is outspoken about her identity as a transgender woman.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Scammers particularly use the holiday season to steal your money and information.Hoping consumers will let down their guard, or just trying to spoof legitimate businesses, scammers will do everything they can to take advantage of your vulnerability or generosity.Chase and the Baltimore Police Department recently hosted a scam education event to show consumers how to protect themselves. Some of their tips are listed below.Holiday shopping: What to knowShop with trusted retailers: Stick to reputable websites when shopping online. If you’re unfamiliar with a store, search for its name along with terms like “scam,” “complaints” or “reviews” to uncover any red flags.Verify website URLs: Scammers can create fake websites that look like legitimate retailers. Ensure the URL starts with “https://” as the “s” stands for secure. Avoid clicking links from unsolicited emails or texts.Beware of unrealistic deals: Scammers lure buyers by offering massive discounts on popular or sold-out items. If a deal seems too good to be true, it’s likely a scam.How you pay matters: Credit cards and debit cards offer different protections than cash or payment transfer apps, like Zelle and Venmo. Remember, only use apps like Zelle to pay others you know and trust.Shopping on public Wi-Fi: Avoid connecting to public Wi-Fi when making an online purchase. Scammers can intercept your personal information on unsecured networks.Use digital tools: Trusted financial institutions offer credit and identity monitoring, including alerts to inform you when your data is exposed in a data breach or on the dark web.Online deals that are too good to be trueWhen shopping online or on social media, buy only from trusted websites and vendors. If purchasing on a marketplace, stay on the platform to complete transactions and communicate with sellers, as protections often only apply when you use the platform.Use payment methods that offer buyer protection. Never send money to strangers, particularly via payment-transfer apps like Zelle or Venmo, for purchases, especially when you can’t confirm the goods exist. Missed packages or problems with deliveryExpecting a package? Be cautious of phishing messages through email or text message that impersonate delivery services, like the U.S. Postal Service, UPS or FedEx, with links to view “missed deliveries.” These links may lead to fake sign-in pages to capture your actual password or to malware-infected sites.Do not respond to messages requesting personal or financial information, including money or cryptocurrency. Be wary of unexpected packages and avoid scanning QR codes, as they may be attempts to steal your information.Scams: Fake refunds, quishing, phishing/smishing, whalingRefund scams: Another scam doesn’t demand payment. Instead, it dangles a refund, sometimes via text messages posing as official messages from “Department of Taxation,” urging recipients to “click here to claim your refund.” The texts look legitimate at a glance, but they are designed to lure you into tapping a fraudulent link and handing over personal information. Cybersecurity experts are warning about scammers using QR codes to take advantage of unsuspecting victims. The practice called “quishing” uses a QR code that sends you to a dummy website to get your information — and money.When it comes to phishing, the term is more widely known, but people are still falling for it. Phishing emails or texts (known as “smishing”) attempt to trick a recipient into clicking a suspicious link, filling out information or downloading a malware file.Whaling attacks generally target leaders or other executives with access to large amounts of information at an organization or business. Whaling attacks can target people in payroll offices, human resources and financial offices as well as leadership. Video below: An expert’s tips to avoid falling for QR code scamsGift card scamsBe cautious about buying gift cards from third-party sites. Scammers will pre-save card details or sell expired cards.Don’t respond to an unsolicited email or text message offering you a gift card because it’s often a way to track your online activity.Don’t fall for scammers asking you to pay for services or goods using gift cards.Video below: Guide to selling gift cards securely onlinePhony charitiesThe holidays are also a season of giving, but before you donate money, double-check the contact and payment information for a charity.Beware of text, email or phone call solicitations. Like any other unsolicited message, don’t click on links or open attachments because they may contain malware or try to steal your information.Travel scamsScammers try to mimic or impersonate popular travel websites by recreating familiar branding, logos or company verbiage.As part of your travel research, do scam checks by looking up unfamiliar retail, travel and services websites by searching online for their names along with terms like “scam,” “complaints” or “reviews.”Chase advises using a credit card to book travel so that if an issue arises, you can dispute it.What to do if you fall victim to a scamVideo below: Steps to take immediately after falling for a scamStop communication: Discontinue all contact with the scammer immediately to prevent further damage.Document everything: Take note of all relevant information, including the scammer’s contact details and any information that may be useful when reporting the incident.Contact your bank: Report the incident and verify recent transactions to ensure there is no fraudulent activity on your account.Report the incident: File a police report or an inquiry to the Federal Trade Commission for official documentation.Monitor for identity theft: Sign up for credit and identity monitoring to receive alerts when your personal information has been leaked in a data breach or shows up on the dark web.Change your passwords: Update your online accounts by creating strong passwords, particularly if the scam involved accessing your personal information.Share your experience: Let friends and family know what happened to raise awareness about the signs of scams and help others avoid falling victim. Remember that financial scams can, and do, happen to anyone, so don’t feel embarrassed.Remain on high alert for follow-up scams: Scammers might attempt to target you again, especially if they know you’ve fallen victim before. Be cautious of unsolicited communications.
Scammers particularly use the holiday season to steal your money and information.
Hoping consumers will let down their guard, or just trying to spoof legitimate businesses, scammers will do everything they can to take advantage of your vulnerability or generosity.
Chase and the Baltimore Police Department recently hosted a scam education event to show consumers how to protect themselves. Some of their tips are listed below.
Holiday shopping: What to know
Shop with trusted retailers: Stick to reputable websites when shopping online. If you’re unfamiliar with a store, search for its name along with terms like “scam,” “complaints” or “reviews” to uncover any red flags.
Verify website URLs: Scammers can create fake websites that look like legitimate retailers. Ensure the URL starts with “https://” as the “s” stands for secure. Avoid clicking links from unsolicited emails or texts.
Beware of unrealistic deals: Scammers lure buyers by offering massive discounts on popular or sold-out items. If a deal seems too good to be true, it’s likely a scam.
How you pay matters: Credit cards and debit cards offer different protections than cash or payment transfer apps, like Zelle and Venmo. Remember, only use apps like Zelle to pay others you know and trust.
Shopping on public Wi-Fi: Avoid connecting to public Wi-Fi when making an online purchase. Scammers can intercept your personal information on unsecured networks.
Use digital tools: Trusted financial institutions offer credit and identity monitoring, including alerts to inform you when your data is exposed in a data breach or on the dark web.
Online deals that are too good to be true
When shopping online or on social media, buy only from trusted websites and vendors. If purchasing on a marketplace, stay on the platform to complete transactions and communicate with sellers, as protections often only apply when you use the platform.
Use payment methods that offer buyer protection. Never send money to strangers, particularly via payment-transfer apps like Zelle or Venmo, for purchases, especially when you can’t confirm the goods exist.
Missed packages or problems with delivery
Expecting a package? Be cautious of phishing messages through email or text message that impersonate delivery services, like the U.S. Postal Service, UPS or FedEx, with links to view “missed deliveries.”
These links may lead to fake sign-in pages to capture your actual password or to malware-infected sites.
Do not respond to messages requesting personal or financial information, including money or cryptocurrency. Be wary of unexpected packages and avoid scanning QR codes, as they may be attempts to steal your information.
Refund scams: Another scam doesn’t demand payment. Instead, it dangles a refund, sometimes via text messages posing as official messages from “Department of Taxation,” urging recipients to “click here to claim your refund.” The texts look legitimate at a glance, but they are designed to lure you into tapping a fraudulent link and handing over personal information.
Cybersecurity experts are warning about scammers using QR codes to take advantage of unsuspecting victims. The practice called “quishing” uses a QR code that sends you to a dummy website to get your information — and money.
When it comes to phishing, the term is more widely known, but people are still falling for it. Phishing emails or texts (known as “smishing”) attempt to trick a recipient into clicking a suspicious link, filling out information or downloading a malware file.
Whaling attacks generally target leaders or other executives with access to large amounts of information at an organization or business. Whaling attacks can target people in payroll offices, human resources and financial offices as well as leadership.
Video below: An expert’s tips to avoid falling for QR code scams
Gift card scams
Be cautious about buying gift cards from third-party sites. Scammers will pre-save card details or sell expired cards.
Don’t respond to an unsolicited email or text message offering you a gift card because it’s often a way to track your online activity.
Don’t fall for scammers asking you to pay for services or goods using gift cards.
Video below: Guide to selling gift cards securely online
Phony charities
The holidays are also a season of giving, but before you donate money, double-check the contact and payment information for a charity.
Beware of text, email or phone call solicitations. Like any other unsolicited message, don’t click on links or open attachments because they may contain malware or try to steal your information.
Travel scams
Scammers try to mimic or impersonate popular travel websites by recreating familiar branding, logos or company verbiage.
As part of your travel research, do scam checks by looking up unfamiliar retail, travel and services websites by searching online for their names along with terms like “scam,” “complaints” or “reviews.”
Chase advises using a credit card to book travel so that if an issue arises, you can dispute it.
What to do if you fall victim to a scam
Video below: Steps to take immediately after falling for a scam
Stop communication: Discontinue all contact with the scammer immediately to prevent further damage.
Document everything: Take note of all relevant information, including the scammer’s contact details and any information that may be useful when reporting the incident.
Contact your bank: Report the incident and verify recent transactions to ensure there is no fraudulent activity on your account.
Report the incident: File a police report or an inquiry to the Federal Trade Commission for official documentation.
Monitor for identity theft: Sign up for credit and identity monitoring to receive alerts when your personal information has been leaked in a data breach or shows up on the dark web.
Change your passwords: Update your online accounts by creating strong passwords, particularly if the scam involved accessing your personal information.
Share your experience: Let friends and family know what happened to raise awareness about the signs of scams and help others avoid falling victim. Remember that financial scams can, and do, happen to anyone, so don’t feel embarrassed.
Remain on high alert for follow-up scams: Scammers might attempt to target you again, especially if they know you’ve fallen victim before. Be cautious of unsolicited communications.
A Minnesota judge acquitted a man on multiple charges after a jury found him guilty of aiding and abetting theft, sparking backlash from conservatives on social media.
Minnesota Fourth Judicial District Judge Sarah West on Thursday granted a motion for acquittal filed by Abdifatah Abdulkadir Yusuf on charges related to fraud at a company he owned, Promise Health Services LLC. West ruled that the state’s case “relied heavily on circumstantial evidence.”
“While the Court is troubled by the manner in which fraud was able to be perpetuated at Promise, the State’s evidence did not exclude other reasonable, rational inferences that are inconsistent with Mr. Yusuf’s guilt,” West wrote.
Why It Matters
Earlier this year, a national association of federal judges said there has been a “rise in criticism, threats and violence aimed at members of the judiciary.”
“Specific decisions issued by judges are not formed from individual opinions, but rather are prepared against evaluation of what the ‘laws on the books’ require,” the Federal Judges Association said in a statement in March.
What To Know
The judge’s ruling has been criticized by conservatives. Republican Minnesota State Representative and gubernatorial candidate Kristin Robbins told KARE that she was “stunned” by the decision.
“I was surprised to see the judge overturned a jury’s guilty verdict & acquit a defendant in a $7.2 million fraud case involving Medicaid,” she wrote on X. “I will be looking at ways to strengthen state law so fraud cases can be successfully prosecuted in state court.”
Conservative social media activist Robby Starbuck wrote on X: “Judge Sarah West didn’t just overturn a jury who convicted Abdifatah Yusuf of stealing millions from taxpayers, she didn’t even really explain why except that he could’ve not been guilty. Judges like this are destroying trust in our system. We need MAJOR change to restore trust.”
A representative for the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office told Newsweek:“The Minnesota Attorney General’s Office is appealing.”
“Judge West’s 55-page order meticulously considered the facts and faithfully applied the law. It affirms what we have maintained from the very beginning: that Abdifatah Yusuf did not commit fraud or racketeering,” Yusuf’s attorney, Ian Birrell, told Newsweek. “The Court’s Order affirms the fundamental principle that justice requires both fairness and proof. We appreciate the Court’s thorough consideration of all the proceedings and we are confident Mr. Yusuf’s innocence will be affirmed through the appeal process.”
Yusuf was charged with one count of racketeering and six counts of aiding and abetting theft by swindle in June 2024 in connection with fraudulent claims submitted by Promise Health Services to Medicaid for reimbursement. Prosecutors alleged that Yusuf’s fraud cost the Medicaid program more than $7.2 million.
The court acquitted Yusuf of racketeering on August 12 of this year. Later that day, the jury returned guilty verdicts on each remaining count.
West ruled that there is a “reasonable, rational inference” that Yusuf owned Promise Health Services and was involved on paper, but his brother was the one “committing the fraud and operating the business in a reckless manner without Mr. Yusuf’s knowledge or involvement.”
“The State simply wants to show that there is fraud at Promise, therefore Mr. Yusuf knew and intentionally aided in the same,” West wrote. “However, the State overinflates the actual fraud in their investigation and presentation, failed to provide actual circumstantial evidence tying Mr. Yusuf to his brother’s activities, and the evidence is insufficient to sustain a conviction for the six counts of Aiding and Abetting Theft By Swindle.”
What People Are Saying
Minnesota Fourth Judicial District Judge Sarah West, in an order: “The Court is concerned about the fraud that occurred at Promise. The way this case was presented and the failure by the State to actually connect the dots, even through clear inference from circumstantial evidence, that Mr. Yusuf knowingly assisted in the fraud is more than concerning. The trier of fact, and this Court upon review, should not be in a place of having to dig through and work to interpret the volumes of evidence to establish the State’s case.”
Republican Minnesota State Representative and gubernatorial candidate Kristin Robbins told KARE: “I was stunned. We want to strengthen state law so that we can get prosecutions out of these cases. Because clearly a jury thought he was guilty.”
What Happens Next
The Minnesota Attorney General’s Office said it is appealing the decision.
Do you have a story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have any questions about this story? Contact LiveNews@newsweek.com.
A 24-year-old man has been ordered by a federal judge to pay nearly $48 million in restitution and sentenced to 10 years in prison for his role in the largest pandemic fraud scheme in the U.S., the Department of Justice said Monday.
Abdimajid Mohamed Nur of Shakopee, Minnesota, was one of the first 47 people charged in connection with the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme in 2022. Nur is also accused of bribing a juror in the case and later pleaded guilty to that charge.
He and six other defendants fraudulently received around $40 million between May 2020 and January 2022, according to the indictment filed in September 2022, though federal officials said that they stole more than $47 million.
Prosecutors said the scheme carried out by the seven people originated at Empire Cuisine and Market in Shakopee. The halal market enrolled in the Federal Child Nutrition Program in April 2020, and participated both as a site and meal vendor, according to court documents.
“Empire Cuisine and Market would be reimbursed for the cost of the food and meals it actually provided to the public,” the indictment said.
Nur and his co-conspirators “immediately opened several” food program sites and began falsely claiming to be serving meals to thousands of children per day, according to court documents. The meals would be reimbursed by the federal food program.
Court documents said Nur also created Nur Consulting LLC in April 2021 to receive and launder Federal Child Nutrition Program funds from Empire Cuisine and Market and other entities involved in the scheme.
Nur in September 2022 was charged with one count of wire fraud conspiracy, four counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and seven counts of money laundering, according to the indictment. He was found guilty in June 2024 of 10 of the 13 counts he faced.
The judge ordered Nur to pay a total of $47,920,514 in restitution and sentenced him to three years of supervised release to be served after his 10-year prison sentence.
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Malaysia plans to ban social media accounts for people under 16 starting in 2026, joining Australia and a growing number of countries pushing tighter digital age limits for children.
Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said Sunday the Cabinet approved the move as part of a broader effort to shield young people from online harm like cyberbullying, scams and sexual exploitation. He said the government is studying approaches taken by Australia and other countries, and the potential use of electronic checks with identity cards or passports to verify users’ ages. He did not say when exactly the ban will be enforced.
“I believe that if the government, regulatory bodies, and parents all play their roles, we can ensure that the Internet in Malaysia is not only fast, widespread and affordable but most importantly, safe, especially for children and families,” he said.
Since January, major social media and messaging platforms with at least 8 million users in Malaysia are required to obtain a licence as part of a broader tightening of state oversight over digital platforms. Licensed platforms must implement age verification, content-safety measures and transparency rules, reflecting the government’s push for a safer digital space.
Australia’s parliament enacted the world’s first ban on social media for children that will begin Dec. 10, setting the minimum age at 16. Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, X and YouTube as well as message board Reddit and livestreaming service Kick face fines of up to 50 million Australian dollars ($33 million) for systemic failures to prevent children younger than 16 from holding accounts.
Australia’s move is being closely watched by countries that share concerns about social media impacts on young children.
Denmark’s government also announced earlier this month plans to ban access to social media for anyone under 15, though details on how the measures would be enforced remain unclear. Norway is also moving forward with a proposed law that would set a minimum age limit of 15 for accessing social media platforms.
BANGKOK (AP) — Myanmar’s military government has begun broadcasting extensive video on state television of its crackdown on online scam centers, showing buildings being bulldozed and over 1,000 foreigners detained.
Myanmar is notorious for hosting cyberscam operations that target people all over the world. They usually involve gaining a person’s confidence with romantic ploys and luring them into bogus investment schemes. The U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime has estimated that such activities generate just under $40 billion in annual revenue for criminal gangs.
The unusual length and detail of the reports beginning late last week on MRTV television appear to reflect the military government’s desire to publicize its efforts after months of bad publicity and international pressure. It is already ostracized by many nations for seizing power from Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected government in 2021 and brutally fighting opponents.
The authorities recently raided two major scam centers, KK Park and Shwe Kokko, on the outskirts of Myawaddy, a trading town on the border with Thailand.
The latest operation, which began on Nov. 18 in Shwe Kokko, resulted in the arrest of 1,746 foreigners in six days, according to a report on Monday in Myanma Alinn and other state-run newspapers.
There were other crackdowns earlier this year. Monday’s reports said a total of 12,586 foreigners have been detained since the end of January and 9,978 of them were deported to their home countries through Thailand. Some foreigners, from African nations and elsewhere, have reported being tricked into working at the centers and being blocked from leaving them.
The reports said authorities confiscated 2,893 computers, 21,750 mobile phones, 101 Starlink satellite communications devices, 21 internet routers and a large quantity of other equipment used to carry out online fraud and gambling activities at Shwe Kokko.
MRTV television has been broadcasting daily videos of security forces sweeping through buildings without resistance, as well as footage of foreign detainees in Shwe Kokko being made to squat in line.
The videos also showed buildings in KK Park, raided in mid-October, being demolished by explosives and bulldozed, with hundreds of computers crushed under a steamroller.
The military government says it began its crackdown on online scams and illegal gambling in early September. However, critics charge that the masterminds of the scam operations continue to operate in other locations.
Ethnic minority militias also exercise strong influence in the Myawaddy area. Several ethnic Karen militias are active, including the military-backed Border Guard Force, which has signed a ceasefire with the army, and the Karen National Union, which is part of the nationwide resistance fight against military rule.
The Border Guard Force has claimed credit for taking part in the crackdown, though it is widely believed to have provided protection for scam operators in the past. The military government has claimed the KNU is linked to the scam centers on the basis of reported real estate deals.
Both groups have denied involvement in the scam operations.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
The U.S. Department of Justice said in a news release on Friday that the jury found Michael Robin Wicker of Clay County guilty of one count each of wire fraud, mail fraud, using a false military discharge certificate and fraudulent use of military medals.
Court records show that Wicker, from 2015 through 2020, Wicker fraudulently obtained benefits from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs by claiming he was a decorated veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps. He also claimed he had suffered from combat-related injuries, had been a prisoner of war during deployment in Iraq in 2005 and was given the Purple Heart medal.
Wicker supported the fraud scheme using forged documents, including a counterfeit military discharge certificate and fake medal certificates, according to court documents.
The Department of Veterans Affairs provided him more than $140,000 in healthcare, disability and education benefits as a result of the scheme, federal prosecutors said.
During a one-week trial, veterans from the group Wicker claimed to have been a part of said he never served with them.
“Agents testified that federal searches across Marine Corps, and Department of Defense databases confirmed there was no record of Wicker ever serving in the military,” federal officials said in the news release.
A sentencing date for Wicker has not yet been set.
The St. Paul City Council has voted to ban cryptocurrency kiosks in the city beginning Dec. 21.
St. Paul city council members in support of the ban said scams involving cryptocurrency kiosks/ATMs particularly impact seniors and those with low incomes.
“A lot of them are along Ford Parkway, where we know that there is a concentration of seniors and older folk,” said St. Paul Council member Saura Jost.
According to the FBI, last year, there were nearly 11,000 complaints of cryptocurrency ATM fraud, resulting in more than $240 million in losses.
Ethan McClelland is the director of government relations at Bitcoin Depot, which the city said has 10 locations in St. Paul.
“Placing a reactionary ban on an industry that is already licensed and regulated by the state, which serves a legitimate financial purpose for many St. Paul residents, is unnecessary and will deprive many customers, particularly those who choose to transact in cash, of their only way to participate in the growing digital economy,” McClelland said.
“Part of the reason they’re becoming so popular is that the people making them have a giant income stream, and the store is putting them in, well, they get a cut of that too,” said Bryce Austin, a Lakeville-based cybersecurity expert with TCE Strategy.
According to Austin, fraud is high because cryptocurrency allows anonymity.
“If they can convince you to go to one of these crypto ATMs and put your cash in there, and send them the Bitcoin, it’s much, much harder to be traced, and it’s almost impossible for you to get your money back,” Austin said.
If anyone asks you for money via your phone, email or text, assume it’s malicious, he said. For those looking to invest in cryptocurrency, Austin said you can do that with large online banks, while avoiding the five to 25% service fees for those who use the ATMs.
“These machines are not a good way to do legitimate cryptocurrency transfers, unless you are in a real hurry for something and are willing to pay that exorbitant fee,” Austin said.
A new criminal investigation will determine whether fraudulent claimants — and those who enabled them — cashed in on LA County’s massive sex-abuse settlement
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman has opened a criminal investigation into dozens, and possibly hundreds, of sex-abuse claims tied to the county’s historic $4.8 billion settlement. The inquiry targets individuals who allegedly filed bogus claims of childhood sexual abuse under a recent law that reopened the floodgates for litigation. NBC Los Angeles+1
The massive settlement, approved by the Board of Supervisors earlier this year, includes more than 11,000 participants who said they were abused in county-run facilities, including foster homes and juvenile probation centers. Hochman says some of these claims may have been fabricated entirely — “people that never suffered sexual abuse … looked at this potential settlement as a way to get some free money,” he told reporters. (NBC Los Angeles)
To encourage truth-tellers, the DA’s office is offering a form of partial immunity: individuals who voluntarily admit they filed false claims won’t have their own statements used against them in prosecution. But the amnesty does not extend to attorneys or medical professionals allegedly involved, according to DA statements. (Los Angeles Times)
The controversy has ignited outrage across local government. Critics say pay-to-file schemes, possibly involving law firms and claim recruiters, are exploiting both the system and real survivors. “They looked at this as an opportunity to personally profit … at the expense of real victims,” Hochman said.
The $4 billion payout is not the only settlement under scrutiny. The county recently approved another $828 million to resolve more claims, and Hochman’s office suggests the investigation could cover those as well.
For Hochman, the priority is clear: protect actual survivors and ensure the system isn’t abused. “False reporting of sexual abuse undermines our entire justice system … and is a grave disservice to actual victims,” he said.
As the DA’s probe unfolds, Los Angeles faces a reckoning not just over how to compensate past wrongs, but how to prevent future exploitation.
