FBI seize well-known Nintendo Switch game piracy site
At the time of writing, when you enter the site's URL you'll see a notice confirming the seizure, which the FBI says is in accordance with a warrant issued by the United States District Court in Georgia. The notice also features a logo for the Fiscal Information and Investigation Service (FIOD), which is a Dutch government agency that investigates financial crimes.
Nintendo has been cracking down on piracy of its games for a number of years. Back in 2019, the company sued the illegal ROM-sharing site RomUniverse, after it became aware it was offering unlimited downloads of new and old Nintendo games for an annual fee. Last year it filed a lawsuit against streamer EveryGameGuru who it accused of broadcasting footage of pirated — and in many cases unreleased — Switch games, as well as providing access to illegal ROMs. In March of 2024 the makers of popular Switch emulator Yuzu paid $2.4 million to settle charges filed by Nintendo.
Nintendo's latest anti-piracy move was inserting a clause in an updated version of the Nintendo Switch User Agreement that effectively enables it to brick your Switch if it runs illegal emulators or pirated games. This revised agreement came into effect just ahead of the Switch 2 launch on June 5.
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Yahoo
25 minutes ago
- Yahoo
4 North Korean agents infiltrated Atlanta man's business as remote workers, gaining his trust — then stole $1M
It sounds like the plot of an action-thriller, but for one Atlanta tech entrepreneur, an elaborate cryptocurrency theft involving North Korean assets became his reality. 'It felt like I was in a movie,' Marlon Williams told Channel 2 News (WSB-TV). 'That's where we see these things, right?' Rather than a phishing scam with criminals pretending to be a bank or government agency and requiring payment in cryptocurrency to 'solve' an 'urgent' issue, this was a long con orchestrated over two years. Don't miss Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now become a landlord for as little as $100 — and no, you don't have to deal with tenants or fix freezers. Here's how I'm 49 years old and have nothing saved for retirement — what should I do? Don't panic. Here are 6 of the easiest ways you can catch up (and fast) Want an extra $1,300,000 when you retire? Dave Ramsey says this 7-step plan 'works every single time' to kill debt, get rich in America — and that 'anyone' can do it Williams thought he had hired remote IT workers for his Atlanta-based blockchain research and development company, Starter Labs. Instead, the 'workers' were North Korean nationals using stolen identities, according to the FBI. After gaining his trust, they were able to infiltrate the business, eventually making off with just over $1 million in cryptocurrency. The unfolding of a long con Four men — Kim Kwang Jin, Kang Tae Bok, Jong Pong Ju and Chang Nam Il — have been indicted on charges of wire fraud and money laundering, according to a now unsealed federal criminal indictment. This is part of a larger investigation by the FBI and U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) into North Korea's so-called remote IT worker program in which skilled North Korean agents infiltrate American companies using a mix of stolen and fake identities. Using the stolen identities of at least 80 Americans, North Korean agents have been able to find remote work at more than 100 American companies and then steal and launder virtual currency, according to the DOJ. This money is used to generate revenue for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), including its weapons program. Williams was one of those targets. He hired one of the men — who reached out through the Telegram app via a fake identity — to work on a project. Williams was impressed with his work, telling Channel 2 News he was 'super-duper talented.' So Williams hired him for more projects, eventually promoting him to the role of chief technology officer and allowing him to hire additional staff. The con took place over about two years during which time he gained Williams' trust. 'He had the power to create malicious code that he installed and that allowed him to withdraw the funds completely,' Williams said. 'The threat posed by DPRK operatives is both real and immediate. Thousands of North Korean cyber operatives have been trained and deployed by the regime to blend into the global digital workforce and systematically target U.S. companies,' U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts Leah B. Foley said in a statement. The investigation into North Korean criminal activity has so far resulted in an arrest, two indictments, searches of 29 'laptop farms' across 16 states and 'the seizure of 29 financial accounts used to launder illicit funds and 21 fraudulent websites,' according to the DOJ. The four North Koreans are now wanted by the FBI, but they're not in the U.S. They were allegedly working out of the United Arab Emirates with North Korean travel documents. As for their victims? It's incredibly difficult to recover virtual currency and there's usually no insurance for lost or stolen cryptocurrencies. Read more: Americans are 'revenge saving' to survive — but millions only get a measly 1% on their savings. How to protect yourself from crypto risks When it comes to cryptocurrency such as Bitcoin and Ethereum, industry regulations are still being developed. Since crypto doesn't require an intermediary (like a bank), it can also be used by criminals to hide their activities. While we could see the passage of the GENIUS Act in the second half of 2025 — designed to regulate the digital currency industry — some critics say it will make the financial system less stable. As an asset class, it's considered to be volatile since its value is often based on market sentiment. For investors, that means it can offer big rewards, but it can also result in big losses. Many financial advisors consider it a 'discretionary' investment — meaning don't invest what you can't afford to lose. Cryptocurrencies aren't like stocks — or even cold, hard cash, for that matter. The money in your bank account is regulated and insured, but there's no enforceable regulations or insurance for lost or stolen cryptocurrencies. 'Cryptocurrency held in accounts is not insured by a government like U.S. dollars deposited into an FDIC insured bank account. If something happens to your account or cryptocurrency funds — for example, the company that provides storage for your wallet goes out of business or is hacked — the government has no obligation to step in and help get your money back,' warns the Federal Trade Commission. For individuals, staying safe means keeping your wallet keys private. Ignore cold calls about crypto investment opportunities and any 'too good to be true' offers. If you're experiencing high-pressure tactics, keep in mind that fraudsters often use a sense of urgency as part of their scam. For businesses, FBI Atlanta suggests using additional layers of scrutiny in the hiring process for remote IT workers. Specifically, the FBI recommends using identity-verification processes 'during interviewing, onboarding and throughout the employment of any remote worker,' as well as cross-checking HR systems for other applicants with the same resume content. In addition, 'complete as much of the hiring and onboarding process as possible in person.' That's something Williams is considering. 'Going back to the fundamentals of business, meeting you face-to-face and looking in your eye, shaking your hand, that really matters," he told Channel 2 News, "even in these new industries that are developing." If you suspect you're the victim of a similar scam, report the activity to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center. What to read next Robert Kiyosaki warns of 'massive unemployment' in the US due to the 'biggest change' in history — and says this 1 group of 'smart' Americans will get hit extra hard. Are you one of them? How much cash do you plan to keep on hand after you retire? Here are 3 of the biggest reasons you'll need a substantial stash of savings in retirement Rich, young Americans are ditching the stormy stock market — here are the alternative assets they're banking on instead Here are 5 'must have' items that Americans (almost) always overpay for — and very quickly regret. How many are hurting you? Stay in the know. Join 200,000+ readers and get the best of Moneywise sent straight to your inbox every week for free. This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind. Solve the daily Crossword
Time Magazine
an hour ago
- Time Magazine
Obama Calls Trump's Treason Accusation a ‘Weak Attempt at Distraction'
'I wish her well,' Donald Trump famously said in 2020 of the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's partner Ghislaine Maxwell. When journalist Jonathan Swan prodded the President that Maxwell was in jail on charges of sex trafficking, Trump even responded with surprising deference to the criminal justice process: 'I'd wish you well. I'd wish a lot of people well. Good luck. Let them prove somebody was guilty.' But he isn't taking the same tone now with former President Barack Obama. 'He's guilty. It's not a question,' Trump said Tuesday. 'This was treason.' Trump's denunciation of his predecessor came as he has attempted to deflect scrutiny, including from many of his own former supporters, over his relationship with Epstein and his Administration's attempt earlier this month to close the case despite his allies fanning conspiracy theories that past governments had suppressed evidence incriminating powerful elites and previously vowing to make such evidence public. At the White House, Trump dismissed the unabating controversy surrounding Epstein and Maxwell as a 'witch hunt,' telling reporters that 'the witch hunt that you should be talking about is that they caught President Obama absolutely cold.' 'They tried to rig the election, and they got caught, and there should be very severe consequences for that,' Trump said, referring to Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard's recent declassification of Russia-probe-related documents that she claimed amounted to a 'treasonous conspiracy' by the Obama Administration to subvert Trump's 2016 election victory and subsequent presidency. Read More: Trump Envisions Jailing Obama as Tulsi Gabbard Threatens Prosecutions 'This is like proof, irrefutable proof, that Obama was sidacious [sic], that Obama was trying to lead a coup,' Trump asserted, apparently mispronouncing seditious. 'This is the biggest scandal in the history of our country.' Trump rattled off a list of alleged co-conspirators—former Secretary of State and 2016 Democratic nominee for President Hillary Clinton, former Vice President and President Joe Biden, former FBI Director James Comey, former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper—but insisted that 'the leader of the gang was President Obama.' 'It's time to go after people,' Trump said. 'What they did in 2016 and in 2020 is very criminal. It's criminal at the highest level. So that's really the things that you should be talking about.' Obama issues rare rebuke Since leaving office, Obama has largely refrained from commenting on the goings-on of his successors. But on Tuesday, he issued a rare response via a spokesperson to Trump's accusations. 'Out of respect for the office of the presidency, our office does not normally dignify the constant nonsense and misinformation flowing out of this White House with a response,' Patrick Rodenbush said in a statement. 'But these claims are outrageous enough to merit one. These bizarre allegations are ridiculous and a weak attempt at distraction.' The statement added that Gabbard's so-called evidence does not undercut 'the widely accepted conclusion that Russia worked to influence the 2016 presidential election but did not successfully manipulate any votes.' It noted that 'these findings were affirmed in a 2020 report by the bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee, led by then-Chairman Marco Rubio.' Democrats have largely echoed Obama's response, accusing Trump and his allies of attempting to distract from Epstein. 'Another day, another wave of absurd lies and distractions from Donald Trump,' Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland posted on X. 'It's clear he wants us talking about *anything* other than his refusal to release the Epstein files…or rising prices. It's not going to work.' 'Nothing has made me more confident that Trump committed crimes with Jeffrey Epstein and is now covering them up than this insane administration pivot to calling Obama seditious and guilty of treason,' posted former Obama staffer turned pundit Tommy Vietor. On Fox News, Gabbard accused Obama and congressional Democrats of 'trying to deflect away from what actually happened.' Gabbard has said that more evidence will be produced shortly, with Trump telling reporters earlier that she told him there were 'thousands of additional documents coming.' Can Obama really be tried for treason? Former deputy assistant attorney general Elliot Williams told CNN, where he is a legal analyst, that it's very unlikely that Obama will even be charged with, let alone convicted of, any crime related to Gabbard's claims. 'There is not a serious case here for treason or sedition or whatever else,' Williams said. The U.S. Constitution sets a specific definition for treason, summarized by Cornell Law School's Legal Information Institute as 'the betrayal of one's own country by attempting to overthrow the government through waging war against the State or materially aiding its enemies.' It is punishable by imprisonment or even death. Gabbard's suggestion that Obama betrayed the U.S. government by directing a supposedly misleading intelligence assessment is 'just silly,' said Williams. 'Intelligence assessments are sometimes ambiguous. There are different opinions that can be made about them, but merely disagreeing with one or the findings of one, or what's drawn from one, is not treason,' he said. 'Now, can it be a hassle and a pain in the ass to the person who's investigated, who's got to hire a lawyer and go through all the motions? Sure. But this is not an investigation to be grounded in any reality.' Beyond that, there's also the issue of presidential immunity. In a ruling favorable to Trump last year, the Supreme Court established a broad framework that former Presidents enjoy 'absolute immunity from criminal prosecution for actions within his conclusive and preclusive constitutional authority' and 'at least presumptive immunity from prosecution for all his official acts.' 'Before Trump v. US, people could ask pesky questions like, 'If President Obama committed so many crimes, why hasn't the DOJ indicted him?' But Presidential immunity makes evidence of wrongdoing (or lack thereof in Obama's case) irrelevant,' Milan Markovic, a law professor at Texas A&M University, posted on Bluesky. Posted Graham Steele, former assistant secretary for financial institutions at the Treasury Department and a fellow at the Rock Center for Corporate Governance at Stanford Law School: 'One of SCOTUS's rationales for the Trump immunity decision was that it would protect former presidents of *both parties* from political prosecutions. And yet, this administration is openly talking about indicting a former Democratic president on (literally and figuratively) trumped-up charges.' But when conservative commentator Benny Johnson asked rightwing lawyer Mike Davis, who has been dubbed 'Trump's chief legal defender,' about presidential immunity as well as the statute of limitations, which for most federal crimes is five years, Davis rejected those potential obstacles to prosecuting Obama. 'He might be able to claim presidential immunity for his actions while he was the President of the United States, and they'll have to litigate that,' Davis said. 'But I'll tell you this, it's an ongoing criminal conspiracy, and presidential immunity covers his actions while he's the President of the United States. They don't cover his actions when he's the former President of the United States and when he's participating in the cover-up of this conspiracy.' 'Justice is coming,' Davis warned Democrats. 'I don't think we'll put you in Mike Davis' gulag—the viceroy's gulag, as we joke, as we troll—but justice is definitely coming, and I think the Bureau of Prisons will have plenty of space for these people.'
CNN
9 hours ago
- CNN
Man indicted after creating improvised explosive devices and placing on Williamsburg Bridge and Manhattan rooftop
FacebookTweetLink A 55-year-old man was indicted Tuesday after authorities say he created and placed at least seven improvised explosive devices in different areas of New York City, including subway track on the Williamsburg Bridge and on Manhattan residential apartment building rooftops, according to an indictment announced Tuesday. Michael Gann, who lives in the Inwood neighborhood of Manhattan, ordered precursor chemicals, which can be combined to create an explosive mixture, online and formulated the seven IEDs, the indictment says. Gann is charged with one count of attempted destruction of property by means of explosives, one count of transportation of explosive materials and one count of unlawful possession of destructive devices. CNN has reached out to an attorney representing Gann but they didn't immediately respond. 'Michael Gann allegedly produced multiple improvised explosive devices intended for use in Manhattan,' FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia said in a statement. 'Due to the successful partnership of law enforcement agencies in New York, Gann was swiftly brought to justice before he could harm innocent civilians shortly after his dangerous actions became known.' This is a developing story and will be updated.
