Scammers steal £2.2m as reports rise 50% in a year
More than £2.2m was lost through a wide range of scams targeting people on the Isle of Man in 2024, a report has found.
Figures from the Cyber Security Centre (CSC) revealed victims lost £1.2m to investment scams, £391,674 to voice calls cons, and £45,000 through romance fraud.
More than 9,300 suspicious emails and 497 cyber concerns were logged via the centre's reporting service during the period, marking a 50% increase on 2023.
Urging people to report concerns CSC director Mike Haywood said the data was likely to be "just the tip of the iceberg" as many scams still went unreported.
Cases of purchase scams, phishing and bank fraud were reported in the latest annual report, including an incident where one company lost £66,100 after an employee was encouraged to log into a fake banking website.
Account compromises, when unauthorised access or takeover of an online account by a third-party occurs, resulted in losses of £113,472, largely through phishing emails imitating Manx.net and Manx Telecom.
Other examples of exploitation included fraudulent websites imitating services like Isle of Man Transport, and investment fraud in which celebrities, such as Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond, were impersonated by scammers.
Mr Haywood said: "Every pound lost to scams is not just a loss for our local economy, it's the hard-earned money of individuals in our community."
Money that could be spent on "essential needs, families, or supporting local businesses and creating jobs" was instead "lining the pockets of criminals operating from all corners of the world", he said.
The figures were "deeply concerning" and as many scams went unreported "the real cost to residents could be significantly higher", Mr Haywood said.
"We can only fight against cybercrime if we have a picture of the threats facing our island," he added.
Read more stories from the Isle of Man on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and X.
Cyber threats to be explored at conference
Firms at centre of scam allegation 'no longer operating'
China scam run from Isle of Man
Scammers took more than £850k in 2023, report says
Online fraud now Isle of Man's most common crime
The Cyber Security Centre for the Isle of Man
Cyber Threat Update Annual Report 2023
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New York Post
7 hours ago
- New York Post
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San Francisco Chronicle
8 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Iranian rapper Tataloo once supported a hard-line presidential candidate. Now he faces execution
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The tattoos covering Iranian rapper Tataloo's face stand out against the gray prison uniform the 37-year-old now wears as he awaits execution, his own rise and fall tracing the chaos of the last decade of Iranian politics. Tataloo, whose full name is Amir Hossein Maghsoudloo, faces a death sentence after being convicted on charges of 'insulting Islamic sanctities.' It's a far cry from when he once supported a hard-line Iranian presidential candidate. Tataloo's music became popular among the Islamic Republic's youth, as it challenged Iran's theocracy at a time when opposition to the country's government was splintered and largely leaderless. The rapper's lyrics became increasingly political after the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini and the subsequent wave of nationwide protests. He also appeared in music videos which criticized the authorities. 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Raisi later won the presidency in 2021, but was killed in a helicopter crash in 2024. Fame in Turkey, prison back in Iran In 2018, Tataloo — who faced legal problems in Iran — was allowed to leave the country for Turkey, where many Persian singers and performers stage lucrative concerts. Tataloo hosted live video sessions as he rose to fame on social media, where he became well-known for his tattoos covering his face and body. Among them are an Iranian flag and an image of his mother next to a key and heart. Instagram deactivated his account in 2020 after he called for underage girls to join his 'team' for sex. He also acknowledged taking drugs. 'Despite being a controversial rapper, Tataloo has quite the fanbase in Iran, known as 'Tatalities,'' said Holly Dagres, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near-East Policy. 'Over the years, they've flooded social media with messages of solidarity for him and even campaigned for the rapper's release in the past when he was detained on separate charges.' Tataloo's rebellious music struck a chord with disenfranchised young people in Iran as they struggled to find work, get married and start their adult lives. He also increasingly challenged Iran's theocracy in his lyrics, particularly after the death of Amini following her arrest over allegedly not wearing the hijab to the liking of authorities. His collaboration 'Enghelab Solh" — 'Peace Revolution' in Farsi — called out Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei by name. 'We don't want tear gas, because there are tears in everyone's eyes,' he rapped. But the music stopped for Tataloo in late 2023. He was deported from Turkey after his passport had expired, and was immediately taken into custody upon arrival to Iran. Death sentence draws protests Tehran's Criminal Court initially handed Tataloo a five-year sentence for blasphemy. Iran's Supreme Court threw out the decision and sent his case to another court, which sentenced him to death in January. The rapper already faced ten years in prison for a string of separate convictions, including promoting prostitution and moral corruption. 'Tataloo is at serious risk of execution,' Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, the director of advocacy group Iran Human Rights, said in a statement. 'The international community, artists and the public must act to stop his execution.' Tataloo earlier expressed remorse at a trial. 'I have certainly made mistakes, and many of my actions were wrong,' he said, according to the state-owned Jam-e Jam daily newspaper. 'I apologize for the mistakes I made.' Tataloo married while on death row, his uncle said. Last month, Tataloo reportedly attempted to kill himself, but survived. His death sentence comes at a politically fraught moment for Iran as the country is at it's 'most isolated,' said Abbas Milani, an Iran expert at Stanford University. The Islamic Republic is 'desperately trying to see whether it can arrive at a deal with the U.S. on its nuclear program and have the sanctions lifted,' he said. Drawing the ire of Tataloo's fans is 'one headache they don't need,' he added. ___
