Chinese automaker Zeekr debuts first hybrid model at Shanghai auto show
Andy An, the company's CEO, unveiled 800-volt fast-charging technology for hybrid vehicles.
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Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
Bank-emptying Gmail and Outlook attachments overtaken by even WORSE costly email con that's much harder for you to spot
Over 3 billion attacks have been sent out so far CASH KILLER Bank-emptying Gmail and Outlook attachments overtaken by even WORSE costly email con that's much harder for you to spot Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) BRITS are being warned to watch out – because the dodgy email attachments that used to drain your bank account have just been outdone by an even sneakier scam that's much harder to catch. Cyber experts have revealed that online crooks now prefer planting malicious links over using infected attachments - and the results are far worse. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 The tools are so easy that even low-level scammers are jumping on the trend Credit: Alamy According to a new bombshell report by Proofpoint, the hidden traps are tucked inside emails, buttons, and even PDFs or Word docs, and one wrong click could see your logins stolen or malware silently installed. Over 3 billion attacks with dodgy URLs have been sent out and the main goal is to steal passwords. This hacking scheme isn't just being used by criminal masterminds either. The tool are so easy to get hold of that even low-level scammers can launch convincing fakes that bypass security checks like multi-factor authentication and take full control of your account. Proofpoint also uncovered a jaw-dropping 400 percent spike in a sneaky scam called 'ClickFix' – where users are tricked into clicking fake error messages or CAPTCHA boxes. These convincing cons trick you into running harmful code, opening the door to remote access trojans, info-stealers, and more. Meanwhile, QR code phishing attacks are exploding, with over 4.2 million attempts spotted in just the first half of 2025. These nasty little codes target your personal mobile – dodging work defences completely. And let's not forget smishing – dodgy texts that try to fool you. 2 MM1WHE Internet fraud concept with faceless hooded male person using tablet computer, low key red and blue lit image and digital glitch effect Credit: Alamy More than half of all SMS phishing attempts now come packed with malicious URLs, making it harder than ever to stay safe. Selena Larson, top threat analyst at Proofpoint, gave a stark warning: 'The most damaging cyber threats today don't target machines or systems. They target people.' She added that these new-style scams are designed to exploit human psychology, using trusted brands and familiar tech to lure you in – whether it's a dodgy CAPTCHA, a QR code, or a believable text message. This comes after a devastating con carried out by Chinese organised crime groups was exposed. So-called 'pig butchering' is where scammers established fake romantic and trusting relationships with victims before luring them into fraudulent investments or other financial traps. In 2023, Shan Hanes, a banker from Kansas, US, embezzled £34.6million from his bank to cover his losses, having fallen victim to a pig butchering scam. Hanes was later sentenced to more than 24 years behind bars. Usually, a pig butchering scam works in three stages – hunting, raising and killing. This involves a scammer finding a victim online, chatting to them in order to build up trust and then getting them to invest large amounts of money into fraudulent schemes. The scam works in a similar way to a traditional romance scam, where scammers approach their victims by posing as a possible romantic partner on a dating app, or as a friend via social media. The big difference though is how the scam is executed. With a romance scam, trust is based on the victim's urge to maintain a romantic relationship with the scammer. In this scenario, the scam can often last for years. Pig butchering scams though, in comparison, generally take place over a much shorter time period. The scammer, rather than focusing on trying to extract money through emotional manipulation, leans more on the victim's desire to make money together with the scammer. This can involve just a few months rather than years to take advantage of the victim. Usually, the scammer will present themselves as being financially successful and confident with a broad network and have appealing investment opportunities. Once the victim has made an initial small investment, the scammer will then try to escalate the process and push them into making a much larger financial commitment, reports.
The Herald Scotland
4 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Will the US dodge a recession? Economist weighs in on Trump policies
He added, "It's not yet stagflation but it's edging that way." Stagflation is an economy characterized by high inflation, slow or stagnant growth and high unemployment - an unusual and toxic cocktail. Typically, a sluggish economy leads to low inflation, allowing the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates to stimulate more borrowing and activity. Will the Fed lower rates in September? The Fed, however, faces a dilemma because lowering rates to bolster a softening labor market could further drive up inflation. Consumer price increases generally have eased substantially after a pandemic-related spike but recently edged higher, in part because of Trump's sweeping import levies. His policies are imposing countervailing forces on the economy. Tax cuts and increased spending on border security and defense are set to juice growth. But those positive catalysts are expected to be more than offset by the tariffs, a historic immigration crackdown, layoffs of hundreds of thousands of federal workers and big cuts to social services programs such as Medicaid and food stamps, Begley said. During Trump's presidential race against former Vice President Kamala Harris last year, Moody's, among other research firms, predicted Trump's economic blueprint would spark a recession by mid-2025. Moody's has updated its forecast in part because the contours of his plan recently have become more clearly defined, Begley said. "We have a better view where things are going," he said. What tariffs has Trump imposed? For example, high double-digit tariffs are in place for steel and aluminum, foreign cars and Chinese imports. And the White House has reached deals with trading partners such as Japan, South Korea, Vietnam and the UK that set tariffs at 10% to 20%. Trump's deportations and constraints on Southern border crossings are well under way. And his huge budget bill, which he signed into law on July 4, expanded his 2017 tax cuts, beefed up military and border security outlays, and slashed some entitlement spending. How is the economy doing under Trump? All told, Moody's projects Trump's policies will reduce economic growth by an average 0.4 percentage points annually - nearly half a point - during his term. That would leave the economy expanding an average 1.7% annually over the four years, with growth bottoming at 1.4% next year and peaking at 2.2% in 2028. The economy grew at an annual rate of 1.2% the first half of 2025. It's projected to grow at slightly less than a 1% pace in the second half, according to economists surveyed by Wolters Kluwer Blue Chip Economic Indicators. By contrast, the economy averaged 2.3% growth the decade after the Great Recession of 2007-2009 and 3.5% during former president Joe Biden's term. The latter, however, included unusually strong gains as the nation emerged from the pandemic recession. In 2024, Biden's last year in office, the economy grew a healthy 2.8%. Growth had been expected to downshift no matter who won the 2024 election as a post-COVID-19 surge in consumer demand petered out, Americans depleted government pandemic aid and other government stimulus measures faded. But by the end of Trump's term in 2028, the economy will be 1.3% smaller than if his policies had not been enacted, Begley wrote in a report. Also, the unemployment rate is expected to peak at 4.7% in 2027 before falling to 4.4% by the time Trump leaves office. Without his policies, unemployment would broadly hold steady at about 4% and there would be about 885,000 additional jobs, Moody's said. Is inflation ever going to go down? Trump's policies similarly are poised to push up inflation by an average of nearly half a percentage point a year. That would leave annual inflation averaging 2.6% during Trump's term and peaking at 3.1% in 2026, based on the Commerce Department's personal consumption expenditures price index. Inflation then would decline and nearly reach the Fed's 2% goal in 2028, the last year of his term. Absent the president's policies, inflation would achieve the Fed's target next year, Begley's analysis shows. Are tariffs contributing to inflation? Tariffs, by far, represent both the biggest drag on growth and the largest contributor to inflation, Begley said. Companies are expected to pass most of the costs of the duties to consumers, driving up prices. And that's expected to sap their buying power and reduce consumption, which makes up 70% of economic activity. Without the tariffs, the net effects of Trump's policies on growth would be slightly positive, Begley said. The benefits of tax cuts and increased defense and border spending would outweigh the toll taken by the immigration crackdown, federal layoffs and cutbacks to Medicaid and food stamps, he said. What are the negative effects of deportations? Another big hit comes from the deportations. Like the tariffs, the immigration crackdown is projected to both curtail growth and boost inflation. A reduced supply of workers in industries such as construction, agriculture and hospitality is expected to drive up wages and prices. And a smaller population of immigrants means less consumer spending. Here's why Moody's forecast of the effects of Trump's policies is less dire than it was before he took office: Less retaliation from tariffs Although Trump's tariffs are higher than anticipated, Moody's expected more significant retaliation from foreign countries that would batter U.S. manufacturers' exports. At least so far, those nations have taken a more restrained approach. Fewer deportations than expected Moody's figured the Trump administration would seek to deport about 1 million immigrants who lack permanent legal status each year. But Begley said that has proven logistically challenging. Goldman Sachs estimates monthly deportations have averaged an annualized pace of about 600,000. Tax cuts give middle-class Americans more spending money Although Trump vowed during his campaign to eliminate taxes on tips and overtime, Moody's didn't necessarily expect him to follow through. The budget bill, however, scraps taxes on tips up to $25,000 a year and over time up to $12,500.
Reuters
6 hours ago
- Reuters
EU push to protect digital rules holds up trade statement with US, FT reports
Aug 17 (Reuters) - The European Union is trying to prevent the United States from targeting the bloc's digital rules as both sides work through the final details of a delayed statement to formalise a trade deal reached last month, the Financial Times reported on Sunday. EU officials said disagreements over language relating to "non-tariff barriers", which the U.S. said include the digital rules, are among the reasons for the hold-up of the statement, the newspaper said. Reuters could not immediately verify the report.
