Brickbat: Prodigal Son
In England, the Sussex Police Department has fired Seren Sriganesh after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to pervert the course of justice and several fraud-related offenses. Sriganesh falsely blamed his parents for three driving offenses he committed and accessed police databases to view details of one of the cases.
The post Brickbat: Prodigal Son appeared first on Reason.com.
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Associated Press
15 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Hong Kong police accuse a mobile game app of promoting armed revolution
HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong police on Tuesday accused a mobile game application of advocating armed revolution and promoting secessionist agendas, saying that those who publish it or share it with others online may risk violating national security laws. The announcement — the first to publicly denounce a gaming app — indicates that authorities are widening the crackdown that has followed anti-government protests in 2019. Authorities have crushed or silenced many dissenting voices through prosecutions under the 2020 national security law imposed by Beijing and a similar, homegrown law enacted last year. In a statement, police warned residents against downloading the 'Reversed Front: Bonfire' application, saying those with the app installed might be seen as possessing a publication with a seditious intention. They also warned people against providing financial assistance to the application developer, including making in-app purchases. ''Reversed Front: Bonfire' was released under the guise of a game with the aim of promoting secessionist agendas such as 'Taiwan independence' and 'Hong Kong independence,' advocating armed revolution and the overthrow of the fundamental system of the People's Republic of China,' police said. The game application was developed by ESC Taiwan, which did not immediately respond to The Associated Press' request for comment. On the application's Facebook page, the developer posted about surging searches for the game name and a Hong Kong broadcaster's news report about Tuesday's development. According to the application's introduction, players can assume the role of Hong Kong, Tibet, Uyghur, Taiwan or Cathaysian Rebel factions, among others, to overthrow the communist regime. They may also choose to lead the communists to defeat all enemies. The game's website says it 'is a work of nonfiction. Any similarity to actual agencies, policies or ethnic groups of the PRC in this game is intentional.' On Tuesday night, the app was still available on Apple's App Store but not on the Google Play store. The game publisher last month said Google Play had taken the app down because it did not prohibit users from adopting hateful language in naming. Apple, Google and Meta have not immediately commented. After playing the game for about three months, Kuo Hao Fu in Taiwan said he found that its content uses a humorous approach to describe serious political issues. Fu disagreed with the police accusations, saying players can also choose to be part of the force representing China. 'The Hong Kong police's actions demonstrate how Hong Kong's democratic freedoms have been controlled by the Chinese Communist Party,' he said. 'When even this level cannot be tolerated, it completely destroys creative freedom in gaming.' China considers Taiwan its own territory, to be brought under its control by force if necessary. Many Taiwanese in the self-ruled island showed concerns about Hong Kong's declining freedoms under Beijing's grip. The Beijing and Hong Kong governments insist the city's national security laws were necessary to return stability to the city following the protests.
News24
26 minutes ago
- News24
Meet Lubelo Scott, a lawyer who grew up in prison and is now breaking barriers in court halls
He is determined to walk in his mother's shoes and even do greater things. Lubelo's mother, Nomonde Scott made South African history in 1983 when she became the Western Cape's first black prosecutor. However, her trailblazing legal career took an unexpected turn when she was convicted of drug trafficking and sentenced to prison. After her release, Nomonde earned an LLB degree while on parole and later pursued an LLM degree in environmental law at University of the Western Cape (UWC), and she dedicated her life to fighting crime and improving community-police relations. She worked with the Safer South Africa Foundation, where she was the Western Cape co-ordinator, working in schools to educate pupils on crime and even published an autobiography titled 'Look Before You Leap,' to share her life story and discourage others from making similar mistakes. Nomonde was blessed with three children - two sons and one daughter namely, Beviwe Scott who was the eldest but passed away, Ntumeko Scott, her daughter who is a pilot, and Lubelo Scott, her son who is the last born and a lawyer. Read more | Family of Mpumalanga woman axed by baby daddy over Sassa card speaks out Nomonde Scott passed away on August 24, 2024, at the age of 64, leaving behind a legacy of dedication to justice and community service. Her son, Lubelo Scott has shaped his own perspective and informed his own path and made decisions that have ultimately led him to follow in his mother's footsteps in the pursuit of Law at University of the Western Cape. Read more | From Khayelitsha to international runways, Mzukisi Mbane on turning passion into award-winning success Lubelo Scott's childhood had challenges as he grew up in prison and from there went to live in Gugulethu - Cape Town where he had his upbringing until they eventually moved to Gordon's Bay as his mom's life advanced. In an interview with DRUM, Lubelo shared how life has been since the passing of his mother. 'I'd say I'm coping fairly well despite losing my pillar of strength and anchor. I would describe my head space as very confused and still trying to piece life together, because I had recently lost a very important figure in my life who happens to be my mom, the author of 'Look Before You Leap'. It was unforeseen, and it hit my boat in a way that I had never imagined, because in most cases, when someone is as reliable and full of life as my mother was, you don't expect them to soon just pass away.' Lubelo added that his mother was full of life and always dedicated herself to inspiring kids. 'She was a person that was always bubbly and always dedicated in whatever she did and turned whatever she touched into gold, she was very good with kids too. So, my headspace is full of severe confusion and just not knowing where I am headed. Due to her passing, I find myself having so much burden now as I have been put in a place where I have so many responsibilities and duties that I have to fulfil which I never thought of at this early stage in my life as she was always there providing guidance. But, as I thread along, I try my utmost best, because my best is all I can give for now.' Read more | Meet Xola Toto, the Gospel voice inspiring a new generation Lubelo reflects on his childhood experiences, noting that his upbringing in prison often led to misconceptions and a stigma from his peers and people in general. As he navigated primary and high school, he encountered people who viewed him differently once they learned about his background to an extent that some would associate his emotional expressions or behaviours with his prison upbringing, implying that he was prone to delinquency or rebelliousness, but he chose not to let these perceptions define him or dictate his path. 'Growing up as a kid, and obviously being in primary and high school, I think that's when I mostly felt, the judgments from peers, where some of them wanted nothing associating themselves with me mainly because of the fact that I was raised in prison. But that, for me, was never an issue because all it did for me was give me resilience and determination to prove everyone wrong. Due to that I always excelled in whatever I did as I used my rage from everything thrown at me to fuel my dedication in studies and rugby that I was playing. Everything at the end benefited me greatly, rather than negatively impacting my life, as I got a scholarship to go study at one of the prestigious schools in Cape Town, the Bishops Diocesan College because of my rugby skills which ultimately landed me a chance to play for the Western Province rugby team because, I didn't take and run away with what naysayers said about me, instead, I took and used their words as motivation to benefit me for the better and it did. Sometimes some people when I expressed human emotions would affiliate that with my prison upbringing to motivate their negative thinking as if I was a rebellious kid, but I never let that get to me,' he said. Read more | Tributes and condolences pour in for Presley Chweneyagae following his passing Lubelo says he chose to study Law to follow on his role model's footsteps which is his mother, her being the very first black female prosecutor in the whole of Western Cape at a time where apartheid and many other forces were dominant was the inspiration he drew from his mother. 'My mother's legacy, her being the first African female prosecutor in the Western Cape, that played a major role in me making that decision. Moreover, my mother was always in legal spaces, and a lot of lawyers would come to our house, the likes of Tembeka Ngcukaitobi who also is my role model, and we would just sit and chat at home and that's where I grew very fond of Law and decided to pursue a career in the field.' ' At times my mom and I would watch documentaries and just try and solve those cases together at home. But more than anything I pursued Law because I myself have great appreciation of Law as I wanted to make a difference and bring justice to those who have faced injustice,' he mentioned. Lubelo further mentioned that him and his older sister, Ntumeko Scott are under the process of establishing a foundation under their mom's name which will be named 'Nomonde Scott foundation,' but he also has dreams and future aspirations of his own which are to start his own Law firm and bring change to the world. Lubelo concluded by sending a message of hope to anyone who feels like they've tried their utmost best in life, but all hope seems lost. 'Life is about positive choices to make and not choices to take. Remain determined, I know that it's a cliché, and a lot of people have said this before me and a lot will say it after me, but for me, that is what has kept me going, being determined, stick to the plan and don't derail in it. Also, carry with you the morals and values that have been instilled in you, respect is important in life. God is for us all and He sees us all, so if you have a dream, chase it, and lastly don't live up to anyone's expectations of you, be your own writer and narrator of your own story.'
CNET
an hour ago
- CNET
Fraudsters Want Your Money. Make Their Lives Difficult by Avoiding These Mistakes
Getty Images/Zooey Liao/CNET There are a many ways fraudsters can steal your money. Their scams can lead to victims sending cash under false pretenses, lines of credit being opened in your name or unauthorized bank transactions. US consumers lost a whopping $12.5 billion to fraud in 2024, according to the Federal Trade Commission. Anyone, regardless of age or other demographics, can be a target of fraud. It's even happened to me. While fraud can happen due to factors beyond your control, certain behaviors can increase your risk. How fraudsters steal your information and money A lot of fraud occurs when cybercriminals gain access to a victim's bank account or credit card information and make unauthorized purchases or transfers. But how do they get that information in the first place? Here's a rundown of the biggest threats to your financial accounts and how to protect yourself: 🗃️ Data breaches When your data is stored with a third-party service — such as your utility company, internet provider or a retailer — and that service is hacked, your information can fall into the hands of bad actors. "Database breaches and other compromises of third-party services are far and away the most common cause of financial fraud," said Aaron Walton, senior threat intel analyst at cybersecurity firm Expel. How to protect yourself: While you can't prevent third-party service breaches, you can minimize the impact of a data breach. For starters, don't store data with third-party services beyond what's necessary. Walton recommends using single-use virtual credit cards for online purchases so that even if the card number is leaked, a criminal can't make additional purchases with the card. 🔐 Bad password security "If you reuse passwords, you are just asking for your accounts to be taken over," said Truman Kain, senior product researcher at cybersecurity firm Huntress. "This is the No. 1 worst thing you can do if you want your accounts to stay protected." After a data breach, attackers will try to use stolen credentials at major online accounts like banks, retailers and email providers. This process is called credential stuffing. Using weak, guessable or common passwords also makes it easy for hackers to get into your accounts, Kain added. How to protect yourself: Use strong, unique passwords across all your accounts and change them regularly. Your passwords should be long (experts suggest 16 characters) and contain a combination of lowercase and capital letters, numbers and symbols. If this sounds like too much, consider getting a password manager. Kain also recommends enabling multifactor authentication on your accounts whenever possible. 💳 Credit card skimmers Skimmers are devices attached to the mouth of a card reader that steal your credit card data when you swipe your card. The skimmers then send that information directly to a card thief or save it for retrieval later. Skimmer setups might also include a hidden camera or fake keypad to capture your PIN. Skimming can even happen online. If an attacker can compromise a website, they can "skim" information from any new transactions taking place. How to protect yourself: Before using an ATM or payment terminal, check it for a loose card reader or any signs of tampering. Don't insert your card if you notice anything suspicious. Criminals tend to install skimmers in low-traffic areas to minimize the chances of being caught, so stick to payment terminals and ATMs in high-traffic or well-monitored areas. If possible, use tap to pay — which is less vulnerable to skimming — instead of swiping your card. If you're using a debit card, run it as a credit card (if you can) to avoid entering your PIN and having a thief steal that information. To combat online skimming, use single-use or limited-use virtual cards when shopping online. 🪝 Phishing and other social engineering attacks Aside from data breaches, phishing attacks are the primary way attackers get ahold of your credentials, Kain said. Phishing is when a scammer contacts a target, usually under the guise of a legitimate institution, to trick you into handing over sensitive information, usually via a link they want you to click. Phishing attacks can occur over phone, email or text. According to a new CNET survey 96% of Americans receive at least one scam message every week. How to protect yourself: A good rule of thumb is, "If you didn't request the message, you should be suspicious of it," Kain said. If you need to verify whether a message is legitimate, directly contact the institution through contact information found on its website. You should also be skeptical if someone online says you owe them money or have an outstanding payment, Walton said. "Take it slow and approach with caution," he said. "Don't let a false sense of urgency lure you into a costly mistake." 🛜 Data stolen over unsecure Wi-Fi networks Visiting websites that don't encrypt traffic with "https" security on public Wi-Fi allows cybercriminals to see anything you do online. Cybercriminals can also steal your data by setting up fake public Wi-Fi hotspots. After you connect to the free Wi-Fi, "the attacker can redirect you to fake websites that closely mimic the real thing, capturing your logins, passwords and sensitive data as you enter them," Kain said. How to protect yourself: Avoid public Wi-Fi for sensitive transactions. It's smart to protect yourself with a virtual private network. A VPN encrypts your browsing activity so even if your data is intercepted, it's unreadable. "Using a reputable VPN is like sealing your internet traffic inside a secure envelope," Kain said. Other proactive ways to prevent fraud Despite the real and serious risks from fraud, 26% of bank customers and 31% of credit card customers haven't taken any recent steps to keep their accounts secure, per J.D. Power's 2024 US Financial Protection Satisfaction Study released in November. If you want to be more proactive about protecting yourself, here are the strategies experts recommend: Card controls Many banks and credit unions offer card controls that let you lock and unlock your credit and debit cards online or on a mobile app. Locking cards you don't use regularly and unlocking them only when you need to make a purchase can help prevent unauthorized transactions from going through. Freeze your credit Freezing your credit will keep lenders from accessing your credit reports, which prevents scammers and identity thieves from opening new credit accounts in your name. If you need to apply for a new loan or credit card, you can temporarily lift the freeze and refreeze your credit after. Use a virtual card Both Kain and Walton recommend using virtual cards to protect your credit card information from being stolen. Virtual cards are randomly generated card numbers connected to your real card. You can set usage limits on virtual cards, such as being only good for one purchase, rendering them useless even if a scammer steals the card information. Setup account alerts Criminals will often put small purchases on a stolen credit card to test out the card before using it for larger purchases or selling the card information on the dark web. If you can catch the small fraudulent transactions as soon as they happen, you can lock down the card before any big ones occur. To do this, you can set up alerts for all transactions or purchases under a certain dollar amount. How to report credit card or bank fraud If you think you're a victim of fraud, report it to your financial institution immediately. Most banks have a designated phone number for urgent assistance. You can then place a lock on your credit or debit cards to prevent new purchases from going through. Your bank might cancel the compromised card altogether and send you a new one. In some cases, such as if your Social Security number or other sensitive information was compromised, you might also want to implement a credit freeze or sign up for identity theft protection. The latter will help monitor your identity online and can sniff out signs of fraud. You may also want to change your password for your financial account and any other online account with the same login information. Finally, it's always a good idea to report the fraud to the FTC at to help the federal government thwart scams. "In many situations, some forms of help are available, be it from an employer, law enforcement or elsewhere," Walton said. "It is a mistake to believe no one can help or that one should be ashamed of being tricked."
