Latest news with #CBSNewsConfirmed
CBS News
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Bob Dylan-attributed quote on Pope Francis spreads online, but is it real?
Minnesotans love to claim Bob Dylan as their own, but they may want to think twice about sharing a quote on Pope Francis purporting to be from the iconic musician. In the days following the pope's death, a quote attributed to Dylan has been spreading on social media channels as a way to remember the late pontiff. Here's the quote: "Pope Francis was a voice of mercy in a time of noise. He walked with humility, spoke with fire and dared to love the unloved. He reminded the world that compassion isn't weakness, and faith doesn't have to shout to be heard. May he rest in the eternal peace he so often preached." But is it real? CBS News Confirmed looked into it and here's what they found: There is no evidence that Bob Dylan ever said this. The statement has not been shared on the musician's social media channels or website. Also, no evidence has been found that he's said this quote at any shows this week. The quote appears to be spreading online through an image headlined "Bob Dylan's tribute to Pope Francis, on his passing today at age 88." The Bob Dylan Fan Club on Facebook is warning fans not to share the quote. CBS News Confirmed has reached out to the Dylan team, but has not yet heard back. The musician was associated with the papacy — nearly 30 years ago. In 1997, Dylan performed a concert in honor of Pope John Paul II in Bologna, Italy. The pope died Monday from a cerebral stroke and heart failure, the Vatican said. His funeral will be held Saturday morning. His successor will be chosen by members of the College of Cardinals at a future conclave at the Vatican.
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
AI is making online shopping scams harder to spot
Online scams are nothing new, but artificial intelligence is making it easier than ever to dupe people. What used to take days now takes a scammer only minutes to create. A new report from Microsoft highlights the scale of the problem. The company says it took down almost 500 malicious web domains last year and stopped approximately 1.6 million bot signup attempts every hour. "Last year we were tracking 300 unique nation-state and financial crime groups. This year, we're tracking 1,500," Vasu Jakkal, corporate vice president of Microsoft Security told CBS News Confirmed. The company attributes much of the rise in this type of crime to generative AI which has streamlined the process to make a website. "You can just buy a kit off the web," Jakkal explained. "It's an assembly line. Someone builds the malware. Someone builds the infrastructure. Someone hosts the website." Jakkal explained that AI isn't just helping set up fraudulent sites, it also helps make them more believable. She said scammers use generative AI to create product descriptions, images, reviews and even influencer videos as part of a social engineering strategy to dupe shoppers into believing they're scrolling through a legitimate business, when in reality they're being lured into a digital trap. Another tactic outlined in Microsoft's report is domain impersonation. Jakkal said scammers make a near-perfect copy of a legitimate website's address, sometimes changing just a single letter, to trick consumers into giving up money and information. As well as raising awareness of these scams, the company is introducing new tools to help safeguard their customers. Microsoft's web browser, Microsoft Edge, now features typo and domain impersonation protection which prompts users to check the website's URL if the program suspects there may be a misspelling. The browser also uses machine learning to block potentially malicious sites before consumers reach the homepage. "We're trying to combat at every place where we see there's a potential of someone being vulnerable to a fraud attempt," Jakkal said. The idea is to put checks and balances in place so people are able to pause and reevaluate, he said. Scott Shackelford, executive director at the Center for Applied Cybersecurity Research at Indiana University, commended Microsoft for being one of the most proactive companies in fraud prevention, but said more action needed to come from both the private and public sector. "Having the backing of big tech as part of this kind of public, private partnership would be a really great way to show that they do take it seriously." No matter where you're browsing, CBS News Confirmed compiled some tips to spot sham sites. Tips to stay safe while shopping onlineBe wary of impulse buying: Scammers will try to use pressure tactics like "limited-time" deals and countdown timers to get you to shop fast. Take a moment to pause and make sure the site you're on is the real for typos in the URL: Some scam sites will try to mimic real companies. But since they don't own the domain, it's common to see a url that's just slightly off from what you'd rely on social media links: If you're going from an app to a shopping site, close out of the page that opens automatically and try to find it independently on a web browser. Check the reviews: Fraudulent sites will use fake reviews to make the products seem real. Watch out for similar phrases or wording in the reviews, or an overwhelming number of five-star a credit card: This allows you to dispute the payment or claim fraud if it turns out the deal really was too good to be true. Sneak peek: The Detective's Wife Watch: Blue Origin's first all-women flight crew launches to space Biden slams current administration without naming Trump in first public speech since leaving office
CBS News
16-04-2025
- Business
- CBS News
AI is making online shopping scams harder to spot
Online scams are nothing new, but artificial intelligence is making it easier than ever to dupe people. What used to take days now takes a scammer only minutes to create. A new report from Microsoft highlights the scale of the problem. The company says it took down almost 500 malicious web domains last year and stopped approximately 1.6 million bot signup attempts every hour. "Last year we were tracking 300 unique nation-state and financial crime groups. This year, we're tracking 1,500," Vasu Jakkal, corporate vice president of Microsoft Security told CBS News Confirmed. The company attributes much of the rise in this type of crime to generative AI which has streamlined the process to make a website. "You can just buy a kit off the web," Jakkal explained. "It's an assembly line. Someone builds the malware. Someone builds the infrastructure. Someone hosts the website." Jakkal explained that AI isn't just helping set up fraudulent sites, it also helps make them more believable. She said scammers use generative AI to create product descriptions, images, reviews and even influencer videos as part of a social engineering strategy to dupe shoppers into believing they're scrolling through a legitimate business, when in reality they're being lured into a digital trap. Another tactic outlined in Microsoft's report is domain impersonation. Jakkal said scammers make a near-perfect copy of a legitimate website's address, sometimes changing just a single letter, to trick consumers into giving up money and information. As well as raising awareness of these scams, the company is introducing new tools to help safeguard their customers. Microsoft's web browser, Microsoft Edge, now features typo and domain impersonation protection which prompts users to check the website's URL if the program suspects there may be a misspelling. The browser also uses machine learning to block potentially malicious sites before consumers reach the homepage. "We're trying to combat at every place where we see there's a potential of someone being vulnerable to a fraud attempt," Jakkal said. The idea is to put checks and balances in place so people are able to pause and reevaluate, he said. Scott Shackelford, executive director at the Center for Applied Cybersecurity Research at Indiana University, commended Microsoft for being one of the most proactive companies in fraud prevention, but said more action needed to come from both the private and public sector. "Having the backing of big tech as part of this kind of public, private partnership would be a really great way to show that they do take it seriously." No matter where you're browsing, CBS News Confirmed compiled some tips to spot sham sites.
CBS News
06-03-2025
- Business
- CBS News
"Scammers are everywhere," woman accuses online retailer of exploiting LA wildfires
A woman looking to help the thousands of lives upended by the Los Angeles wildfires condemned stores looking to exploit the tragedy for some quick cash. "These people are despicable and deplorable, and taking advantage of a terrible tragedy," the woman, who wished to stay anonymous, said. "It's just extremely wrong." After organizing clothing drives for wildfire survivors, the woman found a Facebook ad for the store Sophia & Mason. She decided to spend $100 after being touched by the owner's story of being a single mother who had just lost her business. After placing her order, she went back to the store's Facebook page and read in dismay that other customers were calling the business a scam. "For someone to try to benefit off of other people's misery, it's just terrible," she said. "It's unethical, and it's extremely wrong. It's just — it's awful." The CBS News Confirmed team analyzed the ad posted on Sophia & Mason's page and found that it contained characteristics indicating it was manipulated. They cited the hand gestures, how the person's mouth did not match the words spoken and a mirror reflecting a curtain behind it. After analyzing the video, CBS News Confirmed found that the website originally said the LA wildfires destroyed its physical store. However, they edited the About Us page to say they were working out of a friend's home after closing their physical store before the fires. The edits were added after KCAL News aired a story highlighting Palisades Boutique, which claimed to have lost its physical location during the Palisades Fire. The two websites pushed closing sales with steep discounts. However, the clothing items on their website appeared to be inexplicably marked up compared to similar items found on Amazon, Walmart, and Shein. "Everyone needs to make a buck — but not like this," the woman said. "It's awful. Take your energy and actually do something positive for the world. I mean, it's just terrible." Meta deleted the pages of Sophia & Mason and Palisades Boutique, who also claimed the Los Angeles wildfires destroyed their stores.
CBS News
26-02-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Online store claims fire destroyed its Palisades Village shop. Records show the location didn't exist.
Many people supported local businesses affected by the Palisades Fire by shopping online to help owners rebuild. One of the businesses that claimed to have lost its physical location is Palisades Boutique. "Originally located in the heart of Palisades Village, our boutique was a destination for timeless, sophisticated styles," the boutique wrote on its website. "However, after the devastating fires that swept through Los Angeles, our physical store was lost." However, a resident raised concerns about the store after Palisades Boutique launched its "closure sale." "Rather than letting our passion fade, we chose to embrace this challenge by transitioning to an online platform," the store wrote. "Through this store, we are offering our remaining inventory at exclusive prices, ensuring that each piece finds a new home." With help from CBS News Confirmed, KCAL News discovered several inconsistencies within the clothing store's website. "Originally located in the heart of Palisades Village" On its "About Our Boutique" page, the company wrote that the store "became a staple in the Palisades community" after opening in 2018 and included two photos demonstrating the damages caused by the Palisades Fire. However, the before-and-after images show a Starbucks across the street from the Palisades Village. While many of the buildings surrounding the shopping center burned during the fire, The Palisades Village remained largely unscathed after its owner, billionaire developer Rick Caruso, hired private firefighters to protect it. The Palisades Village does not list a Palisades Boutique on the shopping center's website and staff confirmed that they do not have a tenant with that name. KCAL News has not found a business license with the name "Palisades Boutique" on the California Secretary of State's Office website. "Palisades Village was more than just our home—it was where our story unfolded, where we met our customers, and where we built something special," Palisades Boutique wrote at the bottom of its homepage. The CBS News Confirmed team found that Palisades Boutique registered the website on Jan. 27 and updated it in February. An archived snapshot of the website from Feb. 9 shows the company's name above the words "Opening Soon." The company's Facebook page was registered in April 2023. The name of the page changed to Palisades Boutique in February 2025. The profile photo also has visual inconsistencies that indicate that it may be AI-generated, according to CBS News Confirmed. "Offering our remaining inventory at exclusive prices" Without a physical location, the boutique decided to hold a "closure sale" to clear out its remaining inventory. The website's homepage boasts deals "up to 80% off." "Now, we're offering one last chance to shop our carefully curated collection before we say goodbye. Each piece carries the spirit of Pacific Palisades—timeless, effortless, and full of life," the company wrote at the bottom of the homepage. "Once it's gone, it's gone forever. Thank you for being part of our journey." The CBS News Confirmed team found that several clothing items from Palisades Boutique's "carefully curated collection" appear to be items that are also sold on Amazon, Shein and Walmart, but at much higher prices: Palisades Boutique also states that its warehouse is in Asia on its "Return Policy" page. "Our warehouse is located in Asia, so be aware of potential shipping costs and strict customs," the store wrote. "The cost of return shipping typically ranges between $35 and $60." The store stated on its website that it would donate 10% of every order to the LA Fire Relief Fund. The company also posted on its Facebook page that it made a $100 donation to support the nonprofit relief effort. "Every order placed is not just helping us rebuild, but also helping the community around us," Palisades Boutique wrote on the Facebook post. "This is just the beginning. Thank you for standing with us. Together, we are making a difference." The LA Fire Relief Fund confirmed the $100 donation but stated that it did not have an arrangement with the company. "We have no relationship with Palisades Boutique. We do not have an arrangement with them to receive 10% of their orders. Our system automatically kicks out a receipt when someone donates to us. We checked our records after receiving your email and discovered they just made that donation today and we have received nothing from them prior to this," LA Fire Relief Fund stated.
