Latest news with #Cashapp
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Former DC school worker arrested on child sexual assault material charges
The Brief A D.C. man, Devonne Keith Brown, 56, was arrested by the FBI on child sexual abuse material (CSAM) charges after allegedly soliciting explicit images from minors in Prince George's County using CashApp. Court documents detail how Brown, using the alias "Joseph," met a minor at a local grocery store, sent her money for ice cream, and later received nude photos via Instagram and iMessage. Brown, a former health teacher at IDEA Public Charter School and track coach with Project Impact Sports, is no longer employed by the school, which says there's no indication any IDEA students were involved. WASHINGTON - A D.C. man was arrested by the FBI Washington Field Office on child sexual abuse material (CSAM) charges. What we know Devonne Keith Brown, 56, was accused of soliciting CSAM from a young girl in Prince George's County, Maryland. According to court documents, Brown allegedly used CashApp to send payments to minors. "for snacks ? more photos otw" was the comment on one $15 CashApp request sent to Brown from a minor. Another minor told the FBI that she met "Joseph," an adult male, at a Giant grocery store near her home. She stated that he sent her money for ice cream on Cash app, and that she communicated with him via Instagram and iMessage, sending him nude photographs of herself. "Those who prey on minors to solicit the production of CSAM are morally reprehensible and will be held accountable for their heinous crimes," said Steven Jensen, assistant director in charge of the FBI Washington Field Office. "The FBI remains committed to protecting our children and ridding our communities of this grievous scourge." Brown has been identified as an employee of the IDEA Public Charter School as a Health teacher. He's also believed to be involved with a track club called "Project Impact Sports." IDEA Public Charter School in Northeast D.C. issued the following statement: "IDEA Public Charter School is deeply concerned by the serious allegations involving a former employee. This individual is no longer employed by the school. The safety and well-being of our students is our highest priority. We are fully cooperating with law enforcement and supporting their ongoing investigation. Based on the information currently available to us, there is no indication that any IDEA student was directly involved." The Source This story includes information from the FBI Washington Field Office, as well as documents from the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.
The Sun
4 days ago
- General
- The Sun
My mum's being scammed by AI deepfake of ‘Owen Wilson' who paid her £7 to ‘prove' his identity – would you fall for it?
A WOMAN is seeking help after noticing her mum fall for an AI deepfake scam of Owen Wilson. The woman was sure it was easy to spot it was fake, but can you tell from watching the video above? 4 4 4 The unnamed woman took to Reddit, revealing both she and her sister had failed to convince her mum that the man she was chatting to was not the real actor. According to her mum, she had met Owen while playing an online game of Yahtzee. She decided to share the AI deepfake video her mum had been sent by ' Owen Wilson' with the title 'Owen Wilson befriended my mother.' The Reddit user said she tried to convince her mum that it was the work of artificial intelligence after finding a 'plethora of red flags', such as the man mainly contacting her mother via WhatsApp voice calls. In the 10-second clip, the robotic image of a man resembling Owen Wilson seemed to speak directly to the poster's mother. "I'm making this video so you know I'm real," said the 'scam' actor. "I'd never do anything to hurt you. I respect you for your patience and understanding since we crossed paths. You're an amazing woman." Some viewers were quick to point out that the video looked off, with the image never making eye contact. Things had taken a weirder turn when he offered a 'job' with Warner Bros and paid her £7 for her work. The daughter added: "He 'got her a job' with Warner Bros where she can make $5000 a month but liking social media posts. The job has sent her a couple $10 payments through Cashapp for her first trainings. "She says they'll send her $1,000 through CashApp when she finishes training." The 'fake' Owen Wilson then proposed that the poster's parents move into a new house he bought so that they could keep watch as 'caretakers' while he was away working. 4 Fears AI will destroy entire justice system by sending innocent people to JAIL with fake CCTV evidence & deepfakes Currently, the 56-year-old is in Australia filming his latest action thriller, Runner. She added: "He's now buying a house in our small coastal town & wants her AND MY DAD to live there & be caretakers when he's not there. He had an actual realtor from this gated community call her to discuss their options. "We believe this part because the realtor mentioned my sister in law's mother's uncommon name(we have no connection to her on social media) when my mother brought up my brother's wedding reception being held in the neighborhood." How to protect yourself from scams BY keeping these tips in mind, you can avoid getting caught up in a scam: Firstly, remember that if something seems too good to be true, it normally is. Check brands are "verified" on Facebook and Twitter pages - this means the company will have a blue tick on its profile. Look for grammatical and spelling errors; fraudsters are notoriously bad at writing proper English. If you receive a message from a 'friend' informing you of a freebie, consider whether it's written in your friend's normal style. If you're invited to click on a URL, hover over the link to see the address it will take you to – does it look genuine? To be on the really safe side, don't click on unsolicited links in messages, even if they appear to come from a trusted contact. Be careful when opening email attachments too. Fraudsters are increasingly attaching files, usually PDFs or spreadsheets, which contain dangerous malware. If you receive a suspicious message then report it to the company, block the sender and delete it. If you think you've fallen for a scam, report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or use its online fraud reporting tool. She concluded her post by asking fellow users for advice to prove to her mum it was a scam. One person wrote: "Wow that's scary, you can tell the tone is off and robotic. Face also looks slightly different than Owen but wow, that's crazy for someone who wouldn't know any better." Another commented: 'Jesus Christ. What a frustrating situation. Be careful not to alienate her. It can make these situations more difficult." "Tell her to watch his nose lol," penned a third. Meanwhile, a fourth said: "This AI doesn't even use the lady's name at all, just generic "compliments" to keep the target complacent. Wonder how many targets they've sent this to that the celebrity"really" loves them. Don't trust online, meet in real life and then judge based on that meeting." "It's not Owen Wilson. As mentioned elsewhere, the voice is robotic and look at his face. He's all over the place and he never called her by her name. Because the scammer had another 1000 victims to play,' claimed a fifth. Someone else added: 'This is wild! Gosh, keep looking out for her. It's unfortunate how advanced these scams have gotten." .
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Why is WA home to so many bikini baristas? Here's what it takes to do the job
Jayla Mason was already halfway through her shift Tuesday inside a small bubblegum-colored Pink Sugar Espresso stand in Tacoma when the morning rush began to slow. Donning a see-through pink jumpsuit that left little to the imagination, Mason is a 23-year-old bikini barista who is used to the stares. In a state known for coffee, where small drive-through stands pop up on nearly every corner, bikini baristas have carved their niche in a saturated market over the last two decades. How did they get their start? What does it take to do that job? Mason has worked in the industry for five years, three of them at the pink stand in the South End (which advertises 'Hot coffee, hotter baristas'). Now a manager, Mason said, 'I have never done, like, clothed coffee' and started working as a bikini barista when she turned 18, 'obviously for the money.' Although she's paid hourly, Mason usually walks away with about $200 in tips per shift, although she said that rate used to be between $400-$500 a shift before the COVID-19 pandemic. Regulars will come by and sometimes give her a $100 tip with their coffee order, but the job comes at a cost, Mason said. 'It's definitely a little bit degrading. But … you have a body, rock it. Why not?' she said, cleaning the espresso machine. 'I love what I do. At times it has its downs, for sure … You deal with the perverts and whatever. But I've been in this industry for a while now, so I've grown a little thicker skin.' Mason said her job has taken a toll on her relationships because not every man wants to date a bikini barista. A lot of baristas also carry pepper spray, bear mace or baseball bats in their stands to defend themselves against aggressive clients. Mason, for instance, carries a gun. All Pink Sugar Espresso stands are fitted with an internal panic button and internal and external security cameras, she said. Although most of her patrons are men with wedding rings between ages 35 and 60, Mason said she also gets couples and people from all walks of life. When customers ask for her number, she directs them to her work Instagram (@ and will only respond if they send her something on Cashapp. 'I've never had any, like, crazy stalkers for anything like that. I live very far from where I work. That's why I also work up here, because I don't want people following me,' Mason said. 'We're just people. A lot of the time people treat us as animals, and they'll come and start recording you or start taking pictures of you … it's just a weird feeling, because we're people, right? You know, we [just] have a little less clothes on.' Of the six Pierce County bikini coffee stands this reporter visited over the course of a Tuesday afternoon, only one other barista was willing to talk to The News Tribune about her experiences. A 23-year-old strawberry blonde Ladybug Espresso employee wanted to remain anonymous to protect her privacy. She said she started working as a bikini barista because one of her friends worked there, and she wanted to have a fun job in her early 20s to save up some money. As a line of pickup trucks and SUVs snaked around the small red hut decorated in ladybug spots, she said she usually feels safe working but keeps a cup of boiling water nearby just in case. Although she hasn't worked at a strip club or done sex work, she said 'it's really common' among bikini baristas. Mason said she usually gets about 30 customers a day in the winter and spring, and 45 to 55 a day in the summer months. The morning shift is usually busier, until the days get longer, she said. When it's cold, Mason said, the coffee stands are stocked with heaters and baristas usually wear robes when they don't have customers. It's hard to calculate how many bikini barista stands are in Pierce County because the stands are often licensed, taxed and regulated the same as any other coffee stand. Bikini barista stands don't meet the definition of 'adult entertainment' under state or county law, but cities can have their own regulations limiting them, said Pierce County auditor Linda Farmer. Most of the ones in Pierce County are in Lakewood along South Tacoma Way or in the South End of Tacoma and Spanaway area along State Route 7, according to Google Maps. In Tacoma, bikini barista stands need to get a general business license like any other business, and owners need to take steps to ensure they aren't classified as 'adult entertainment.' That means making sure their scantily clad employees aren't visible 'at any time from outside the facility or from any other place,' said city spokesperson Maria Lee, citing Tacoma Municipal Code 6B.30. There are nine bikini barista stands in Lakewood, and the city doesn't require special regulations either, said communications manager Brynn Grimley. The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department regulates bikini coffee shops the same as any other food establishment, requiring workers to wear clean clothes and maintain good hygiene, said spokesperson Kenny Via. The Washington Department of Labor and Industries said there's not a specific rule that coffee stand workers have to wear personal protective equipment like close-toed shoes, but businesses are required to do a PPE hazard assessment where their employees are working, and, if a hazard exists, they could require employees to wear PPE to address it, said communications consultant Dina Lorraine. Although most bikini baristas work alone, the state's isolated worker law — which seeks to protect employees who spend a majority of their working hours alone or without another coworker present from sexual harassment and assault — doesn't apply to bikini baristas or coffee-stand workers, Lorraine said. That law only applies to employees working as security guards, commercial janitors, hotel or motel housekeepers and room service attendants, she said. Eddie Alvarado is the founder of Coffee Shop Startups, an online consultation firm based in Seattle that has helped people wanting to open everything from a bikini barista stand to a brick-and-mortar coffee shop, coffee kiosk, coffee trailer, online coffee shop or amateur roastery for about 15 years. He's written articles about how to start bikini coffee shops and the pros and cons of running those types of stands. Most of his clients call him from outside of Washington and the Pacific Northwest, including Canada, the United Kingdom, Portugal, Australia and Saudi Arabia. In America the drive-through coffee stand came as a result of to-go coffee culture on the open road, Alvarado said. Bikini barista stands began popping up in the Pacific Northwest in the early 2000s as a result of 'extreme competition' and a desire to stand out in an over-saturated coffee market, he said. Corporations like Starbucks and Dutch Brothers have also 'invested heavily' in drive-through stands all over the country in the last decade, adding to the competition, Alvarado said. 'You have a number of drive-through stands that are kind of your typical mom-and-pop stands, or typical stands that just kind of pop up on the side of the road. And then you have an enormous amount of really good coffee roasters,' he said. 'And we have a lot of people interested in coffee, and a lot of people being on the road, coupled with the pressures of commercial rents that have people looking for innovative options by which to sell coffee.' The Northwest is a popular place for bikini barista stands, which have popped up in places like Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho and Nevada, he said. Cowgirls Espresso in Tukwila is credited as one of the first bikini barista stands to open in 2002, according to multiple news outlets. A May 2024 article from the Portland Eater titled, 'Portland's Bikini Barista Revolution,' said there are more than 150 bikini coffee stands in Washington, the densest place in the United States. Portland's more lax public nudity laws and unique ownership model (where 'nearly all' bikini stands are owned by current or former bikini baristas, according to writer Lauren Yoshiko) makes that city fertile grounds for them, too. Alvarado encourages people thinking about opening a bikini barista stand to consider several things. Although the business can be 'very lucrative' for both owners and baristas, owners need to consider community backlash or scrutiny as a result of the stands, he said. Owners also should take steps to find a good location, mitigate risk in the cash-heavy business and hire baristas who adhere to a strong code of ethics and are clear about tolerated behavior to reduce turnover, Alvarado said. In terms of safety for employees, owners should make sure the stand is in a well-trafficked, well-lit area with secure windows and doors, he said. Baristas should be trained on what to do in the case of a robbery or when they receive unwanted attention, Alvarado said. It can also be good practice to double up on staffing during certain hours of the day or have a manager on site to support baristas when they leave to ensure they're not followed, he said. 'It's unfortunate, but in many of the stands, you have a very vulnerable individual or two that are possibly alone with a lot of money that can be easily watched,' Alvarado said. 'Owners really need to take a lot of precautions in terms of keeping the barista safe.' Uniquely is a series from The News Tribune that covers the moments, landmarks and personalities that define what makes living in Pierce County so special.
