Latest news with #Chinese-national
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
US government sanctions tech company involved in cyber scams
The U.S. government imposed sanctions on Funnull, a company accused of providing infrastructure for cybercriminals running "pig butchering" crypto scams that have led to $200 million in losses for American victims. On Thursday, the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control announced the sanctions, saying Funnull is "linked to the majority of virtual currency investment scam websites reported to the FBI.' The press release said that the $200 million in losses results in an average loss of $150,000 per victim, but that the numbers "likely underestimate the total losses, as many victims of scams do not report the crime.' Pig butchering scams involve criminals approaching victims online, often pretending to be interested in a romantic relationship, with the goal of tricking the victims into sending them money to invest in nonexistent crypto projects. According to the Treasury, Funnull is based in the Philippines and run by Chinese-national Liu Lizhi, who was also sanctioned on Thursday. Funnull, according to the Treasury, generated domain names for websites on IP addresses it owns, and provided 'web design templates to cybercriminals.' 'These services not only make it easier for cybercriminals to impersonate trusted brands when creating scam websites, but also allow them to quickly change to different domain names and IP addresses when legitimate providers attempt to take the websites down,' the Treasury said. The FBI released an alert that included more information about these activities. The Treasury referred to the Polyfill supply chain attack in its press release, saying Funnell 'purchased a repository of code used by web developers and maliciously altered the code to redirect visitors of legitimate websites to scam websites and online gambling sites, some of which are linked to Chinese criminal money laundering operations.' Those activities are exactly what researchers from cybersecurity firm Silent Push accused FUNNULL of carrying out last year. Researchers found that Funnull was responsible for the Polyfill supply chain attack, which was launched to push malware to whoever visited websites that used Polyfill's code. The goal was to redirect users to a malicious network of casino and online gambling sites, the researchers found. Do you have more information FUNNULL, or other companies facilitating scams? From a non-work device and network, you can contact Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai securely on Signal at +1 917 257 1382, or via Telegram and Keybase @lorenzofb, or email. Zach Edwards, a researcher at Silent Push who worked on the Funnull report last year, told TechCrunch that he was 'really glad to see the facts aligned with our suspicions.' 'It's encouraging that the Treasury has taken actions against the largest pig butchering and money laundering network that exists targeting people in the U.S., but we know that more needs to be done,' said Edwards. 'This effort from Funnull is the tip of the iceberg for what is actually going on right now out of China with financial schemes targeting Americans.' 'Global threat actors that are targeting Americans with financial scams need to be held accountable, and doxing the companies they work with and the individuals who run those companies, is an important first step,' he added.
Japan Today
15-05-2025
- Japan Today
Mayor wants off-season Mount Fuji hikers to pay costs of their rescue operations
By Casey Baseel, SoraNews24 Being located at the foot of Mount Fuji is a source of pride for the Shizuoka Prefecture town of Fujinomiya and its residents. That proximity to Japan's tallest and most famous mountain, though, has also become a problem for the city. Mount Fuji's has an official climbing season, which runs from mid-summer to early fall. However, it's not like there's a fence running around the whole mountain, so even as Shizuoka and Yamanashi (the two prefectures Mount Fuji straddles the border of) tell people to refrain from hiking its upper trails during the off season, every year a number of people ignore the warnings, and a number of them need to be rescued. When those rescues take place on or near Mount Fuji's Fujinomya Trail, it's the Fujinomiya Municipal Fire Department that has to go get the overconfident off-season climbers and bring them back down to safety. Fujinomiya Mayor Hidetada Sudo is fed up with the situation, and during his regularly scheduled press conference on May 9, he called for new regulations that would force off-season hikers to pay the bill for rescue operations needed to bail them out of trouble, saying 'They are taking Mount Fuji too lightly.' ▼ Video of the frustrated Sudo 'They are not listening to the warnings and selfishly choosing to climb [during the off season],' Sudo lamented. 'The cost of rescue operations is tremendous, so shouldn't the burden of paying those costs be carried by the people requiring [off-season] rescues? They have a responsibility for the results of their actions.' During his statements, Sudo specifically referenced the Chinese-national college student who had to be rescued from the side of Mount Fuji two separate times over the course of five days last month, having made a second off-season climb attempt to look for his smartphone, which he'd lost during his first unauthorized hike. Sudo made a point of acknowledging that even the lives of off-season hikers are precious, and that rescuing them is a must, regardless of them willfully not heeding safety warnings. However, he feels that off-season hikers are giving insufficient consideration to not only the costs of operations, but the risks they pose to rescue team members' lives as well, saying 'Because there is no rule [requiring off-season hikers to pay for rescue costs], they have a carefree attitude about climbing [in the off season] and asking to be rescued' and that rescued off-season hikers have described their motivations with such shallow justifications as 'The mountain is there, so I wanted to climb it' and 'I liked the idea of the adventure.' Currently, rescue operation expenses, including those for off-season rescues, are paid for through government funds. Though there is a precedent of Saitama Prefecture having a regulation that requires unauthorized hikers to pay fuel expenses for helicopter rescue missions, following Sudo's comments Shizuoka Prefecture Governor Yasutomo Suzuki said that he would like the federal government to be involved in setting the policy, and plans to discuss the matter with relevant officials. With the weather getting warmer, though, the temptation is likely growing for those drawn to the idea of climbing Mt. Fuji before the official season begins. It's worth saying once again that, despite the invitingly gentle slope Mt. Fuji seems to have when viewed from afar, it's a serious mountain where unpredictable severe weather, altitude sickness, and other factors can create life-threatening conditions of the sort you don't want to get caught in during the off-season, when ranger stations and other facilities on the mountain are largely unstaffed. So if you are looking to climb to Japan's tallest peak, do it the smart way: during the climbing season. Source: FNN Prime Online, TV Asahi Read more stories from SoraNews24. -- Mt. Fuji climbing reservation website is now open, and here's how to reserve your spot -- Hiker needs to be rescued from Mt. Fuji twice in five days for very dumb reason -- Cost to climb Mt. Fuji doubles, some hikers may have to pass test before getting on trail External Link © SoraNews24
SoraNews24
15-05-2025
- SoraNews24
Angry Japanese mayor wants off-season Mt. Fuji hikers to pay costs of their rescue operations
' They are taking Mt. Fuji too lightly.' Being located at the foot of Mt. Fuji is a source of pride for the Shizuoka Prefecture town of Fujinomiya and its residents. That proximity to Japan's tallest and most famous mountain, though, has also become a problem for the city. Mt. Fuji's has an official climbing season, which runs from mid-summer to early fall. However, it's not like there's a fence running around the whole mountain, so even as Shizuoka and Yamanashi (the two prefectures Mt. Fuji straddles the border of) tell people to refrain from hiking its upper trails during the off season, every year a number of people ignore the warnings, and a number of them need to be rescued. When those rescues take place on or near Mt. Fuji's Fujinomya Trail, it's the Fujinomiya Municipal Fire Department that has to go get the overconfident off-season climbers and bring them back down to safety. Fujinomiya mayor Hidetada Sudo is fed up with the situation, and during his regularly scheduled press conference on May 9, he called for new regulations that would force off-season hikers to pay the bill for rescue operations needed to bail them out of trouble, saying 'They are taking Mt. Fuji too lightly.' ▼ Video of the frustrated Sudo 'They are not listening to the warnings and selfishly choosing to climb [during the off season],' Sudo lamented. 'The cost of rescue operations is tremendous, so shouldn't the burden of paying those costs be carried by the people requiring [off-season] rescues? They have a responsibility for the results of their actions.' During his statements, Sudo specifically referenced the Chinese-national college student who had to be rescued from the side of Mt. Fuji two separate times over the course of five days last month, having made a second off-season climb attempt to look for his smartphone, which he'd lost during his first unauthorized hike. Sudo made a point of acknowledging that even the lives of off-season hikers are precious, and that rescuing them is a must, regardless of them willfully not heeding safety warnings. However, he feels that off-season hikers are giving insufficient consideration to not only the costs of operations, but the risks they pose to rescue team members' lives as well, saying 'Because there is no rule [requiring off-season hikers to pay for rescue costs], they have a carefree attitude about climbing [in the off season] and asking to be rescued' and that rescued off-season hikers have described their motivations with such shallow justifications as 'The mountain is there, so I wanted to climb it' and 'I liked the idea of the adventure.' Currently, rescue operation expenses, including those for off-season rescues, are paid for through government funds. Though there is a precedent of Saitama Prefecture having a regulation that requires unauthorized hikers to pay fuel expenses for helicopter rescue missions, following Sudo's comments Shizuoka Prefecture governor Yasutomo Suzuki said that he would like the federal government to be involved in setting the policy, and plans to discuss the matter with relevant officials. With the weather getting warmer, though, the temptation is likely growing for those drawn to the idea of climbing Mt. Fuji before the official season begins. It's worth saying once again that, despite the invitingly gentle slope Mt. Fuji seems to have when viewed from afar, it's a serious mountain where unpredictable severe weather, altitude sickness, and other factors can create life-threatening conditions of the sort you don't want to get caught in during the off-season, when ranger stations and other facilities on the mountain are largely unstaffed. So if you are looking to climb to Japan's tallest peak, do it the smart way: during the climbing season. Source: FNN Prime Online, TV Asahi Top image: Pakutaso ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
Epoch Times
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Epoch Times
South Korea Court Rules to Allow Shen Yun Perform After Theater Caved to CCP Pressure
A South Korean court has ruled to allow Shen Yun Performing Arts to continue a planned two-day performance amid Beijing's disruption efforts, handing a win to the group that has, for years, been a target of the regime's global repression efforts. The hosting venue, Kangwon National University, greenlit the New York classical Chinese dance company's application to perform at its Baekryeong Art Center on April 1, only to walk back on the agreement after the Chinese embassy voiced a complaint. The university stated that its decision to cancel the show had to do with the public interests of the school. As the university is a national institution under the country's Ministry of Education, it's in a position to 'directly and indirectly represent the official position of the Republic of Korea,' thereby escalating the matter into a 'diplomatic issue,' stated a letter from the university, obtained by The Epoch Times. The center further said they made the decision out of public interest concerns, citing the roughly 500 Chinese-national students studying at the center who it claimed could stage protests, potentially leading to clashes, should the performance go on as scheduled. The Chuncheon District Court on April 30 sided with the show presenter, describing the university's contract cancellation as an 'abuse of discretionary power.' Shen Yun, the court noted, has Related Stories 4/11/2025 4/18/2025 With no solid evidence backing its claims, the school's stated concerns about potential clashes are vague and difficult to justify, the court said in the judgement, calling the decision 'illegal.' It further noted that the cancellation happened just 20 days ahead of the scheduled performance on May 6 and 7, with nearly two-thirds of the tickets sold. Calling off the performance at this point would make it hard for the show organizers to recover their financial and reputational damage, the judge said. The ruling marks a breakthrough for Shen Yun in South Korea, which has faced Shen Yun tours all over the world—but it cannot perform in China. Founded in 2006 in part by artists who fled Chinese Communist Party (CCP) repression, Shen Yun has grown, over the nearly two past decades, into eight companies of equal size that tour globally with a live orchestra each year. The group showcases classical Chinese dance under the tagline 'China before communism,' with some pieces also featuring stories of the CCP's persecution targeting Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline that has suffered an extensive persecution campaign in China over the past 26 years. Chinese diplomats and people believed to be linked with them have used political and economic coercion to undermine Shen Yun's global performances. The nonprofit group, Falun Dafa Information Center, has documented over 130 such instances over the years. Recently, the campaign appears to have intensified into a more disturbing form. In just over a year, the arts group has reported Ahead of the second day of Shen Yun's run at the Baekryeong Art Center, Shen Yun's emcee Leeshai Lemish, who has tracked these incidents for years, said he was heartened to see 'a South Korean court upholding the country's law and pushing back against CCP pressure.' 'CCP transnational repression is rampant worldwide but in South Korea, it has an especially long and well-documented history of But the court ruling shows that 'the CCP can only succeed if it can co-opt local governments, courts, and theaters' to follow its command, he added. 'When individuals stand firm and do what they believe is right, as we see now in South Korea, the CCP is powerless to do anything.' He sees it as a 'wonderful sign that Korean people have had enough of Beijing telling them what art they can and cannot watch.' Shen Yun Performing Arts World Company's curtain call at the Gumi Arts Center–Grand Hall in Gumi, South Korea, on Feb. 8, 2023. Kim Guk-hwan/The Epoch Times Lemish recalled a similar incident in 2016 at the Baekryeong Art Center, after canceling the show, apologized and said they weren't acting on their own volition. 'We tried our best, but the school and the Ministry of Education insisted on cancellation, so we had no choice but to cancel,' a staffer had told Shen Yun presenters, according to an email copy The Epoch Times reviewed. Lemish noted how repeatedly, South Korean government-affiliated entities and theaters have acknowledged Beijing's intervention but cited public interests to make the case for giving in to the Chinese communist regime. 'I think what we're seeing now is more and more people in South Korea and around the world realizing that the CCP's interests do not align with theirs at all, and that they need to protect their own rights and freedoms in the face of CCP pressure,' he said. 'I think as a bonus, they also find that they feel good doing that.'
Epoch Times
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Epoch Times
South Korea Court Rules to Allow Shen Yun Perform After Theater Caved Into CCP Pressure
A South Korean court has ruled to allow Shen Yun Performing Arts to continue a planned two-day performance amid Beijing's disruption efforts, handing a win to the group that has, for years, been a target of the regime's global repression efforts. The hosting venue, Kangwon National University, greenlit the New York classical Chinese dance company's application to perform at its Baekryeong Art Center on April 1, only to walk back on the agreement after the Chinese embassy voiced a complaint. The university stated that its decision to cancel the show had to do with the public interests of the school. As the university is a national institution under the country's Ministry of Education, it's in a position to 'directly and indirectly represent the official position of the Republic of Korea,' thereby escalating the matter into a 'diplomatic issue,' stated a letter from the university, obtained by The Epoch Times. The center further said they made the decision out of public interest concerns, citing the roughly 500 Chinese-national students studying at the center who it claimed could stage protests, potentially leading to clashes, should the performance go on as scheduled. The Chuncheon District Court on April 30 sided with the show presenter, describing the university's contract cancellation as an 'abuse of discretionary power.' Shen Yun, the court noted, has Related Stories 4/11/2025 4/18/2025 With no solid evidence backing its claims, the school's stated concerns about potential clashes are vague and difficult to justify, the court said in the judgement, calling the decision 'illegal.' It further noted that the cancellation happened just 20 days ahead of the scheduled performance on May 6 and 7, with nearly two thirds of the tickets sold. Calling off the performance at this point would make it hard for the show organizers to recover their financial and reputational damage, the judge said. The ruling marks a breakthrough for Shen Yun in South Korea, which has faced Shen Yun tours all over the world—but it cannot perform in China. Founded in 2006 in part by artists who fled Chinese Communist Party (CCP) repression, Shen Yun has grown, over the nearly two past decades, into eight companies of equal size that tour globally with a live orchestra each year. The group showcases classical Chinese dance under the tagline 'China before communism,' with some pieces also featuring stories of the CCP's persecution targeting Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline that has suffered an extensive persecution campaign in China over the past 26 years. Chinese diplomats and people believed to be linked with them have used political and economic coercion to undermine Shen Yun's global performances. The nonprofit group, Falun Dafa Information Center, has documented over 130 such instances over the years. Recently, the campaign appears to have intensified into a more disturbing form. In just over a year, the arts group has reported Ahead of the second day of Shen Yun's run at the Baekryeong Art Center, Shen Yun's emcee Leeshai Lemish, who has tracked these incidents for years, said he was heartened to see 'a South Korean court upholding the country's law and pushing back against CCP pressure.' 'CCP transnational repression is rampant worldwide but in South Korea, it has an especially long and well-documented history of But the court ruling shows that 'the CCP can only succeed if it can co-opt local governments, courts, and theaters' to follow its command, he added. 'When individuals stand firm and do what they believe is right, as we see now in South Korea, the CCP is powerless to do anything.' He sees it as a 'wonderful sign that Korean people have had enough of Beijing telling them what art they can and cannot watch.' Shen Yun Performing Arts World Company's curtain call at the Gumi Arts Center–Grand Hall in Gumi, South Korea, on Feb. 8, 2023. Kim Guk-hwan/The Epoch Times Lemish recalled a similar incident in 2016 at the Baekryeong Art Center, after canceling the show, apologized and said they weren't acting on their own volition. 'We tried our best, but the school and the Ministry of Education insisted on cancellation, so we had no choice but to cancel,' a staffer had told Shen Yun presenters, according to an email copy The Epoch Times reviewed. Lemish noted how repeatedly, South Korean government-affiliated entities and theaters have acknowledged Beijing's intervention but cited public interests to make the case for giving into the Chinese communist regime. 'I think what we're seeing now is more and more people in South Korea and around the world realizing that the CCP's interests do not align with theirs at all, and that they need to protect their own rights and freedoms in the face of CCP pressure,' he said. 'I think as a bonus, they also find that they feel good doing that.'
