Latest news with #HillsboroughCountySheriff'sOffice
New York Post
15 hours ago
- New York Post
Masked teens kick down front doors to fire realistic fake guns in alarming internet challenge: ‘Not a joke'
Terrifying video shows masked teens kicking in doors to fire terrifying-looking fake guns — part of a sick social media challenge police fear 'could end in tragedy.' Chilling security camera footage shows five teens creeping around Riverview in Florida just after 10:30 p.m. Friday, taking part in the 'door kick challenge,' according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office. 'Two of the juveniles approached a residence, and one of the juveniles, wearing a ski mask, kicked the front door and fired an airsoft gun before fleeing,' the sheriff's office said. 3 A teenager approached the door in a ski mask, kicked it in and fired the toy gun. Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office Such a prank 'could end in tragedy,' the department said — a warning echoed by local residents. 'This is Florida,' a local who only gave the first name Amy told WFLA. 'We're allowed to carry, we're allowed to protect ourselves, our homes, our property, our children, our pets. 3 The five teens were walking around a neighborhood in Riverside, Florida. Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office 'It's not a joke,' she continued. 'It may be lighthearted and funny to look back on your TikTok videos, sending it to your buddies on Worldstar, whatever. 'Unfortunately, it's going to end up really bad for someone one day,' she said. 3 Police said the teens were partaking in the one of the latest internet challenges. Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office Locals called the clout-chasing exploits a 'terrifying situation' — and some were wary to even open their doors to reporters, according to WFLA. Amy said she returned to her home Friday night and found a group of juveniles hanging outside 'I got out [and] asked them if there was anything I could assist them with,' she said. 'They told me to mind my own business.' The situation escalated when the youths 'started to get more derogatory with me,' Amy said — forcing her to call the cops. She said she wants teenagers to understand the prank could quickly turn into a potentially 'life or death' situation. 'Your mom's not going to want to cry at your eulogy about it, so think next time,' she added.
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Yahoo
Florida teens' dangerous social media challenge has police warning parents, homeowners
Police in Florida issued a warning after a group of minors took part in the "door kick challenge," a social media trend aimed at frightening homeowners. The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said in a Facebook post that five juvenile suspects were walking around a neighborhood in Riverview, Florida, when two of them approached a house. Officials said one of the individuals, who was wearing a ski mask, kicked the front door and fired an airsoft gun. The minors then fled the area. Deputies said the "door kick challenge" could turn into a dangerous situation and encouraged parents to talk to their children. Deadly Social Media Trend Threatens Kids, Homeowners Defending Themselves: 'Children Are Going To Get Killed' "The door kick challenge is a prank circulating on social media. #teamHCSO is asking parents to speak to their children about this dangerous trend, which could end in tragedy," the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said. Read On The Fox News App Video released by the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office shows an individual approaching the front door before kicking it several times, firing an airsoft gun and then fleeing the area. Texas Bill Pushes Strictest Social Media Ban For Minors In The Nation Titania Jordan, CMO and chief parent officer at Bark Technologies, a parental control app, previously told Fox News Digital that teens are doing this social media trend to get attention. "This sort of content is going to get likes. It's going to get comments. It is going to get shares. It's going to encourage children to try to emulate it because it's clout — they gain clout from their peers because of this," Jordan said. "Any challenge like this, children aren't thinking, 'Is this the right thing to do? Is this safe?' They're thinking, 'I want validation,' and children are going to get killed. I mean, just one person who is armed who gets their door kicked in by a kid, and you're gonna have another national headline that is very sad." Fox News' Audrey Conklin contributed to this article source: Florida teens' dangerous social media challenge has police warning parents, homeowners Solve the daily Crossword
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Daily Mirror
'My daughter rang me in tears after horror car crash - then grim lies unravelled'
A distraught mum broke down in tears once she heard from her daughter - but a web of lies soon unravelled after a suspicious phone call about a car crash A woman has fallen victim to a scam after cruel fraudsters used artificial intelligence to clone her daughter's voice, convincing her to hand over £11,000 [$15,000]. Sharon Brightwell, from Florida, received a call on July 9 from a number resembling her daughter's. When she answered, she heard what she believed was her daughter crying and saying she had been involved in a serious car accident. "There is nobody that could convince me that it wasn't her," Sharon told WFLA. "I know my daughter's cry.| The caller claimed to have crashed into a pregnant woman while texting and driving. A mystery man, claiming to be an attorney, then took over and told a distraught Sharon that her daughter was being detained and needed £11,000 [$15,000] in bail money. READ MORE: Boy, 15, killed in M60 horror tragedy ahead of Oasis gig Sharon withdrew the money and followed the delivery instructions given to her. But the scammers soon called again, saying the pregnant woman had lost her baby and was threatening to sue unless she sent an additional £22,000 [$30,000]. It was at this point that Sharon's grandson intervened. Together with a family friend, he helped her contact her real daughter, who was unharmed and still at work. "When I heard her voice, I broke down," Sharon admitted. The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office confirmed that a police report has been filed and detectives are investigating the case. "That is all the information we have at this time as it remains an active investigation," officials said in a statement. Sharon's daughter, April Monroe, later explained on GoFundMe that scammers had used AI technology to clone her voice. "My voice was AI cloned and sounded exactly like me," she wrote. "My mom and son were in absolute shock." April said she was on her lunch break when her family was frantically trying to reach her. A family friend eventually connected her to her mother in a three-way call to prove she was safe. "I have never heard the sounds she made when she heard that I was fine," April wrote. She added that her father is dealing with a botched surgery and dementia, leaving her mother under significant stress and more vulnerable to the scam. "We only hope it will prevent this from continuing to victimise vulnerable people," she said. Voice-cloning scams are on the rise globally as AI technology becomes more accessible. Criminals can replicate a person's voice using just a few seconds of audio taken from social media, voicemail, or other recordings. In the UK, the government has warned that AI scams are on the rise as technology becomes more realistic. "Fraudsters are able to use increasingly sophisticated methods, relying on the systematic analysis of large amounts of data in an effort to identify and exploit vulnerabilities that might exist in our organisations for their own gain," explains the Gov website. "Artificial intelligence is not new but we have seen accelerated coverage in the media and as a hot topic at public and private sector events in recent years." The UK has launched an AI Safety Institute to help crackdown on AI safety.
West Australian
3 days ago
- West Australian
Sharon Brightwell: Mother cruelly tricked by AI scammer who used her own daughter's voice to steal from her
A mother has fallen victim to a heartless scam after callers used AI to pose as her daughter. When Sharon Brightwell picked up the phone on July 9 she heard her own daughter tearfully tell her she had been in a car accident. 'There is nobody that could convince me that it wasn't her,' Sharon said. 'I know my daughter's cry,' she told WFLA . She listened to the caller tell her that she had hit a pregnant woman while texting and driving, and said her phone was confiscated by police. Then the Florida woman heard a male voice who told her he was the lawyer that would represent her daughter. He said the daughter was in custody and needed $23,000 to post bail. Ms Brightwell said the man gave very detailed instructions, and warned her 'not to tell the bank what the money was for' because it would affect her daughter's credit score. In a state of shock she followed the instructions, withdrew the money and placed it in a box as the man had requested. Then a driver showed up to her house and collected the package. This was not the end, and Ms Brightwell received another call telling her the unborn child had died in the womb as a result of the accident, and that the family would not sue if they were paid $46,000. This is when Ms Brightwell's grandson intervened. He arranged a phone call with Ms Brightwell's real daughter on the other line. When Ms Brightwell heard her daughter's voice she 'screamed' and 'broke down'. Her daughter had been fine the whole time. The family suspects the scammers used videos from the daughter's social media to accurately replicate her voice in a cruel and emotionally manipulative scam. They have reported the matter to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office and urge other families to take precautions against this sophisticated high-tech scam. Ms Brightwell's daughter has launched a GoFundMe page to cover the cost of the $23,000. On the page, she wrote, that the AI cloned voice sounded 'exactly like her'. 'After you hear your child in distress, all logic is out the window. Nothing would have convinced her that wasn't me.'
Perth Now
3 days ago
- Perth Now
Sharon Brightwell: Mother cruelly tricked by AI scammer who used her own daughter's voice to steal from her
Sharon Brightwell fell victim to a scammer after they used her own daughter's voice to convince her she was in trouble. Sharon Brightwell fell victim to a scammer after they used her own daughter's voice to convince her she was in trouble. Credit: Sharon Brightwell / Facebook A mother has fallen victim to a heartless scam after callers used AI to pose as her daughter. When Sharon Brightwell picked up the phone on July 9 she heard her own daughter tearfully tell her she had been in a car accident. 'There is nobody that could convince me that it wasn't her,' Sharon said. 'I know my daughter's cry,' she told WFLA. She listened to the caller tell her that she had hit a pregnant woman while texting and driving, and said her phone was confiscated by police. Then the Florida woman heard a male voice who told her he was the lawyer that would represent her daughter. He said the daughter was in custody and needed $23,000 to post bail. Ms Brightwell said the man gave very detailed instructions, and warned her 'not to tell the bank what the money was for' because it would affect her daughter's credit score. In a state of shock she followed the instructions, withdrew the money and placed it in a box as the man had requested. Then a driver showed up to her house and collected the package. This was not the end, and Ms Brightwell received another call telling her the unborn child had died in the womb as a result of the accident, and that the family would not sue if they were paid $46,000. This is when Ms Brightwell's grandson intervened. He arranged a phone call with Ms Brightwell's real daughter on the other line. When Ms Brightwell heard her daughter's voice she 'screamed' and 'broke down'. Her daughter had been fine the whole time. The family suspects the scammers used videos from the daughter's social media to accurately replicate her voice in a cruel and emotionally manipulative scam. They have reported the matter to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office and urge other families to take precautions against this sophisticated high-tech scam. Ms Brightwell's daughter has launched a GoFundMe page to cover the cost of the $23,000. On the page, she wrote, that the AI cloned voice sounded 'exactly like her'. 'After you hear your child in distress, all logic is out the window. Nothing would have convinced her that wasn't me.'
