Latest news with #LaurenJones
The Guardian
26-07-2025
- The Guardian
Oasis ticket scam: ‘My Instagram was hijacked for a £1,400 fraud'
Lauren Jones* was on her way home from a gig when she realised something was wrong. After having no reception all day, her mobile started pinging with message after message containing verifications for her LinkedIn, Vinted and Facebook accounts. Someone was trying to get in and change the contact details. At home she realised the hackers were also trying to take over her Instagram account. She tried to sort it out but it was late, she had work the next day and, she says: 'I thought: 'What damage could they do?'' Within 24 hours she knew the answer: using her account, the hackers advertised tickets to Oasis's Wembley Stadium gig on Saturday 26 July and stole £1,400 from her unsuspecting friends. They then sent a text demanding $100 (£75) to return the Instagram account. All day she was fielding messages from contacts. 'I had about 20 different people text, saying they were about to send over the money and can I hold the tickets for them,' she says. 'The hackers had impersonated me so well that my friends and family genuinely thought they were speaking to me.' Three weeks later, she is still locked out of her account, and Instagram has refused to recognise it as being fraudulent. It has ignored her requests for help. It did not respond to Guardian Money's requests for comment. Jones is a music fan and so the Instagram story offering four tickets to a concert did not seem out of place to her 600 followers – even her sister believed she had tickets to sell. 'I've just returned from Glastonbury and I was away for Bruce Springsteen,' she says. 'It's not as if they'd taken it over and started advertising bitcoin.' The people who responded via Instagram were taken in by the scammers' replies – one friend told her he thought they had been having a good catchup. It was only those who moved the conversation to WhatsApp or texts who found out pretty swiftly that the tickets did not exist. 'They're really impersonating me and it's so invasive,' she says. 'It's distressing not knowing what is being said in my name.' The fraudsters did not just leave the post for Jones's followers to see – they messaged one of her former colleagues and asked them if they would share the posts. They agreed and inadvertently spread the scam more widely. The tickets were realistically priced and the post had good spelling and grammar. Victims were asked to pay into an account held with the online bank Revolut, with the fraudsters explaining that it was in the name of the friend who had originally bought the tickets. Official data shows £1.6m was lost to fraud involving gig tickets last year – more than double the previous year's figure – and Oasis's high-profile reunion tour has been widely used to lure victims. Earlier this year, Lloyds Banking Group (which includes Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland) said more than 1,000 customers had fallen for scams linked to the Manchester band's eagerly anticipated UK concerts. Lloyds said its data suggested that UK Oasis fans had lost more than £2m to fraudsters by March this year – the total is likely to have risen since. It found that fans lost an average of £436 each – about £200 more than the average amount stolen in a concert ticket scam – and said some had handed over more than £1,700. Chris Ainsley, the head of fraud risk management at the bank Santander, recently saw a Facebook account used for the scam – the post advertised four tickets, again for the 26 July concert, and included details of seat numbers and a WhatsApp number to contact. The scammers used the highlight tool to put it in front of the real account holder's followers – this, Ainsley says, is a way to make a fraud 'grow very quickly'. His team searched Facebook and found multiple other accounts had posted the same message, suggesting the same people had hacked them all. Jake Moore, a cybersecurity expert at ESET, says that by using Instagram and Facebook accounts linked to individuals, scammers give victims a false sense of security. 'It's not an Oasis Facebook group which is completely random – buying tickets there would be a complete gamble. Instead, they're buying from people they know, or friends of friends – they're verified. It's doing exactly what we tell people to do,' he says. 'The scammers can check the messages before and see how you sign off – if it's a kiss or emoji maybe – and replicate that.' Moore says criminals who may be worried about their spelling or grammar giving them away can use AI to craft their messages. 'Even if you take an extra minute to reply, the other person is not going to notice – you can even tell it to sign off each one with a smiley face, for instance.' You might think the criminals would carefully select accounts that give them the best chance of finding victims – Jones's would have appealed because she loves live music – but the experts say that the fraud is not that sophisticated. Ainsley says the account he originally saw compromised had not been used since 2011, so anyone doing some due diligence might have taken that as a red flag. Moore says it is simply a numbers game, with criminals breaking into as many accounts as they can. Jones is not sure how the hackers got into her account but suspects she may have fallen victim to a phishing attack or used an insecure public wifi network. Moore says that often accounts are compromised because people use the same password in more than one place. Criminals will try the details across a range of sites – a practice known as 'credentials stuffing'. In-app attacks are another way for fraudsters to get the details they need, Ainsley says. 'Sometimes you will get a message that makes it look like you have been kicked off Facebook – it will ask for your details to log you back in,' he says. The best way to protect your account is to use the social media website's two-factor authentication or two-step verification settings. 'That extra layer will push the criminals to the next account – you are not the lowest hanging fruit,' Moore says. * Name has been changed
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Nonprofit works to save ShreveCorps amid funding cut
SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) — Following the recent $400 million cut to AmeriCorps programs nationwide, which directly impacts 32,000 seniors living stipend and healthcare benefits. One of the programs includes ShreveCorps, which works to transform neglected lots across Shreveport into vibrant, healthy spaces. Nonprofit Shreveport Green says that without funding, those areas are at risk of 'falling back into neglect.' Give For Good is one of the most important days of the year for non-profits. Shreveport Green's Executive Director says it is a chance to share what they do and how others can get involved through donating or volunteering. DOGE slashes Shreveport Green and AmeriCorps funding She says it is also a chance to provide flexible dollars to help critical programs amid funding cuts. Lauren Jones says if you want to make the community a cleaner, greener, and healthier place to live, donate because financial support matters. 'This funding directly helps us get through that cut and gives us a chance to continue our work and better serve the community without any hiccups,' says Jones, 'So, beyond that, it gives us a chance to plant more food or plant more trees.' Jones says every dollar helps tackle blight and protect the environment daily. Shreveport Green's goal is to raise $100,000. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Recycle your Mardi Gras beads with Shreveport Green
SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS)— Shreveport Green is collecting Mardi Gras beads throughout the city until March 30th to divert waste and positively impact the environment. Lauren Jones, the Director of Shreveport Green, announced that they are setting up bead collection sites throughout the city to reduce the release of toxic chemicals from Mardi Gras beads into the environment. 'Everyone LOVES getting Mardi Gras beads during carnival season, but people don't often realize how toxic many of these beads are. When beads get left on the ground, they usually get washed into our drainage systems and release toxic chemicals into the environment, which can harm our entire ecosystem,' says Jones. Where to recycle glass, toothpaste tubes, razors and much more Jones says the beads release toxic chemicals, including arsenic, barium, chromium, copper, and even lead. In addition to their significant impact on our drinking water and wildlife, these substances can also contribute to serious flooding issues, something we know all too well in Louisiana. Now through Sunday at Mae & Co. 1023 Provenance Pl Blvd, Shreveport (March 5th-March 9th) Followed by Chop Shop, 724 Azalea Drive, from next Monday-Sunday (March 10th-March 16th) Then it will be at Shreveport Green HQ, 3625 Southern Avenue, the following week (March 17th-March 30th) 'We will be separating and cleaning the beads that are not broken and plan to redistribute to the krewes next year. Our hope is to reduce the amount of purchasing and waste that is created from Mardi Gras every year! ' Jones says this is why Shreveport Green is intervening through a bead collection. Made by LSU: Mardi Gras beads made out of micro algae 'Our motto is LESS BEADS MORE SEEDS. This year, we were able to distribute thousands of packets of wildflower seeds to parade goers along the parade route. We have had incredible feedback, and the interest is rising among recipients. While we know that beads are always going to be a part of Mardi Gras, we will do our best to reduce the amount of toxic waste going into the environment through collections and distributions for years to come!' says Jones. This is all leading up to the Catahoula Wine Mixer, which is March 28th & 29th. The funds raised go towards Shreveport Green's mission. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
