Month: March 2024
Google Podcasts Service Shuts Down in the US Next Week
U.S. users have just a few more days to make the transition from Google Podcasts as the company moves forward with the process of discontinuing the service globally. From a report: Google is currently sending in-app notifications to users in the U.S. that starting April 2nd they will no longer be able to use Google Podcasts and is recommending to export subscriptions to YouTube Music. The Google Podcasts streaming service launched six years ago. It’s app has more than 500 million downloads on Google Play and apart from offering a large selection of podcasts it also allows subscribing to favorite channels, downloading and playing on various devices. The service integrates with Google’s ecosystem, providing users with personalized recommendations based on interests, listening history, and preferences.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
U.S. users have just a few more days to make the transition from Google Podcasts as the company moves forward with the process of discontinuing the service globally. From a report: Google is currently sending in-app notifications to users in the U.S. that starting April 2nd they will no longer be able to use Google Podcasts and is recommending to export subscriptions to YouTube Music. The Google Podcasts streaming service launched six years ago. It’s app has more than 500 million downloads on Google Play and apart from offering a large selection of podcasts it also allows subscribing to favorite channels, downloading and playing on various devices. The service integrates with Google’s ecosystem, providing users with personalized recommendations based on interests, listening history, and preferences.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Fake crypto bot scammer allegedly told investors, ‘Poof, you’re a millionaire’
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
Robert Robb allegedly convinced several crypto investors to send him $1.5 million to build a too-good-to-be-true crypto trading bot, according to an FBI affidavit viewed by 404 Media and CourtWatch.
Robb allegedly sent a message reading, “Poof, YOU’RE A MILLIONAIRE” to one Telegram group, accompanied by this image of a purple fairy wearing a mushroom cap. The message promised recipients they could strike it rich if they used Robb’s MEV bot and invested in the cryptocurrency $RAT and the ironically named token NoRugz.
Image: FBI affidavit, Case No. 1:24-MJ-100
A screenshot of a Telegram message allegedly sent by Robert Robb to prospective investors.
It says Robb asked crypto investors over Telegram and other social media for money to build a “Maximum Extractable Value” or MEV, crypto trading bot. But after investors sent the funds, the bot never materialized. Investors interviewed by the FBI said that Robb made multiple excuses for the bot’s delay and never complied with any requests for refunds.
The bot described by Robb would supposedly scan blockchain networks to find profitable trading opportunities and execute them automatically, but there’s no evidence that technology can actually work over an extended period. This hasn’t stopped crypto scammers from pushing fake bots on YouTube, X, and other social media sites and making unlikely promises of 10x to 100x returns on their investments.
Robb frequently posted about the MEV bot he was building on X and the crypto social media platform Friend.Tech. In DMs to investors, he claimed he had built a prototype of a bot that was good enough to yield “enormous returns.”
The FBI alleges that over the course of a few weeks in 2023, Robb collected at least $1.5 million from investors. But instead of the funds going toward building a crypto trading bot, Robb transferred most of the money to his personal bank accounts. The FBI’s review of Robb’s financial transactions indicated that he spent some of the money on a two-year lease of an executive suite at the Denver Broncos Mile High Stadium, a luxury Jeep, and a stay at a vacation resort in the Bahamas.
The 46-year-old Robb was arrested in Las Vegas on March 20th, according to a screenshot of records from the Henderson Police posted by crypto detective ZachXBT on X. The Verge has reached out to Henderson County to request Robb’s police records.
Robb, who posts on X under the handle pokerbrat2019, claims in his bio that he is a past victim of extortion. Over the past year, he’s tweeted frequently about MEV bots and frequently warned his followers to look out for crypto scams.
As an MEV engineer, I have ignored the influencer space. Something I’m building happens to have a powerful use case for influencers and their followers, so I have been paying more attention recently. Scams abound, but the power they have over their followers is quite shocking. https://t.co/hyhg9byKWr— PokerBrat2019 (@pokerbrat2019) June 2, 2023
Robb hasn’t posted since the day of his arrest. His last post, published at 12:38PM ET on the morning of his arrest, chided his followers for being “far too predictable” and promised an upcoming Solana bot.
Predictable trading behavior is the fastest way to lose money in crypto markets. Many of you are far too predictable. We’re about to start pummeling you on Solana, with a bot that many of you said was vaporware. “Beware the fury of a patient man.” – John Dryden— PokerBrat2019 (@pokerbrat2019) March 20, 2024
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
Robert Robb allegedly convinced several crypto investors to send him $1.5 million to build a too-good-to-be-true crypto trading bot, according to an FBI affidavit viewed by 404 Media and CourtWatch.
Robb allegedly sent a message reading, “Poof, YOU’RE A MILLIONAIRE” to one Telegram group, accompanied by this image of a purple fairy wearing a mushroom cap. The message promised recipients they could strike it rich if they used Robb’s MEV bot and invested in the cryptocurrency $RAT and the ironically named token NoRugz.
Image: FBI affidavit, Case No. 1:24-MJ-100
A screenshot of a Telegram message allegedly sent by Robert Robb to prospective investors.
It says Robb asked crypto investors over Telegram and other social media for money to build a “Maximum Extractable Value” or MEV, crypto trading bot. But after investors sent the funds, the bot never materialized. Investors interviewed by the FBI said that Robb made multiple excuses for the bot’s delay and never complied with any requests for refunds.
The bot described by Robb would supposedly scan blockchain networks to find profitable trading opportunities and execute them automatically, but there’s no evidence that technology can actually work over an extended period. This hasn’t stopped crypto scammers from pushing fake bots on YouTube, X, and other social media sites and making unlikely promises of 10x to 100x returns on their investments.
Robb frequently posted about the MEV bot he was building on X and the crypto social media platform Friend.Tech. In DMs to investors, he claimed he had built a prototype of a bot that was good enough to yield “enormous returns.”
The FBI alleges that over the course of a few weeks in 2023, Robb collected at least $1.5 million from investors. But instead of the funds going toward building a crypto trading bot, Robb transferred most of the money to his personal bank accounts. The FBI’s review of Robb’s financial transactions indicated that he spent some of the money on a two-year lease of an executive suite at the Denver Broncos Mile High Stadium, a luxury Jeep, and a stay at a vacation resort in the Bahamas.
The 46-year-old Robb was arrested in Las Vegas on March 20th, according to a screenshot of records from the Henderson Police posted by crypto detective ZachXBT on X. The Verge has reached out to Henderson County to request Robb’s police records.
Robb, who posts on X under the handle pokerbrat2019, claims in his bio that he is a past victim of extortion. Over the past year, he’s tweeted frequently about MEV bots and frequently warned his followers to look out for crypto scams.
As an MEV engineer, I have ignored the influencer space. Something I’m building happens to have a powerful use case for influencers and their followers, so I have been paying more attention recently. Scams abound, but the power they have over their followers is quite shocking. https://t.co/hyhg9byKWr
— PokerBrat2019 (@pokerbrat2019) June 2, 2023
Robb hasn’t posted since the day of his arrest. His last post, published at 12:38PM ET on the morning of his arrest, chided his followers for being “far too predictable” and promised an upcoming Solana bot.
Predictable trading behavior is the fastest way to lose money in crypto markets. Many of you are far too predictable. We’re about to start pummeling you on Solana, with a bot that many of you said was vaporware.
“Beware the fury of a patient man.” – John Dryden
— PokerBrat2019 (@pokerbrat2019) March 20, 2024
KeyBank: 2024 Home Equity Review – CNET
This lender is good for borrowers who seek loans with longer repayment terms and low HELOC minimums.
This lender is good for borrowers who seek loans with longer repayment terms and low HELOC minimums.
Criminals in Montreal Using AirTags to Steal Vehicles
Thieves in Montreal, Canada have been using Apple’s AirTags to facilitate vehicle theft, according to a report from Vermont news sites WCAX and NBC5 (via 9to5Mac). Police officers in Burlington, Vermont have issued a warning about AirTags for drivers who recently visited Canada.
Two Burlington residents found Apple AirTags in their vehicles after returning from trips to Montreal, and these are not the first reports that officers have encountered. One man, Ethan Yang, said he was coming from Montreal after visiting family, and he was alerted that there was an AirTag traveling with him. He was able to use his phone to make the AirTag beep, and he was able to locate the device, which had been placed in the front grille of the vehicle.
Ryan McLiverty, a cyber analyst at the Vermont Intelligence Center, said that while these incidents have been happening for some time, there has been a new spike in activity. Criminals in Montreal are using AirTags to track cars, steal them, and then sell them abroad. There’s also a possibility that the AirTags are being used to tag cars as part of an effort to move drugs across the border.
Travelers who are concerned about being tracked via an AirTag should know that there are built-in safety features. An AirTag will send an alert if it is not within distance of the person that owns it, and this alert will show up on iPhones. Android phones are also able to detect unknown Bluetooth trackers, including AirTags, plus Apple has a Tracker Detect app that scans for them.Tag: AirTagThis article, “Criminals in Montreal Using AirTags to Steal Vehicles” first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums
Thieves in Montreal, Canada have been using Apple’s AirTags to facilitate vehicle theft, according to a report from Vermont news sites WCAX and NBC5 (via 9to5Mac). Police officers in Burlington, Vermont have issued a warning about AirTags for drivers who recently visited Canada.
Two Burlington residents found Apple AirTags in their vehicles after returning from trips to Montreal, and these are not the first reports that officers have encountered. One man, Ethan Yang, said he was coming from Montreal after visiting family, and he was alerted that there was an AirTag traveling with him. He was able to use his phone to make the AirTag beep, and he was able to locate the device, which had been placed in the front grille of the vehicle.
Ryan McLiverty, a cyber analyst at the Vermont Intelligence Center, said that while these incidents have been happening for some time, there has been a new spike in activity. Criminals in Montreal are using AirTags to track cars, steal them, and then sell them abroad. There’s also a possibility that the AirTags are being used to tag cars as part of an effort to move drugs across the border.
Travelers who are concerned about being tracked via an AirTag should know that there are built-in safety features. An AirTag will send an alert if it is not within distance of the person that owns it, and this alert will show up on iPhones. Android phones are also able to detect unknown Bluetooth trackers, including AirTags, plus Apple has a Tracker Detect app that scans for them.
This article, “Criminals in Montreal Using AirTags to Steal Vehicles” first appeared on MacRumors.com
Discuss this article in our forums
Meta Used Its Onavo VPN to Snoop on Users’ Encrypted Snapchat Traffic
Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai, reporting for TechCrunch:
“Whenever someone asks a question about Snapchat, the answer is
usually that because their traffic is encrypted we have no
analytics about them,” Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg wrote
in an email dated June 9, 2016, which was published as part of the
lawsuit. “Given how quickly they’re growing, it seems important to
figure out a new way to get reliable analytics about them. Perhaps
we need to do panels or write custom software. You should figure
out how to do this.”
Facebook’s engineers solution was to use Onavo, a VPN-like service
that Facebook acquired in 2013. In 2019, Facebook shut down Onavo
after a TechCrunch investigation revealed that Facebook had been
secretly paying teenagers to use Onavo so the company could access
all of their web activity.
After Zuckerberg’s email, the Onavo team took on the project and a
month later proposed a solution: so-called kits that can be
installed on iOS and Android that intercept traffic for specific
subdomains, “allowing us to read what would otherwise be encrypted
traffic so we can measure in-app usage,” read an email from July
2016. “This is a ‘man-in-the-middle’ approach.” […]
Later, according to the court documents, Facebook expanded the
program to Amazon and YouTube. Inside Facebook, there wasn’t a
consensus on whether Project Ghostbusters was a good idea. Some
employees, including Jay Parikh, Facebook’s then-head of
infrastructure engineering, and Pedro Canahuati, the then-head of
security engineering, expressed their concern. “I can’t think of a
good argument for why this is okay. No security person is ever
comfortable with this, no matter what consent we get from the
general public. The general public just doesn’t know how this
stuff works,” Canahuati wrote in an email, included in the court
documents.
There’s the Facebook we know and love.
In 2018 Apple removed Onavo from the App Store, but the fact that Facebook was using Onavo in this way was known a year earlier.
★
Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai, reporting for TechCrunch:
“Whenever someone asks a question about Snapchat, the answer is
usually that because their traffic is encrypted we have no
analytics about them,” Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg wrote
in an email dated June 9, 2016, which was published as part of the
lawsuit. “Given how quickly they’re growing, it seems important to
figure out a new way to get reliable analytics about them. Perhaps
we need to do panels or write custom software. You should figure
out how to do this.”
Facebook’s engineers solution was to use Onavo, a VPN-like service
that Facebook acquired in 2013. In 2019, Facebook shut down Onavo
after a TechCrunch investigation revealed that Facebook had been
secretly paying teenagers to use Onavo so the company could access
all of their web activity.
After Zuckerberg’s email, the Onavo team took on the project and a
month later proposed a solution: so-called kits that can be
installed on iOS and Android that intercept traffic for specific
subdomains, “allowing us to read what would otherwise be encrypted
traffic so we can measure in-app usage,” read an email from July
2016. “This is a ‘man-in-the-middle’ approach.” […]
Later, according to the court documents, Facebook expanded the
program to Amazon and YouTube. Inside Facebook, there wasn’t a
consensus on whether Project Ghostbusters was a good idea. Some
employees, including Jay Parikh, Facebook’s then-head of
infrastructure engineering, and Pedro Canahuati, the then-head of
security engineering, expressed their concern. “I can’t think of a
good argument for why this is okay. No security person is ever
comfortable with this, no matter what consent we get from the
general public. The general public just doesn’t know how this
stuff works,” Canahuati wrote in an email, included in the court
documents.
There’s the Facebook we know and love.
In 2018 Apple removed Onavo from the App Store, but the fact that Facebook was using Onavo in this way was known a year earlier.