Using AI generated images to get refunds
https://www.wired.com/story/scammers-in-china-are-using-ai-generated-images-to-get-refunds/
#HackerNews #AIRefunds #Scammers #DigitalArt #WiredNews #RefundFraud
Meta created 'playbook' to fend off pressure to crack down on scammers
#HackerNews #Meta #Scammers #Playbook #Pressure #SocialMedia #Safety
Billy Smith
boosted
Just heard about a new scam in my neighborhood that targets lost cats with chips. The scammer looks for strays - say your family cat jumped the fence for a neighborhood stroll - catches them and if they have an implanted chip they use an RFID scanner to obtain the chip’s number, then call a vet to access the pet registry database (usually telling the vet they’ve found a cat and want to return it) to obtain the pet owner’s contact info. Once they have that, they call the owner and say the cat was hit by a car and they need $$ transferred right now for immediate treatment - or the animal may die. They use cash transfer apps, or wallet transfers to get the money exchanged, then dump the cat. Damn…that’s vicious😱 #scam #scammers #Caturday #extortion
Just heard about a new scam in my neighborhood that targets lost cats with chips. The scammer looks for strays - say your family cat jumped the fence for a neighborhood stroll - catches them and if they have an implanted chip they use an RFID scanner to obtain the chip’s number, then call a vet to access the pet registry database (usually telling the vet they’ve found a cat and want to return it) to obtain the pet owner’s contact info. Once they have that, they call the owner and say the cat was hit by a car and they need $$ transferred right now for immediate treatment - or the animal may die. They use cash transfer apps, or wallet transfers to get the money exchanged, then dump the cat. Damn…that’s vicious😱 #scam #scammers #Caturday #extortion
Lisa Melton
boosted
They bought #HealthInsurance promoted by #Trump. Then they needed surgery.
The cheap #health #insurance promoted by Trump officials has a catch.
Some states have banned “short-term” insurance plans with limited coverage, & consumer advocates have warned of the drawbacks.
#law #scammers #affordability #healthcare #HealthcareCrisis #CostOfLiving #economy #HealthyIfYoureWealthy #Aporophobia #SocialCleansing #EconomicDiscrimination #plutocracy #policy #USpol
https://wapo.st/4oRpNtt
They bought #HealthInsurance promoted by #Trump. Then they needed surgery.
The cheap #health #insurance promoted by Trump officials has a catch.
Some states have banned “short-term” insurance plans with limited coverage, & consumer advocates have warned of the drawbacks.
#law #scammers #affordability #healthcare #HealthcareCrisis #CostOfLiving #economy #HealthyIfYoureWealthy #Aporophobia #SocialCleansing #EconomicDiscrimination #plutocracy #policy #USpol
https://wapo.st/4oRpNtt
Lisa Melton
and 1 other
boosted
Top #FannieMae officials ousted after sounding alarm on sharing confidential #housing data
A confidant of #BillPulte, the #Trump admin’s top housing “regulator”, provided #confidential mortgage pricing #data from Fannie Mae to a principal competitor, alarming senior officials of the govt-backed lending giant who warned it could expose the company to claims that it was colluding with a rival to fix mortgage rates.
#law #scammers
https://apnews.com/article/fannie-mae-freddie-mac-firing-pulte-data-a4f8c53df74fef83ec7fd07e3d524746
Alex Akselrod
boosted
…The Wall Street Journal reported this week that some #FannieMae #ethics & #oversight officials who were fired last month had been investigating whether #BillPulte improperly obtained #mortgage information for #LetitiaJames, who was charged last month with bank fraud after Pulte sent a criminal referral to the #DOJ. She said the charges, which she denies, are politically motivated.
#law #scammers #housing #HousingCrisis #affordability #CostOfLiving #WealthGap #Trump
In the Oct 11 message to Smith, Evans, the #FannieMae #mortgage executive, also added others to the email chain because they “were involved with this week’s efforts to compile this information” & he wanted to “make sure you do not exacerbate this issue.”
Danielle McCoy, Fannie Mae’s general counsel, weighed in, adding that the information Smith provided to #FreddieMac should “never be shared” & “could put the company at risk.”
Others who were part of the email chain included Almodovar, the CEO; COO Peter Akwaboah; Devang Doshi, a snr VP for capital markets; & John Roscoe, a #BillPulte loyalist & fmr #Trump White House aide, who served as #FannieMae’s executive VP of PR & operations.
Days later, Almodovar, McCoy & Evans…were out of a job. Meanwhile, Roscoe was promoted to co-president of the company, while Akwaboah was named acting CEO.
#law #scammers #housing #HousingCrisis #affordability #CostOfLiving #WealthGap
…Soon, a team at #FannieMae was overseeing an effort to pull together a tranche of #mortgage data, according to emails reviewed by the AP. Smith played a central role and shared the #confidential lender-level pricing information with #FreddieMac, which set off alarms at both companies, according to the emails.
#law #scammers #housing #HousingCrisis #affordability #CostOfLiving #WealthGap #BillPulte #Trump
In the Oct 11 message to Smith, Evans, the #FannieMae #mortgage executive, also added others to the email chain because they “were involved with this week’s efforts to compile this information” & he wanted to “make sure you do not exacerbate this issue.”
Danielle McCoy, Fannie Mae’s general counsel, weighed in, adding that the information Smith provided to #FreddieMac should “never be shared” & “could put the company at risk.”
The 3 competing roles present the potential for a #ConflictOfInterest that is detailed in emails reviewed by AP. Like many matters of public policy in Trump’s Washington, it appears to have begun with a social media post.
In October, #Trump criticized the homebuilding industry….
“They’re sitting on 2 million empty lots, A RECORD,” Trump posted to his social media…. “I’m asking #FannieMae & #FreddieMac to get Big Homebuilders going.”
“On it,” #BillPulte posted in response on X.
…Soon, a team at #FannieMae was overseeing an effort to pull together a tranche of #mortgage data, according to emails reviewed by the AP. Smith played a central role and shared the #confidential lender-level pricing information with #FreddieMac, which set off alarms at both companies, according to the emails.
#law #scammers #housing #HousingCrisis #affordability #CostOfLiving #WealthGap #BillPulte #Trump
…The Wall Street Journal reported this week that some #FannieMae #ethics & #oversight officials who were fired last month had been investigating whether #BillPulte improperly obtained #mortgage information for #LetitiaJames, who was charged last month with bank fraud after Pulte sent a criminal referral to the #DOJ. She said the charges, which she denies, are politically motivated.
#law #scammers #housing #HousingCrisis #affordability #CostOfLiving #WealthGap #Trump
#BillPulte ’s power over the #mortgage lending industry is unusual. Not long after his #Senate confirmation, he appointed himself chairman of both #FannieMae & #FreddieMac, which hold trillions of dollars in assets. The companies serve as a crucial backstop for the home lending industry by buying up mortgages from individual lenders, which are packaged together & sold to investors.
#law #scammers #housing #HousingCrisis #affordability #CostOfLiving #WealthGap #Trump
…The Wall Street Journal reported this week that some #FannieMae #ethics & #oversight officials who were fired last month had been investigating whether #BillPulte improperly obtained #mortgage information for #LetitiaJames, who was charged last month with bank fraud after Pulte sent a criminal referral to the #DOJ. She said the charges, which she denies, are politically motivated.
#law #scammers #housing #HousingCrisis #affordability #CostOfLiving #WealthGap #Trump
Since his appointment to lead the FHFA, #BillPulte has sought to ingratiate himself with #Trump. The 37-yr-old scion of a homebuilding company fortune, Pulte has cultivated a reputation as a hyper-online millennial with a thirst for recognition & a desire to please Trump. He & his wife also donated about $1 million to Trump’s campaign….
#law #scammers #housing #HousingCrisis #affordability #CostOfLiving #WealthGap
#BillPulte also has focused on large home #construction companies, which have drawn #Trump’s ire. Pulte requested #confidential #FannieMae #data & has publicly signaled that he is considering a crackdown if the companies do not increase construction volume.
“I’m looking at the Fannie Mae builder data & with the top three homebuilders we buy EASILY over $20 billion in THEIR LOANS!” he posted to X in early October.
#law #scammers #housing #HousingCrisis #affordability #CostOfLiving #WealthGap
In June, #BillPulte ordered #FannieMae & #FreddieMac to prepare a proposal for the firms to accept #cryptocurrency, another industry #Trump has boosted, as part of the criteria for buying mortgages from #banks. Last week, he persuaded Trump about the allure of a 50-year #mortgage as a way to increase home buying & building—a proposal that was widely criticized because it would drastically increase the overall price of a #loan.
#law #scammers #housing #HousingCrisis #affordability #CostOfLiving
“This is another example of #BillPulte weaponizing his role to do Donald Trump’s bidding, instead of working to lower costs amidst a #HousingCrisis,” said Sen. #ElizabethWarren, of Massachusetts, the ranking #Democrat on the #Senate #Banking Committee. “His behavior raises significant questions, & he needs to be brought in front of #Congress to answer them.”
#law #scammers #housing #affordability #CostOfLiving #WealthGap #Trump
The episode marks the latest example of #BillPulte using what is typically a low-profile position in the federal bureaucracy to enhance his own standing & gain the attention of #Trump. He’s prompted #mortgage #fraud investigations of prominent #Democrats who are some of Trump’s best known antagonists, including Sen #AdamSchiff of California, #NYAG #LetitiaJames & California Rep #EricSwalwell.
#law #scammers #housing #HousingCrisis #affordability #CostOfLiving #WealthGap
While Smith still holds her position, the senior #FannieMae officials who called her conduct into question were all forced out of their jobs late last month, along with internal #ethics #watchdogs who were investigating #BillPulte & his allies.
The dismissals rattled the #housing industry & drew condemnation from #Democrats. It also gave more evidence to support claims that Pulte has leveraged the nonpublic information available to him to further his own political aims.
“This is another example of #BillPulte weaponizing his role to do Donald Trump’s bidding, instead of working to lower costs amidst a #HousingCrisis,” said Sen. #ElizabethWarren, of Massachusetts, the ranking #Democrat on the #Senate #Banking Committee. “His behavior raises significant questions, & he needs to be brought in front of #Congress to answer them.”
#law #scammers #housing #affordability #CostOfLiving #WealthGap #Trump
Emails reviewed by The AP show that #FannieMae executives were unnerved about what one called the “very problematic” disclosure of data by Lauren Smith, the company’s head of marketing, who was acting on Pulte’s behalf.
#law #scammers #housing #HousingCrisis #affordability #CostOfLiving #WealthGap #BillPulte #Trump