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AI fuelling dating and social media fraud, EU police agency says

Published

9 months ago

January 10, 2024

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Artificial intelligence, combined with wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, is fuelling a boom in fraud on dating and social media apps, officials at Europol have said.
Speaking to the Guardian, the agency’s top financial crime experts said scripts generated by artificial intelligence enable criminals to target multiple victims at once.
Sebastian Bley, the head of the Europol economic crime team in The Hague, said: “There is a trend of more and more cases of people saying ‘I’m a doctor in a war zone’ and asking for funds to be transferred out of that zone. They say they also need to get the family out.”
Burkhard Mühl, the overall head of the financial and economic crime unit at Europol, said: “It can involve tens of thousands of euros in one case.”
They also warned of a rise in “bogus boss” scams, with fraudsters spinning an elaborate web of fake websites, fake CVs and investor profiles to target a gamut of victims ranging from personal investors to tax authorities.
The impact can be devastating, resulting in the loss of life savings and in some cases suicide.
The EU’s law enforcement agency, whose mission is to prevent and combat international and organised crime, analyses trends in fraud. It said AI is making it easier for scammers to increase their success rate, and there is an increase of “abuse using large language tools like ChatGPT,” Mühl said.
“With large language tools you can write thousands of tailored messages in different languages with different targets, different stories, and you can do that with your laptop from wherever,” he added.
The rise in dating fraud comes less than two years after a Netflix documentary, The Tinder Swindler, brought global attention to a man who posed as the son of a wealthy diamond mogul and conned several women out of money, one losing nearly €250,000 (£215,000) in loans.
No matter how compelling their story is, “never send money to a person you haven’t personally met”, Mühl said.
Bley and Mühl spoke of the devastating consequences and in some cases “revictimisation”, when fraudulent financial advisers offered help to get money back.
“People sometimes lose the life savings, investing in all kinds of products. We don’t have statistics really drilling into those questions in detail but we hear from our investigators about cases that are quite dramatic – people jumping out of the window because they lost pension savings in investment schemes,” Mühl said.
The best solution is reporting the crime to the police, Bley and Mühl said, but they believe investor fraud is underreported because of the shame people feel.
“It’s not only the financial damage that hits the victims. It is also psychological damage,” Mühl added.
General investor fraud through text message scams is said to have risen by 40% in the UK since the launch of ChatGPT, according to British authorities.
AI is bringing previously unseen economies of scale to the world of fraud, Bley said. He added that traditional fraud takes a lot of time to make things up and lure victims into a drawn-out narrative until they establish trust. AI can cut this out, with industrial-scale fishing for victims possible.
“If you personally meet somebody, you have to invest a lot of time making things up and to find the right victim,” Bley said. “Online, it’s easier to target a lot of people once you have feedback from somebody on the platform, something to continue with engagement. If you see it’s not going to go anywhere you just turn to the next one. It’s much easier to approach people.”
Europol said it believed Europe was being targeted by criminals operating outside the EU because of the “high standards of living” and because “people have money to invest”.
Last year authorities in India busted a bitcoin racket being operated out of a call centre in Delhi that was targeting Austrians.
Fraudsters posed as Interpol investigators and called Austrians to advise them they were the subject of police investigations but if they went to a bitcoin ATM to exchange cash the inquiries would end.
In a recent “bogus boss” case, criminals managed to steal €50m from a variety of companies and “major corporations that you would not consider to be victims”, Mühl said.
The criminals were “very clever”, learned about company structures, set up fake websites and somehow were able to get in touch with investors, offering them “discount” shares.

Source: The Guardian
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Prime Minister concludes successful visit from President of France to Canada

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1 day ago

September 27, 2024

Wladimir P.

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The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, welcomed the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, to Canada from September 25 to 26, 2024. With stops in Ottawa, Ontario, and Montréal, Quebec, the visit helped further strengthen the close ties between our countries and advance our shared priorities.
The leaders announced three key declarations that will align Canada and France’s work to preserve peace and security, take ambitious climate action, protect the environment, and responsibly harness the full potential of artificial intelligence (AI).
The first of these three declarations, the Canada-France Declaration on a Stronger Defence and Security Partnership, underscores Canada and France’s steadfast commitment to supporting Ukraine in the face of Russia’s illegal invasion. It also reaffirms our contributions to regional stability and security in the Indo-Pacific and reflects our co-operation in managing emergencies, modernizing our armed forces, and combatting foreign interference.
The two leaders discussed shared, ongoing work to respond to the humanitarian situation in Haiti and reiterated their support for the United Nations-authorized Multinational Security Support mission in the country. Canada and France are in steadfast support of Haitian-led solutions to the conflict that will make a meaningful and lasting difference in the lives of the Haitian people – and build a better future.
Building on the progress made at the United Nations General Assembly and the Summit of the Future earlier this week, Prime Minister Trudeau and President Macron highlighted the critical importance of continued action to fight climate change and protect our oceans. In the Canada-France Declaration on the Ocean, the leaders underlined the vital role that oceans play for the environment, the climate, the economy, and food and energy security throughout the world. To advance our work, Prime Minister Trudeau announced Canada’s membership in the Paris Pact for People and the Planet. The Pact, led by France and in partnership with global leaders, emphasizes collective action to accelerate sustainable development and create opportunities to help lift vulnerable populations out of poverty.
During the visit, the Prime Minister and the President met with AI experts, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders to discuss the risks and benefits of this new technology. Canada and France have world-leading AI ecosystems, including leadership roles in the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI), which has 29 members worldwide. A testament to our progress in growing a dynamic AI industry, GPAI’s first two centres of expertise opened in Canada and France. Moving forward on this work, the Prime Minister and the President announced the Canada-France Declaration on Artificial Intelligence. The Declaration reiterates our countries’ commitment to a safe use of AI that respects human rights and democratic values.
During President Macron’s visit, Canada was also named Country of the Year for the Viva Technology 2025 technology conference, which will be held in Paris next year. At this event, Canada’s delegation will collaborate with the international community and meet with thousands of visionary start-ups, investors, organizations, and researchers to leverage advances in AI to strengthen our economy, increase productivity, and create new opportunities for Canadians. SCALE AI, Canada’s Global Innovation Cluster dedicated to AI, will lead Canada’s business delegation.
Prime Minister Trudeau and President Macron reaffirmed their commitment to promoting the French language and La Francophonie’s institutions ahead of the next Sommet de la Francophonie, which will be held in Villers-Cotterêts and Paris, France, on October 4 and 5, 2024. They also renewed their commitment to strengthening strategic coordination in preparation for the successive G7 Presidencies that Canada and France will hold, in 2025 and 2026 respectively.
Quote“Canada and France’s relationship is built on shared history, a common language, and democratic values. President Macron’s visit to Canada is a testament to the enduring friendship between our two countries, and with the progress we have made over this visit, we will move forward to build a fairer and more prosperous future for our peoples.”— The Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada
Quick Facts

This was President Macron’s second visit to Canada. It followed both leaders’ participation in the United Nations General Assembly and Summit of the Future in New York City, United States of America.
As a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the G7 and the G20, a founding member of the European Union, and a key partner in the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, France is a key ally for Canada on the international stage.
In 2023, France was Canada’s third largest merchandise export market in the European Union, and its 12th largest trade partner globally, with two-way merchandise trade totalling $12.9 billion.
That same year, Canadian exports to France amounted to $4.3 billion, while imports from France totalled $8.7 billion.
In France, Canada is represented by an embassy in Paris and consulates in Lyon, Nice, and Toulouse. France is represented in Canada by its embassy in Ottawa and consulates in Vancouver, Toronto, Montréal, Québec, and Moncton.

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Relativity Spotlights Legal Industry Leaders at the 2024 Innovation Awards

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1 day ago

September 27, 2024

Wladimir P.

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Relativity, a global legal technology company, today announced the winners of this year’s Innovation Awards at Relativity Fest. The Innovation Awards celebrate the trailblazing individuals and teams building custom solutions, empowering their peers and forging new paths to improve the legal industry and its communities.
“Another year of the Innovation Awards signals another opportunity to celebrate our community’s dedication to making a positive impact– whether that be through developing new solutions, providing excellent customer service, or elevating and advocating for their peers in the legal industry,” said Laurie Usewicz, Chief Partner Officer at Relativity. “This year’s winners exemplify the impassioned and innovative spirit that makes the future of our industry a bright one.”
The winners hail from, or work directly with law firms, financial institutions and consultant management companies large and small, private and public. Through a combined process of a judging committee and a community vote, Best Innovation winners are selected based on how they’ve leveraged the Relativity application programming interfaces in creative ways to solve Relativity’s customers’ most unique challenges.
In addition to the standard six individual and two Best Innovation awards, a new Best Innovation category was added for this year, Developer Partner. This award recognizes solutions created by Relativity’s independent software vendor (ISV) community that are offered directly to customers. Eligibility is restricted to solutions that are not owned by an Enterprise or Solution, Advisor, or Provider Partner.
The 2024 Innovation Awards winners are:

Artificial Intelligence: Ben Sexton, Vice President, JND eDiscovery
Customer Experience: Jenna Rooney, Director, Client Services, Arete Incident Response
Education & Mentorship: Deedra Smith, Managing Director, FTI Consulting
Inclusion: Vazantha Meyers, Vice President, Discovery Services, Haystack ID
Security: Jenna Rooney, Director, Client Services, Arete Incident Response
Stellar Women: Stephanie L. Goutos, Lead Practice Innovation Attorney, Gunderson Dettmer
Best Innovation: Developer Partner: Redaction Suggestions in Blackout by Milyli
Best Innovation: Enterprise: Flywheel by Troutman Pepper eMerge
Best Innovation: Partner: GenAI Toolbox by EY Switzerland

Each of the award winners above exemplify what it means to be a changemaker at the individual, organizational and industry levels. All award winners are determined by a combination of Relativity judging committees unique to each category and a community vote.
Relativity congratulates all submissions for the innovative work delivered this past year.
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MC Digital Realty wins Frost & Sullivan’s 2024 Japan Data Center Services Company of the Year Award

Published

1 day ago

September 27, 2024

Wladimir P.

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Digital Realty (NYSE: DLR), the largest global provider of cloud- and carrier-neutral data center, colocation, and interconnection solutions, today announced that MC Digital Realty: A Mitsubishi Corporation and Digital Realty Company, has been awarded Frost & Sullivan’s 2024 Company of the Year award for Japan’s data center services industry.
MC Digital Realty is at the forefront of the market, delivering advanced technologies and strategic investments that provide Japanese businesses with secure, innovative, and sustainable infrastructure that enables artificial intelligence (AI) innovation.
MC Digital Realty’s state-of-the-art data centers are optimized for AI, offer the necessary flexibility and scalability for intensive model training and real-time inferencing, and provide advanced liquid cooling systems that ensure optimal performance for demanding AI tasks. Demonstrating its commitment to sustainability, MC Digital Realty leverages its relationship with Mitsubishi Corporation to prioritize energy efficiency, matching electricity usage in its colocation data halls with 100% renewable energy to minimize its carbon footprint.
Frost & Sullivan also recognized MC Digital Realty’s operational excellence. The company’s robust network of resilient data centers is strategically located in low-seismic regions and employs cutting-edge seismic isolation technology to protect its infrastructure, ensuring uninterrupted service and maximum reliability.
MC Digital Realty’s data centers also leverage the power of PlatformDIGITAL®, Digital Realty’s global data center platform. It provides customers access to a vast ecosystem of over 1,100 cloud and IT services, as well as 1,200 network services across 300+ data centers in 50+ metros worldwide.
“The company demonstrates a strong focus on the Japanese market through its continued investments. Strategic partnerships and innovations aligning with transforming customer expectations enable the service provider to achieve success in the country,” said Nishchal Khorana, Global Vice President of ICT at Frost & Sullivan.
Serene Nah, Digital Realty’s Managing Director and Head of Asia Pacific, said: “We are honored to receive the award and recognition from Frost & Sullivan, which validates MC Digital Realty’s commitment to serving partners and customers as they accelerate their AI innovation journeys in Japan. As AI continues to shape the future, Digital Realty remains committed to optimizing data center infrastructure for peak workload performance, and to meet the highest standards of innovation, while ensuring sustainability, security, and resilience.”
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