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Meta Warns Against Holiday Shopping Scams

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FILE: Meta is displayed in Menlo Park, California. (Photo by JOSH EDELSON / AFP)

 

Social media giant Meta announced Monday a worldwide anti-scam awareness campaign aimed at protecting users from fraudulent schemes during the holiday shopping season.The company, which owns Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram, revealed it has taken down over two million accounts linked to scam centres in Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, the UAE, and the Philippines this year.

In another example, the company said its enforcement efforts have removed 15,000 phishing URLs in Vietnam and 9,000 in Singapore this year.

Working with cybersecurity firm Graphika, Meta identified three major scam campaigns targeting holiday shoppers: fake Christmas gift box promotions, fraudulent holiday decoration sales, and counterfeit retail coupons.

Working in several languages, scammers are using sophisticated tactics, including AI-generated voiceovers and fake customer testimonials to lure victims, the company added.

“Scammers constantly evolve their tactics to evade detection and rarely target one single platform,” Meta said in its announcement.

This ensures that “any one company can only see a small piece of these scam campaigns,” it added.

The company has partnered with Rachel Tobac, a prominent internet safety expert and ethical hacker, to educate users about online threats.

Meta has also expanded its Fraud Intelligence Reciprocal Exchange (FIRE) program, originally launched in the UK and Australia, to include banks worldwide.

The initiative facilitates information sharing about potential scam activities between financial institutions and Meta’s platforms.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AFP

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EPL To Get 5 Slots For Next Season Champions League

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Full list: UEFA Champions League quarter-final fixtures
The Premier League will have at least five teams in next season’s UEFA Champions League after securing an additional European Performance Spot (EPS).

 

The extra place was confirmed after Arsenal claimed a 1-0 victory over Sporting CP in the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal on Tuesday. The result ensured England will finish among UEFA’s top two leagues in this season’s coefficient rankings.

It marks the second consecutive year that the Premier League has earned a bonus slot. This season, Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea and Newcastle United featured in the competition, while Tottenham Hotspur also qualified as a sixth entrant after winning the UEFA Europa League.

UEFA awards the additional place to the two best-performing leagues across its three major competitions — the Champions League, Europa League and UEFA Europa Conference League — and England has topped the standings for most of the campaign.

All nine English teams that entered European competitions progressed beyond the group stage, although only five have reached the quarterfinals.

The battle for fifth place in the Premier League — which now guarantees Champions League qualification — remains tightly contested.

Liverpool currently sit fifth on 49 points, just one point ahead of sixth-placed Chelsea. Brentford and Everton are also within striking distance, only three points behind. In total, just seven points separate fifth from 13th in a congested table.

Path to even more spots
There is also a possibility of increased English representation in next season’s Champions League.

If Aston Villa — currently fourth — win the Europa League but finish outside the top five, they would still qualify automatically, potentially giving the Premier League six teams in the competition.

A similar situation could benefit Liverpool if they win the Champions League but finish outside the top four.

Should either scenario occur, and the winning team finishes fifth, sixth place could also secure qualification. If two English clubs win European titles while finishing fifth and sixth, even seventh place could earn a Champions League spot.

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Student Arrested For Flushing Her Newborn Baby In Toilet

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20-year-old college student allegedly gave birth in a toilet and watched the baby drown. Authorities say she attended a theater performance after the child’s death.

 

Anne Mae Demegillo, a 20-year-old Florida student, was arrested for aggravated mansl*ughter after allegedly allowing her newborn to drown in a toilet.

Authorities state that despite claiming the infant was stillborn, evidence suggests the baby was born alive.

Following the birth, Demegillo reportedly placed the body in a duffel bag and attended a theater performance before burying the infant in a shallow backyard grave.

The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office noted the tragedy occurred despite Florida’s Safe Haven Law, which allows for the anonymous surrender of newborns.

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Trump Agrees To Suspend Bombing Of Iran For Two Weeks

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US President Donald Trump said Tuesday he agreed to suspend bombing of Iran for two weeks as part of a ceasefire deal if Tehran completely reopens the vital Strait of Hormuz.

“Subject to the Islamic Republic of Iran agreeing to the COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING of the Strait of Hormuz, I agree to suspend the bombing and attack of Iran for a period of two weeks,” Trump posted just an hour before his deadline to start catastrophic attacks.

“This will be a double sided CEASEFIRE!” Trump wrote.

“The reason for doing so is that we have already met and exceeded all Military objectives, and are very far along with a definitive Agreement concerning Longterm PEACE with Iran, and PEACE in the Middle East.

“We received a 10 point proposal from Iran, and believe it is a workable basis on which to negotiate.”

The announcement came after Pakistan made a last-minute proposal to avert massive US attacks on Iran, with Trump warning a “whole civilization will die tonight” unless a deal was agreed.

“Almost all of the various points of past contention have been agreed to between the United States and Iran, but a two week period will allow the Agreement to be finalized and consummated,” Trump added.

 

 

AFP

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