California Crime Ring Using ID Docs of Foreign Scholars to Defraud Financial Firms
ID thieves based in California’s San Fernando Valley and Glendale have been using the Social Security Numbers of foreign scholars who left the U.S. years ago to file hundreds of bank and credit-card applications, according to a cybercrime expert who spoke with the Los Angeles Times.
Hezbollah-Linked Charities Steer Donors to Lebanese Digital Wallets
Blacklisted charities affiliated with Hezbollah have been directing supporters to send money through Lebanon’s booming digital payments sector, routing contributions to wallets held by private individuals rather than official charity accounts, the Financial Times reported.
Al Qaeda-Linked Militants Could Soon Control Mali’s Capital
Al Qaeda’s West Africa affiliate is edging toward a historic first: control of a national capital. JNIM have tightened a monthslong blockade of Bamako, choking off fuel and food in a strategy European security officials describe as a creeping takeover rather than an all-out assault.
Colombia says ELN Laundered $225 Million through Front Companies
Colombia’s Prosecutor General’s Office accused the National Liberation Army (ELN) of running a two-decade money-laundering network that washed more than $225 million (COP 885 billion) in illicit proceeds through a web of shell and front companies across the country, according to a statement cited by Colombia Reports.
Growing Mafia Power Puts Belgium at Risk of Becoming ‘Narco-State’: Judge
Belgium is in danger of evolving into a “narco-state” as organized crime penetrates key institutions and exploits Antwerp’s giant port to smuggle cocaine into Europe, an investigating judge warned in an open letter cited by the Financial Times.
U.S. Cybersecurity Agency Warns of “Catastrophic” Fallout from F5 Hack
Nation-state hackers gained “long-term, persistent access” to systems at cybersecurity vendor F5 Inc., stealing portions of BIG-IP source code, internal vulnerability information, and limited customer configuration data, Bloomberg reported, citing regulatory filings.
Microsoft Warns “Payroll Pirate” Scam is Rerouting Paychecks via HR Portals
Microsoft is warning organizations about an active campaign dubbed “Payroll Pirate” that hijacks employee accounts on cloud HR platforms and diverts direct-deposit paychecks, Ars Technica reported.
Money Laundering Tied to Pig-Butchering Scams is Increasingly Sophisticated, Report Finds
Pig-butchering schemes have scaled into a multibillion-dollar criminal industry, according to a new report by blockchain analytics firm Elliptic cited by CoinDesk.
Mexico Launches Crackdown on Cross-Border Fuel Theft
Mexico’s attorney general has vowed to issue more arrest warrants—potentially targeting government officials—in connection with sprawling fuel theft operations that siphon billions of dollars from the country.