New Workers warned: Beware of Investment Scams Using AI-Manipulated Videos

New York State officials have issued an investor alert warning New Yorkers about scams that are luring potential investors with fake videos created with artificial intelligence (AI) to show celebrities and business leaders touting fraudulent investment schemes.

Deepfake investment scams target victims online with AI-manipulated videos that show wealthy individuals like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Warren Buffet apparently touting the scammers’ investment schemes, which often involve cryptocurrency. Scammers use AI tools to manipulate existing videos to change the voice and mouth movements of the individuals to create seemingly genuine endorsements for their frauds. These videos are then served to social media users as advertisements or broadcast as fake livestreams on platforms like YouTube. Scammers may also pose as government officials or other people in order to gain victims’ trust. The

accessibility of AI tools allows scammers to produce ads for their frauds at scale with a variety of impersonations to target a wide range of potential victims. It can be difficult to tell from the video alone if it is a deepfake.

Once their victims show interest in the supposed investment, scammers may try to move the conversation off of public social media into encrypted private messaging services such as Whatsapp or Signal. After the victims have made an initial investment on the fraudulent platforms described in the ads, scammers will often create fake websites showing the investment increasing in value and encourage victims to send more money. After making more investments, sometimes totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars, victims will be unable to withdraw their funds or will be asked to pay more in withdrawal fees or “taxes.” Eventually, the scammers will cut off contact, having pocketed the victim’s money from the first investment. Even worse, victims may be later contacted by services that suggest they can retrieve their funds, only to end up draining more of the victims’ net worth.

According to officials, these AI-manipulated videos, known as deepfakes, often appear in social media feeds, digital ads, and messaging apps and are expected to fuel billions of dollars in fraud every year.

Anyone who may have been a victim of this type of scam is urged report it to local law enforcement or to the New York State Attorney General by filing a complaint online or calling 1-800-771-7755.

Second Amendment Legal Update: September 2024

A monthly update, prepared for the Schuyler County Chapter of S.C.O.P.E. NY, a statewide 501(c)4 organization dedicated to preserving the 2nd Amendment rights for the residents of New York State. For a complete copy of this month’s report, click here.

Schuyler County Appoints New Director of Veterans Services

© Copyright 2024, Finger Lakes Daily News by FLX Local Media:

Schuyler County has a new Director of Veterans Services. Crystal Kawski’s appointment was announced at the County Legislature’s August meeting.

As Director, Kawski will be responsible for overseeing the Veterans Service Agency, focusing on expanding outreach, advocating for the needs of veterans in the county and overall management of the department.

Kawski is a veteran of the United States Army and has worked as a vocational rehabilitation counselor for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and as a veterans service representative. She holds a bachelor’s degree in non-profit/public/organizational management from Ashford University and a master’s degree from Kaplan University.

Reflecting on her new role, Kawski expressed, “I’m honored to join Schuyler County’s Veterans Service Agency. As an Army Veteran myself, wife of an Army Veteran, and mom of an Army Veteran, I’m eager to work with the team to ensure our veterans receive the support and resources they deserve, and I look forward to making a positive impact on the lives of our veterans and their families.”

New Yorkers warned of cryptocurrency scammers

Brooklyn DA warns New Yorkers of cryptocurrency scammers:

Scammers use different techniques, including dating apps. During the press conference, the DA's office showed recorded testimony of several victims, including an anonymous woman who said she fell prey to a crypto scam through the dating app Bumble, and ultimately lost about $118,000.

Scammers also use group chat apps such as we chat, WhatsApp or Telegram to add victims to what appear to be legitimate chats about crypto investments. One man said this happened to him on Facebook.

Law enforcement officials said it is also hard to recover stolen funds.

Last year, the NYPD reported 50 cases, but officials believe that's an undercount, as shame usually deters most victims of crypto scams from reporting the crimes to law enforcement officials.

The FBI estimates that last year over $3 billion have been stolen from U.S. residents due to crypto scams.

Schuyler County Collaborates on Survey to Identify Gaps in Healthcare Access

© Copyright 2024, Finger Lakes Daily News by FLX Local Media:

Eight Public Health departments in the Finger Lakes have collaborated to create a survey hoping to understand what it’s like to find medical, dental, vision, hearing, mental health, and addiction care in rural communities. The survey was released on Monday.

The development of the survey this spring and summer was a collaborative effort led by the Pivotal Public Health Partnership. It is a precursor to the region’s Community Health Assessment (CHA) process which will begin in earnest later this year and continue through 2025.

Participating Health Departments include Yates, Schuyler, Ontario, Seneca, Steuben, Wayne, Livingston, and Chemung counties.

The survey can be found here.

Second Amendment Legal Update, August 2024

A monthly update, prepared for the Schuyler County Chapter of S.C.O.P.E. NY, a statewide 501(c)4 organization dedicated to preserving the 2nd Amendment rights for the residents of New York State. For a complete copy of this month’s report, click here.

Schuyler County announces Citizen Preparedness Training Program

From the Schuyler County Emergency Services Office:

With severe weather events becoming more frequent and more extreme, it is more important than ever that New Yorkers are prepared for disasters. The NY Citizen Preparedness Training Program teaches residents to have the tools and resources to prepare for any type of disaster, respond accordingly and recover as quickly as possible to pre-disaster conditions. This training course will provide an introduction to responding to a natural or man-made disaster. Participants will be advised on how to properly prepare for any disaster, including developing family emergency plan and stocking up on emergency supplies. Each family that attends will receive one Preparedness kit.

The event will be held Thursday, September 26, 2024, at 6:00 PM at the County’s Human Services Complex 323 Owego Street, Montour Falls, NY 14865. All participants must register in advance. To register and for additional information click here.

Beware of Price Gouging Following Severe Weather

New York State officials have issued an alert warning businesses against price gouging of essential items as severe weather impacted communities throughout New York:

New York law prohibits businesses from taking unfair advantage of consumers by selling goods or services that are vital to health, safety, or welfare for an unconscionably excessive price during emergencies. The price gouging statute covers New York state vendors, retailers, and suppliers, and includes essential goods and services that are necessary for the health, safety, and welfare of consumers or the general public. These goods and services include food, water, gasoline, generators, batteries, flashlights, hotel lodging, and transportation options.

Price gouging violations can carry penalties of up to $25,000 per violation. New Yorkers should report potential concerns about price gouging by filing a complaint online or calling 800-771-7755.

When reporting price gouging, consumers should:

• Report the specific increased prices, dates, and places that they saw the increased prices; and,
• Provide copies of their sales receipts and photos of the advertised prices, if available.

Consumer Alert: Cyberattack on Change Healthcare’s systems affected millions of patients and providers nationwide

New York State officials have issued a consumer alert to raise awareness about free credit monitoring and identity theft protection services available for millions of consumers impacted by the Change Healthcare data breach:

In February, Change Healthcare, which operates the nation’s largest electronic health care payment system, experienced a cyberattack that exposed the personal information of millions of patients, including millions of New Yorkers. After the cyberattack…. Change Healthcare is offering all New York residents free credit monitoring and identity theft protections for two years to safeguard their personal information.

According to officials consumers should be aware of potential warning signs that someone is using their medical information. These signs include:

• Bills for medical services they did not receive.
• Errors in their Explanation of Benefits statement, such as charges for services never received or prescriptions not taken.
• Calls from debt collectors about medical debts they do not owe.
• Medical debt collection notices on their credit report that they do not recognize.
• Notices from their health insurance company about reaching benefit limits.
• Denials of insurance coverage due to inaccurate pre-existing conditions.

The New York State Attorney General’s office is encouraging everyone to use the free credit monitoring and identity theft protection services to safeguard their information. These resources will be available for free for two years. Consumers can enroll in free credit monitoring and identity protection services online or by calling 1-866-262-5342.

Second Amendment Legal Update, July 2024

A monthly update, prepared for the Schuyler County Chapter of S.C.O.P.E. NY, a statewide 501(c)4 organization dedicated to preserving the 2nd Amendment rights for the residents of New York State. For a complete copy of this month’s report, click here.