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A new scam has come to light targeting residents across the United States with text messages that pretend to be from toll road operators. For many who receive these messages, it’s an easy and expensive trap to fall into. The scam begins when people receive a message claiming they have unpaid tolls and may be charged fines. Scammers then ask for card details and a one-time password sent via SMS to steal their money. Security researchers believe that Chinese smishing groups are behind this scam, selling SMS-based phishing kits to thousands of scammers. I’M GIVING AWAY THE LATEST & GREATEST AIRPODS PRO 2 Enter the giveaway by signing up for my  free newsletter . Fake toll road scam text (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson) What you need to know about the fake toll scam As reported by  KrebsOnSecurity , the scam begins with a text message claiming to be from a toll road operator, such as E-ZPass or SunPass. The message warns about unpaid tolls and the possibility of fines, fo...

World champion Luke Littler cruised through to the second round of the PDC World Masters with a commanding straight-set win over Andy Baetens in Milton Keynes. Competing on home soil for the first time since becoming darts' youngest world champion , teenager Littler completed an efficient 3-0 victory to set up a second round meeting with James Wade. Littler, 18, averaged 104.33 and lost only one leg in a statement opener as he outclassed his opponent in just 10 minutes. Also on Friday, World Championship runner-up Michael van Gerwen defeated Bradley Brooks 3-1 and will meet Dimitri van den Bergh next. Belgian Van den Bergh beat Scottish 14th seed Gary Anderson 3-1 to progress to the tournament's last 16, which takes place on Saturday. Wade, the 15th seed, will go into his match against Littler on the back of a 3-2 win over Mike de Decker. Elsewhere, Cameron Menzies upset sixth seed Dave Chisnall 3-1 to set up a meeting with Nathan Aspinall, who averaged 103.77 in beati...

In 1960, a new drug revolutionized society from the bedroom to the streets. The introduction of a hormonal contraceptive, the birth control pill, gave women reproductive autonomy and a more effective way to plan a family. Since then, many more options have arrived: different pill formulations; hormonal implants, patches and vaginal rings; IUDs and barrier methods. But over the last 60 years, exactly zero new options have been developed for men. They are stuck with only two choices, condoms or vasectomies. Both have their issues: Condoms, their relatively high failure rate (as high as 12 percent); vasectomies, their permanency. Neither offer men the same level of fertility control as options for women, says Alexandra Joice Berger, a urologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. New forms of male birth control are badly needed. “Male contraception is a particularly big concern in many states in the U.S. where access to women’s services is not guarant...

“H ave you no shame?” cried Boaz Weinstein during a presentation to investors on January 14th. The boss of Saba Capital, an American hedge fund, was railing at fund managers in Britain’s venerable investment-trust industry. Mr Weinstein has picked seven trusts, overseeing £4bn ($5bn), whose performance he deems so abysmal that both boards and managers must be fired. Saba has bought stakes in each and sought votes to oust their boards. If successful, it will appoint new directors and seek to manage the trusts itself. At the first such poll, held on January 22nd, shareholders rejected Mr Weinstein’s overtures. Six more chances remain. Explore more Stocks Finance This article appeared in the Finance & economics section of the print edition under the headline “Boaz v bozos” From the January 25th 2025 edition Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents Explore the edition https://worldnewsguru.us/?p=19493&network_id=

The Traitors finalist Alexander Dragonetti has inspired people to donate more than £70,000 to a charity after he spoke about his brother's story on the show. In an interview on The UK Tonight With Sarah-Jane Mee , Mr Dragonetti said more than £70,000 had been raised for Mencap, an organisation supporting people with learning disabilities. "The response has been fantastic. Anybody who supports or raises awareness on what to me is an incredibly important topic, I'm so incredibly grateful. The response has been fantastic." The former British diplomat opened up about how his late brother, who had Global Developmental Delay and autism, saying for a week a year his brother would go to a summer camp where he also volunteered to help other children. The 38-year-old described how his brother would be "the centre of attention", adding: "Everyone would flock around and he had this energy where he just drew people to him. And he was also slightl...

John Mulaney took a playful jab at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle while promoting his upcoming talk show, "Everybody's Live with John Mulaney." During the "Next on Netflix" event this month, the comedian spoke to reporters about the new show while poking fun at not only himself, but also the Duke and Duchess of Sussex . "We will be live globally with no delay," Mulaney said, according to Variety . "We will never be relevant. We will never be your source for news. We will always be reckless. Netflix will always provide us with data that we will ignore." MEGHAN MARKLE ATTEMPTS TO REPAIR 'TONE DEAF' IMAGE, DELAYS NETFLIX SHOW: EXPERT Comedian John Mulaney took a playful jab at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle during a Netflix event this month.  (Getty Images) "It was a total blast, and it was one of those shows that neither Netflix nor I really needed to do," Mulaney said. "I never wanted to host a talk show, and t...

The average annual water bill will rise by 26% or £123 in the next financial year alone, according to industry figures covering England and Wales. Water UK confirmed how inflation-busting hikes, determined by the regulator Ofwat in December , would play out from 1 April when a new five-year pricing period begins. The watchdog allowed bills to rise sharply from 2025-30, but not by as much as suppliers had wanted, to help fund badly needed infrastructure upgrades in key areas, such as storm overflows to prevent sewage spills. Water UK, which represents the water firms, said the average water and wastewater bill would go up from £480 to £603 during 2025/26 - an increase of about £10 a month. But the increases will be even harder to swallow for many. Datawrapper This content is provided by Datawrapper , which may be using cookies and other technologies. To show you this content, we need your permission to use cook...

A diet of poor-quality scraps is changing the behavior and physiology of blacktip reef sharks Blacktip reef sharks ( Carcharhinus melanopterus ) on the island of Mo’orea receive food scraps from tourists, but it may not be great for their long-term health. " data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.sciencenews.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/012125_jb_feeding-sharks_feat.jpg?fit=680%2C383&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.sciencenews.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/012125_jb_feeding-sharks_feat.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1"> Blacktip reef sharks ( Carcharhinus melanopterus ) on the island of Mo'orea receive food scraps from tourists, but it may not be great for their long-term health. Johann Mo...

W hen a government falls apart, pay attention to the laws ministers still manage to pass. Germany’s collapsing “traffic-light” coalition was unable to agree on climate policy or a budget, but it flashed green for one change: an exit tax. Since January 1st anyone with over €500,000 ($520,000) in investment funds has had to pay income tax on gains earned in Germany if they wish to extract their money from the country. Explore more Finance This article appeared in the Finance & economics section of the print edition under the headline “In search of growth” From the January 25th 2025 edition Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents Explore the edition https://worldnewsguru.us/?p=19483&network_id=

Sean "Diddy" Combs was accused in a new criminal indictment of trafficking at least three women in a 20-year-long sexual abuse scheme. Prosecutors said on Thursday that the rapper - also known as P Diddy and Puff Daddy - transported three female victims along with commercial sex workers across state lines and internationally. One of the victims is Combs ' former girlfriend Casandra Ventura - also known as Cassie. The newly filed New York indictment charges him with racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution. There are no additional charges in the new indictment. Combs, 55, is set to go on trial from 5 May. He denies all charges and pleaded not guilty to the first indictment - which referenced just one female victim - filed against him last year. The mogul has been detained at Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center since his arrest in September and was denied bail at $50m (£37.8m). Read more: What ar...

Billy Crystal, who lost his home in the Palisades Fire, shared a moving message at the LA FireAid Benefit Concert on Thursday night at the Kia Forum. Following Green Day's performance, Crystal took the stage to introduce the show, with proceeds going to a non-profit supporting displaced families and rebuilding of infrastructure, as well as advancing fire protection technologies. "Our goal is simple tonight, to raise more money than the Dodgers spent on free agents," the comedian joked.  Billy Crystal, who lost his home in the Palisades Fire, shared a moving message at the LA FireAid Benefit Concert on Thursday night at the Kia Forum. (Getty Images) Crystal explained that Steve Ballmer, the owner of the Los Angeles Clippers and the Intuit Dome, would be matching everyone's donation, $1 for $1, on Thursday night.  CALIFORNIA FIRES: ESSENTIAL PHONE NUMBERS FOR LOS ANGELES-AREA RESIDENTS AND HOW YOU CAN HELP THEM The first donation of the night was from U2 for ...

Trouva, an online marketplace for fashion boutiques, is calling a halt to trading while it explores its fourth sale in less than three years. Sky News understands that the current owners of Trouva, which was founded in 2013, are working with the accountancy firm RSM to find a buyer. Trouva is now owned by Project J alongside Fy!, a home and living marketplace which is unaffected by the sale process. Money blog: What you need to know if something goes wrong on Vinted The company offers a platform for independent shops and boutiques that do not have an online presence to sell their products. A source close to the company said it had taken the decision to pause orders and sales during the search for a new owner in order "to protect customers and sellers". Since 2022, Trouva has been owned at various points by Made.com, which itself subsequently collapsed, then briefly by Next, and then a vehicle called Re:store. It was acquired by Project J last y...

Every year, I have the privilege of spending a month in New Zealand with family and always seize the chance to scout out luxurious new staycations in the land of the Long White Cloud. Here are five of my current favourites to add to the bucket list. InterContinental Wellington In the heart of the capital city, the InterContinental is one of its iconic 5-star hotels and has been a firm favourite of mine for years. The recently refurbished rooms provide every creature comfort – from our 9th-floor harbour-view room, we could observe the people, weather, and cityscapes of Wellington. Furthermore, the hotel features the city’s largest indoor heated pool, complete with a jacuzzi, sauna, and steam bath; all perfect for downtime between urban explorations. The InterContinental also offers enviable dining options in New Zealand’s capital city. First GPO is the hotel’s beautiful dining space where breakfast buffets and à la carte dinner options are served. We opted for...

A sophisticated phishing campaign exploiting Google Calendar has been uncovered by Check Point Software Technologies, raising alarms among cybersecurity experts.  Cybercriminals are sending fake meeting invitations that appear legitimate, redirecting victims to phishing sites and mimicking Google's platforms to steal sensitive information.  This emerging threat is particularly concerning given the widespread use of Google Calendar, which serves more than 500 million users globally in 41 languages. Researchers have identified nearly 4,000 phishing attempts in a matter of weeks, impersonating more than 300 reputable brands. I’M GIVING AWAY THE LATEST & GREATEST AIRPODS PRO 2 Google Calendar invitation (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson) How the scam works Hackers leverage the trust in Google's services to carry out their attacks. Victims receive seemingly authentic meeting invites via Google Calendar. Upon clicking links within these invites, they are taken to fake...