Parenting
fromSlate Magazine
2 days agoMy Mom Got a Call That I Was in a Horrific Accident. What She Did Next Can't Be Undone.
Scammers exploit emotional vulnerabilities, making it crucial to educate and protect against future scams.
Sorry I have a real life. A lot of gamers communicate primarily online, through Twitter and DMs, and the way people talk in those spaces can be very different. That said, what was sent clearly wasn't received appropriately, and I understand that. I just wish this could've been handled privately instead of turning into a public pile on.
You made comments about him becoming your sex slave and hoping not to find a dead rodent, those are just examples there were more. He was genuinely fearful of you. I have no doubt that your contact has had an ongoing impact on him.
In the middle of the response, as we were communicating safety and recovery information, other public officials and I were targeted. A mix of people were insinuating that we weren't doing our job. They were also spreading misinformation. As I reflect, what was really surprising to me at the time was getting attacked for my religion. I'm Jewish. There were a lot of people online who could say anything and everything without knowing me - very hurtful things.
In a notice sent to customers on Monday and seen by The Register, the EV charging outfit said that it detected "unusual activity" on its AWS cloud platform on March 7 and quickly discovered that attackers had launched a ransomware attack against parts of its infrastructure. According to the message, some databases were both encrypted and copied during the intrusion, meaning that the crooks likely walked off with user information before the company pulled the plug.
In August of 2025, Brown and Raygoza livestreamed themselves on social media following the ICE agent from the LA field office to his home, provided directions as they followed him, and encouraged others to share the livestream.
At least 14 boys aged 14 to 17 were allegedly lured into Meyers' scheme to send him nude photos and sex videos, which he used to blackmail the minors. Meyers was charged with trafficking in minors, sexual extortion, unlawful contact with a minor, distribution of child sexual abuse material, criminal use of a communication facility, and more following his arrest.
Dec. 29 Distribution of intimate images with intent to humiliate: Someone said another person demanded money from them and threatened to distribute nude images of them if payment was not made. Dec. 27 Retail property theft: Someone entered a store on South Bascom Avenue and stole approximately $790 worth of fragrances before fleeing in a silver SUV. Dec. 26 Vehicle theft: Between Dec. 24 and Dec. 26, someone stole a van on Shannon Palms Lane.
He clicked on a video. A girl was sitting in an adult bed, a child's picture book beside her. Squire watched as a man came into the frame and began reading it to her. For a moment, it could have been a normal scene maybe it would be until the man proceeded to remove the girl's clothing. Then he raped her. Squire watched her endure it it looked like her soul left, he says.
An extortionist who demanded €20,000 from two innocent victims - threatening one that their children's throats would be slit and warning another he would be killed - has argued that his five-year sentence was twice as severe as that handed to his co-accused.
He would back her into a corner and verbally abuse her for hours. And sometimes Sandra responded in ways that she now regrets-shouting at Gary, throwing things, and slamming doors in frustration. She separated from him to protect herself and the children from Gary's outbursts and coercive control. She was shocked when Gary filed for a protective order, claiming that she had abused him.
Calls where no one responds are rarely accidental. In many cases, they are automated reconnaissance events. Fraud operations run at industrial scale, and before they invest human effort in a target, they validate that a number is active and answered by a real person.
The intense grief of losing James and learning in the court of the verbal, psychological and physical abuse is utterly unimaginable. The lack of humanity shown after his brutal final fatal attack is imprinted on my mind and will haunt me for the remainder of my days. I am grateful to all concerned who heard James's voice in the dark and believed him. The pain of intense loss may fade after time, but the sadness will always be there.
I told him I am happy to give him some money if he needs money but I don't know what he's talking about. My dad is on the naive end of the spectrum of adults but he is very, very, very kind-hearted and generous. If ever there was a time when I needed money, my dad would send me basically the entire contents of his bank account without hesitation.
Over the past five years, annual robocall volume has consistently remained between approximately 50 billion and 55 billion, according to the YouMail Robocall Index. Robocall volume for 2025 totaled 52.5 billion, down a little over 1% from the 2024 total of 52.8 billion. December's 4.1 billion robocalls were up 6.4% from November but down 5.7% from December 2024. YouMail noted that robocalls increased in November and December 2025 after reaching a multi-year low in October.
34-year-old Shibritney Colbert has been arrested and charged after verbally attacking a gay man and then abusing him with his own cart in a Virginia grocery store. According to a statement from the Alexandria Police Department (APD), Colbert "pushed the victim and threw groceries while making derogatory statements. A 911 call was placed reporting a fight inside the store, and Alexandria Police officers responded immediately. As officers attempted to detain the suspect in the parking lot, she fled in her vehicle." Colbert has since been charged with felony eluding, assault and battery, destruction of property, and driving an unregistered vehicle. Police also say they believe she targeted the victim due to his sexual orientation, which is clear in the comments she hurled at him in the viral TikTok video of the incident. The case is currently "being evaluated" for the potential of adding hate crime charges, police said.
U.S. citizens who have had violent encounters with federal immigration agents deployed in cities across the U.S. testified before Congress on Tuesday. Amid harrowing testimony by three victims and the brothers of Renee Good, congressional Democrats offered apologies and promises of accountability. Not a single Republican lawmaker showed up to the hearing. Renee Good's brothers Brent and Luke Ganger both testified at the hearing, with Brent Ganger calling Good "unapologetically hopeful."
He wanted something in return for returning files to the Dutch police. What he got in return was an arrest. A press release from Dutch police sums it up: On Thursday evening around 7:00 PM, police arrested a 40-year-old man from Ridderkerk on Prinses Beatrixstraat in Ridderkerk for computer hacking. Due to a police error, the man had inadvertently gained access to confidential police documents.
A man who threatened to rape a teenage girl and encouraged her to self-harm has been jailed. Shabaz Khokar, 24, from London, sent the threat to the victim in Staffordshire via social media, along with images of train tickets he booked to travel to her home. He was arrested at a railway station in the county in August when police were alerted.
Pima County police shared that one arrest has been made in relation to the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, Savannah Guthrie's mother. On February 5, the FBI arrested Derrick Callella for sending ransom texts asking for bitcoin to the Guthrie family. The FBI traced the phone number from the text message to Torrance, California, where he was arrested. "My next message is to those impostors who are trying to take advantage and profit from this situation. We will investigate and ensure you are held accountable for your actions," FBI agent Heith Janke shared during the press conference on February 5.
The US Department of Justice charged Javan King with mail fraud, accusing the Maryland resident of purchasing and reselling thousands of government-owned mobile devices, according to a court filing by the DC US Attorney's Office. Prosecutors allege that from 2021 to 2025, King, who worked as an information technology contractor in the DOJ's Civil Rights Division, ordered approximately 4,700 unnecessary phones.
The phone rings at 2:47 AM. Your heart pounds as you fumble for the receiver. "Grandma?" The voice is shaky, desperate. "I'm in trouble. I got arrested. Please don't tell Mom and Dad." The voice sounds just like your grandson. He uses the nickname only family knows. He remembers that trip you took together last summer. Everything about this call feels real because, in many ways, it is.