Subject: Scammers Stole Their Retirement Savings. Then the Tax Bill Arrived
Source: New York Times
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/08/your-money/taxes-retirement-withdrawal-scam.html?unlocked_article_code=1.2k4.togu.ggUUcjRCW-_1&smid=url-share
They were conned by skilled online criminals into draining their retirement savings. After the shock, shame and grief that followed, the victims were often left with something else: an enormous income tax bill.
Mary Ellen Strange, a 75-year-old widow who was deceived by fraudsters impersonating federal investigators, now owes the Internal Revenue Service an estimated $100,000 this year.
Linda Gilmore, an 80-year-old former nurse, has to pay nearly $50,000.
…
Like thousands of others, they were drawn into cybercriminals’ fabricated worlds, which are built upon intricate plot lines and a mastery of manipulation. They had been led to believe that the scammers were government officials, Amazon fraud investigators or potential love interests, and they were tricked into transferring large sums for any number of concocted reasons.
…
The punishing tax bills arise because the victims pulled from individual retirement accounts or 401(k) plans, where money is taxed when it’s taken out. The withdrawals inflated their incomes, even though the funds disappeared shortly after being passed to the criminals. The victims are left with few options.
…
There used to be an easier way for people with the largest tax bills to deduct these losses from their income, using a tax deduction for victims of personal casualties, disasters and theft. But that and many other individual breaks were eliminated or narrowed as part of the Republican-led tax overhaul known as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, which helped to pay for broader tax cuts, including a reduced corporate tax rate.
…
Victims who lost money on a sham crypto trading platform operated by criminals working in Thailand, for example, have a more clear-cut path to tax relief than a person who lost the same amount to criminals posing as government officials claiming the money needs to be moved to be protected from a global hacking ring.
…
He said there were three reasons people were usually pulled into these schemes: financial, fear and love. “But when you get to fear, that is where you get into the gray area” of the law.
…
One option she is considering is a settlement with the I.R.S. known as an offer in compromise. That allows taxpayers to pay the I.R.S. less than they owe because of an economic hardship, but settlements can be difficult to qualify for, especially for people with any home equity or other assets.
…
The casualty and theft loss deduction is set to spring back in its original form at the end of this year if the sweeping 2017 tax law expires. But Republicans are trying to extend that package.There were efforts in Congress last year to bring attention to these giant tax bills, including the 92-page report from the Senate Special Committee on Aging, led at the time by Senator Bob Casey, a Democrat from Pennsylvania. Other lawmakers drafted legislation to offer more comprehensive and retroactive relief, dating back to 2018 when the deduction was curtailed. But they haven’t made it into law.
Subject: Deveillance Launches Spectre Device That Blocks Mic Surveillance and Captured Audio
Source: Android Headlines
https://www.androidheadlines.com/2026/03/deveillance-launches-spectre-device-that-blocks-mic-surveillance-and-captured-audio.html
Deveillance has introduced Spectre I, a portable device designed to block microphones in nearby smart devices. Using AI-generated signals, it disrupts audio recordings and prevents eavesdropping. It aims to protect private conversations in our daily lives.
Concerns about our daily tech devices secretly listening to our private conversations have grown as artificial intelligence becomes more embedded in daily life. Phones, speakers, laptops, and wearables constantly monitor audio to activate voice features. To solve the privacy issue, Deveillance has introduced Spectre I, a portable device designed to block nearby microphones and prevent unwanted recordings.
Deveillance Spectre I block tech devices’ mics from capturing audio
Founder Aida Baradari recently launched the Deveillance Spectre I, describing it as the first smart tool built specifically to block mics from capturing audio without consent. She argued that modern technology relies on constant listening, where every mic embedded in a phone, laptop, or speaker becomes a potential spy. As AI-powered tools and apps usage expands, these audio recordings can become large datasets used to train algorithms, analyze behavior, or build detailed digital profiles.
[…]
Subject: Tech giants break silence on Anthropic
Source: The Hill
https://thehill.com/homenews/5772301-tech-giants-break-silence-on-anthropic/
Tech giants break silence on Anthropic spat – Three major tech companies — Microsoft, Google and Amazon — have said Anthropic’s AI tools will remain available on their platforms for work that does not involve the Pentagon after the company was labeled a supply chain risk.
A Google spokesperson said in a statement Friday that they “understand that the Determination does not preclude us from working with Anthropic on non-defense related projects, and their products remain available through our platforms, like Google Cloud.”
Customers and partners with Amazon’s cloud computing arm, Amazon Web Services (AWS), can also continue to use Anthropic’s Claude for work not associated with the Defense Department, a company spokesperson said Friday.
…
You may be interested in: https://thehill.com/opinion/technology/
Subject: Pentagon Reportedly Used Microsoft Workaround to Test OpenAI Models, Despite Ban
Source: Gizmodo
https://gizmodo.com/pentagon-reportedly-used-microsoft-workaround-to-test-openai-models-despite-ban-2000730635
The Defense Department alledgedly experimented with OpenAI models through Microsoft even when the company’s policies prohibited military use.
OpenAI’s recent dealings with the U.S. military have raised a lot of eyebrows. But it wasn’t that long ago that the AI company had a policy banning its models from being used by militaries or for warfare. Despite that ban, the Pentagon had been testing a version of OpenAI’s models through Microsoft in an apparent workaround as far back as 2023, according to Wired.
The tech news outlet reported Thursday, citing unnamed sources, that the Pentagon had been experimenting with Microsoft’s Azure OpenAI service that year. A Microsoft spokesperson confirmed to the outlet that Azure OpenAI became available to the U.S. government in 2023 and was subject to Microsoft’s terms of service. The spokesperson did not say exactly when the models became available to the Pentagon, but noted the service was not approved for “top secret” government workloads until 2025.
OpenAI and Microsoft did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Gizmodo.
…
OpenAI’s usage policies once included a ban on “activity that has high risk of physical harm,” including areas such as “weapons development” as well as the “military and warfare.” But in January 2024, OpenAI quietly updated that section of its policy and removed the blanket ban on “military and warfare,” The Intercept reported at the time.
…
Explore more on these topics:
Subject: Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response releases cybersecurity module
Source: Homeland Preparedness News
https://homelandprepnews.com/stories/84018-administration-for-strategic-preparedness-and-response-releases-cybersecurity-module/
The Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR), a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services division, recently launched a cybersecurity module within its Risk Identification and Site Criticality (RISC) 2.0 Toolkit.
RISC 2.0 is a free, web-based platform that health systems, facilities and coalitions can use to assess vulnerabilities, conduct risk assessments by identifying threats, determine consequences and criticality, and share findings with stakeholders. Users can complete the cyber module questionnaire independently or with other risk assessments.
The cybersecurity module guides users through questions about their policies and practices, scoring their responses against the NIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0 and HHS Cybersecurity Performance Goals to help organizations identify critical gaps, prioritize investments, and make informed decisions about risk mitigation.
…
ASPR works to ensure preparedness before disasters occur, secure domestic medical supply chains, advance gold standard science, and deliver a fast, accountable federal response.
Subject: Meta’s AI Deepfake Detection System Fails the Test
Source: Android eadlines
https://www.androidheadlines.com/2026/03/meta-oversight-board-deepfake-detection-failure.html
The Meta Oversight Board has criticized the company’s deepfake detection as inadequate, particularly during global conflicts. Following an investigation into a fake video of damage in Israel, the board called for a total overhaul of AI labeling and the adoption of more robust C2PA standards. They recommend that Meta move toward real-time AI detection and establish a specific community standard for synthetic content to prevent the rapid spread of misinformation across Facebook, Instagram, and Threads.
AI-generated content becomes more convincing and easier to produce. And, it seems social media platforms are struggling to keep pace. Meta recently received a pointed assessment from its own Oversight Board, which concluded that the company’s current methods for detecting AI deepfakes are simply not enough. The board, which operates as a semi-independent body to guide moderation practices, warned that the existing system lacks the depth and speed required to handle the modern reality of online misinformation.
Where Meta failed – While the recommendations of the Oversight Board are not technically binding, they carry significant weight. Meta now must decide how much to invest in the authenticity of its platforms.
Filed: https://www.androidheadlines.com/category/tech-news/artificial-intelligence
Subject: Security Experts Warn of Privacy & Identity Theft Risks Following Meta Ray-Ban Nairobi Case
Source: Android Headlines
https://www.androidheadlines.com/2026/03/security-experts-warn-of-privacy-identity-theft-risks-following-meta-ray-ban-nairobi-case.html
Meta is under massive scrutiny after contractors in Nairobi reportedly accessed private, intimate videos of those using Ray-Ban smart glasses. For the same reason, the company us also facing a class action lawsuit from owners of these smart glasses. Now, security experts warn that such exposure raises serious privacy and identity theft risks linked to AI training. Regulators and companies are now exploring potential legal implications for the wearables.
It may be just the first case involving a big name like Meta, but when we speak of wearable AI devices like Ray-Bans, concerns like these are always there. Smart glasses can record bystanders and private spaces without consent. This also raises a much bigger question about where and when people should use them. With concerns like these, many companies have reportedly banned the use of smart glasses in the workplace. …
Related Topics:
Subject: Amazon Tightens Code Guardrails After Outages Rock Retail Business
Source: Business Insider
https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-tightens-code-controls-after-outages-including-one-ai-2026-3
- Amazon’s e-commerce site suffered major outages in recent weeks.
- One outage was linked to internal use of an AI coding tool.
- Amazon SVP Dave Treadwell proposes new code controls in documents obtained by Business Insider.
Amazon is beefing up internal guardrails after recent outages hit the company’s e-commerce operation, including one disruption tied to its AI coding assistant Q.
Dave Treadwell, Amazon’s SVP of e-commerce services, told staff on Tuesday that a “trend of incidents” emerged since the third quarter of 2025, including “several major” incidents in the last few weeks, according to an internal document obtained by Business Insider. At least one of those disruptions were tied to Amazon’s AI coding assistant Q, while others exposed deeper issues, another internal document explained.
Problems included what he described as “high blast radius changes,” where software updates propagated broadly because control planes lacked suitable safeguards. (A control plane guides how data flows across a computer network).
In response, Amazon is introducing tighter controls that will require engineers to document code changes more thoroughly and secure additional approvals. At the same time, the company is developing other safeguards designed to introduce what executives described as “controlled friction” into the code-change review process. This tackles one of the core issues with AI models. These powerful new services are not deterministic. That means you can ask the same question twice and an AI model may spit out slightly different answers. That sometimes makes this technology inappropriate for corporate workflows that must be 100% accurate every time. That includes core Enterprise Resource Planning software systems and likely applies to crucial things such as product, price, ordering, and transaction data on a giant e-commerce marketplace, such as the one operated by Amazon. “GenAI’s usage in control plane operations will accelerate exposure of sharp edges and places where guardrails do not exist,” one internal document said of the March 2 incident. “We need investment in control plane safety.”
Now, Amazon is rolling out a 90-day, temporary safety guideline that will serve as an addendum to the existing policies, according to one of the internal documents.
The new policy targets approximately 335 “Tier-1 systems,” or services that can directly impact consumers, that have experienced multiple order-impacting incidents since last year and are owned by VP-level organizations. […]