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Actress Camryn Manheim faces backlash after joking at an HRC gala that she is disappointed her son, Milo Manheim, turned out to be heterosexual.

Former USWNT star Carli Lloyd gave birth to her second baby, a son named Hunter Jax, with her husband Brian Hollins on Thursday, she shared in an Instagram post.

No more stained carpets.

Franchisees said the algorithm has widened the gap between prices on identical items at various restaurants within the same neighborhoods, according to a report.

A former San Francisco 49ers player and his wife are expecting a baby, which drew a sweet reaction from many of the 49ers' most prominent WAGs.

Gold's Gym is ready to pump Southern California up all over again.

The Industrialization Of Fraud: How Global Scam Farms Are Evolving To Target Your Wealth

Authored by Adam H. Douglas via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

Financial fraud has morphed into a massive, highly organized global industry powered by transnational scam farms. These industrial-scale operations are largely concentrated in Southeast Asia but are rapidly expanding their reach to target your wealth.

AI is helping scam farms make fraud more convincing and scalable, making it more important to recognize the warning signs. NONGASIMO/Shutterstock

These syndicates are becoming much more sophisticated. They deploy advanced psychological tactics and emerging technologies to drain your life savings.

But how does this brutal business model work? And what are some actionable consumer defense strategies you can employ to protect your finances?

Quick Answer: How Do Scam Farms Work?

Scam farms are organized fraud syndicates, and one of the most popular techniques they use is a devastating, long-term confidence trick coined a pig-butchering scam. Scammers spend months building deep personal trust with you, metaphorically “fattening” you up with fake initial investment profits before stealing your entire principal. These operations are rarely run by lone hackers - they are orchestrated by massive, industrial-scale scam farms often located in Cambodia and Myanmar, but slowly spreading to many other countries.

Global scam farms operate like illicit corporations with specialized teams for different stages of the fraud. Alarmingly, many front-line workers in these compounds are victims of human trafficking, forced into labor under the threat of violence.

The Rise of Industrial-Scale Fraud Compounds

The volume of money moving through these transnational fraud syndicates is staggering.

Recently, the United States Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) identified approximately $12.7 billion in suspicious financial activity tied to digital asset investment scams over a two-year period. This highlights how overseas scam centers have become a structural threat to the global financial system.

Law enforcement agencies are pushing back, but the criminals continuously adapt.

Following major international enforcement efforts and crackdowns launched in Cambodia throughout 2025 and 2026, many scam operators simply relocated their headquarters. They bribe local officials and employ professional money launderers to move stolen funds through complex networks of offshore stablecoin exchanges.

The average American is up against a multi-billion-dollar shadow industry, making extreme caution necessary.

The Anatomy of a Long-Term Crypto Investment Scam

modern scam farms utilize a slow, methodical approach to social engineering. The process begins with a seemingly innocent mistake, such as a text message from a wrong number or a match on a dating application.

If you reply, the scammer initiates a friendly conversation. Over weeks, they cultivate a relationship, posing as a successful entrepreneur.

Once trust is firmly established, they casually introduce the topic of cryptocurrency investing. To build credibility, they direct you to download a trading platform that looks entirely legitimate.

You're encouraged to start with a small deposit, and the platform will show fabricated, extraordinary returns. Once you deposit a substantial portion of your wealth, the platform freezes your account, the scammer vanishes, and your funds are instantly funneled into the syndicate's wallets.

How Scammers Use Artificial Intelligence to Scale

Global scam farms are increasingly integrating artificial intelligence into their operations. AI allows criminal networks to scale their reach exponentially without sacrificing personalization.

• Previously, a scammer could only manage a few victims due to language barriers.
• Now, syndicates use large language models to automate thousands of interactions simultaneously.
• These tools instantly translate messages into flawless English, eliminating grammatical errors.

Scammers also utilize AI-generated deepfakes. If you ask to verify their identity on a video call, they use real-time face-swapping software to appear exactly like the stolen photographs used to build their fake profile.

Actionable Consumer Defense: Red Flags to Watch For

Defending your wealth requires vigilance and an understanding of behavioral red flags rather than purely technical indicators. Here are the critical warning signs:

• The Accidental Text: Unsolicited messages claiming to be a wrong number that pivot into a friendly conversation are almost certainly scam attempts.
• The Rush to Private Messaging: Scammers quickly move conversations away from monitored dating applications and onto encrypted messaging services.
• Too Good to Be True Returns: Anyone guaranteeing consistent, risk-free returns in the cryptocurrency market is lying.
• Unfamiliar Trading Platforms: If you're instructed to use a specific, obscure trading application you can't verify independently, it's likely a fraudulent platform.
• High-Pressure Tactics for Taxes: When you attempt to withdraw your funds and the platform demands an upfront tax using additional funds, this is typically the final phase of the theft.

FAQs: Global Scam Farms What Is a Pig-Butchering Scam and How Does it Work?

A pig butchering scam is a devastating fraud tactic where criminals build trust with a victim over an extended period. The scammers initiate contact through dating applications or accidental text messages, eventually moving the conversation to investments. They convince you to deposit money into a fraudulent cryptocurrency platform that displays fake profits. This creates a false sense of security, encouraging you to invest larger amounts. Once you attempt to withdraw your money, the scammers lock your account and disappear, taking your entire investment with them. These scams are highly organized and designed to drain your life savings methodically.

What Are the Red Flags of a Crypto Investment Scam?

The primary red flag of a crypto investment scam is an unsolicited online contact who eventually steers the conversation toward finance. Be extremely wary if someone guarantees high returns with zero risk or pressures you to act quickly on an insider tip. Another major warning sign is being directed to download an unfamiliar trading application that cannot be found on official app stores or verified by independent financial authorities. Asking you to pay an additional, unexpected tax or fee just to withdraw your own money is another hallmark of a scam.

Can You Recover Funds Lost to a Global Fraud Syndicate?

Recovering funds lost to a global fraud syndicate is exceptionally difficult and extremely rare. These organizations often employ professional money launderers who can move your deposits through complex networks of offshore stablecoin exchanges and cryptocurrency mixers - the funds are nearly impossible to trace or freeze. You should report the crime to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center and local law enforcement, but the money is likely gone. One more note: be highly suspicious of secondary "recovery companies" that contact you promising to retrieve your money for an upfront fee, as these are often the same scammers looking for a bonus score.

What Is FinCEN Doing About International Scam Compounds?

The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network is actively working to disrupt international scam compounds by tracking the illicit flow of money. FinCEN collects and analyzes suspicious activity reports from domestic financial institutions to identify the money laundering networks used by these syndicates. They recently identified billions of dollars linked to overseas scam centers and issued alerts urging banks to monitor for specific transaction patterns. Furthermore, FinCEN shares this critical financial intelligence with international law enforcement partners to coordinate global crackdowns, freeze criminal assets where possible, and dismantle the financial infrastructure that allows these transnational organizations to operate and profit.

Tyler Durden Tue, 09/29/2026 - 16:20

NY Post readers discuss Gov. Hochul’s support for Mayor Mamdani following Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s criticism.

Glassman spoke exclusively to Page Six's "Virtual Reali-Tea" about her past relationship with the "Jon & Kate Plus 8" star.

Glassman spoke exclusively to Page Six's "Virtual Reali-Tea" about her past relationship with the "Jon & Kate Plus 8" star.

Flynn hatched the horrific scheme after a yearslong affair with with Alleigha Botner, 24, whom he met in 2022 while she was a 20-year-old intern at the church where he served as a music pastor, prosecutors said.

This is the first time in two decades the Berkeley house will be listed for sale.

Who or what might be going back into Spider-Man: Brand New Day, and why?

We're told Erivo gave a surprise performance at the chef's one-night-only live show at Lincoln Center Theater while promoting his new cookbook, "All Hours."

We're told Erivo gave a surprise performance at the chef's one-night-only live show at Lincoln Center Theater while promoting his new cookbook, "All Hours."

Come for the art, stay for the heart!

If this seems familiar, that's because it is.

Oil Slides As Qatar Touts 'Talks' Again; Iran Struck Large Crude Tanker Overnight

Iran is said to have struck a Very Large Crude Carrier in the Strait of Hormuz late on Monday, signaling what will likely be the resumption of strikes on foreign vessels seeking to navigate the Strait of Hormuz, after last week's diplomatic talks at the UN failed to produce a breakthrough. Still, for the time being more oil is being shipped through the strait compared to where the situation was for the past many months of war.

Maritime monitor UKMTO indicated the vessel was struck by a suspected unknown projectile, resulting in a fire. The fire looks to have been extinguished quickly, with the crew safe and the vessel underway on its transit.

On Tuesday Iran's parliament speaker Bagher Ghalibaf has reiterated that America should know that "in a region where we don't sell oil, no one will sell oil." He followed with, "If our security is not ensured, no infrastructure will be safe." Later in the day, Fars reported that another drone has been fired an 'illicit' ship, however few details have been given.

via IRNA

Ghalibaf further described during a parliament session that "the era of intimidation and threats is over" and that the Islamic Republic would escalate its responses.

But he also echoed prior words of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, who at last week's UN General Assembly said that Iran still seeks diplomacy while asserting its rights.

Similar messaging has been newly issued on the Iranian military front, with Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi, who is a senior advisor to the Supreme Leader, saying that the armed forces stand ready to expand the confrontation to new fronts.

Referencing the ongoing Houthi conflict with the Saudis, wherein the Iran-aligned rebel group has captured Yemen's Red Sea coast, Safavi stated, "The addition of the Bab al-Mandab Strait would change the scene of the war," as quoted in IRIB News.

While some reports have long pointed to the likelihood that IRGC advisers assisted the Houthis this month, the high-ranking general suggested Tehran could get more directly involved, or could tell the Houthis to close the Bab al-Mandab Strait to all foreign vessels.

So far, Houthi statements have sought to assure the rest of the world, particularly Europe, that international vessels can still safely pass through, with the exception of Saudi or Israeli-linked ships.

On the question of Strait of Hormuz transit, The Wall Street Journal summarizes the conclusions of several monitoring firms:

Iran’s ability to choke off oil flowing through the Strait of Hormuz—and use that as leverage in talks with the U.S.—is breaking down, raising the risk it will resort to military escalation to bolster its position.

The erosion of Iran’s position comes as the U.S. Navy and Gulf oil producers have become better at fending off or evading Iranian attacks, allowing more tankers to cross the strait.

Middle Eastern crude exports rebounded this month to around their highest level since the war began in February, oil data trackers say. Shipments via Hormuz and bypass routes were delivering just under 80% of their prewar regional flows as of last week, according to tracker Kpler.

Ghalibaf's aforementioned threat of "no one will sell oil" promises to change this equation - though clearly US Marines are directly involved in trying to protect shipping.

"So far this month, crude exports from major Middle Eastern producers including Saudi Arabia, Iraq, the U.A.E. and others—moving through Hormuz and alternative routes—have risen to almost 13 million barrels a day," WSJ notes. "That is the highest total since February, when the region exported nearly 19 million barrels a day, according to ship tracker Huax."

As for talks, Iran has insisted there are no direct talks and that the nuclear file is not up for negotiation, at least until after the war ends with a ceasefire deal in place.

🔺 Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi denied reports that Tehran has shifted its position in talks with the US, telling state media Monday that there has been no discussion of the nuclear issue, "let alone flexibility."

"Iran's position has not changed at all," he told IRNA… https://t.co/FXcKMMvoTj

— Drop Site (@DropSiteNews) September 29, 2026

According to a summary of a press briefing by Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari on Tuesday::

• Qatar and other mediators are still delivering messages between Iran and the United States and Doha will continue these efforts.
• Mediators are holding meetings and exchanging possible solutions between the two sides to end the seven-month conflict.
• The US-Israeli war on Iran has inflicted a heavy toll on the global economy and the upcoming winter season will make the situation worse with energy shipments largely blocked.
• Qatar condemns Israeli comments on taking over territory in Lebanon and Gaza and demands unimpeded aid to reach the beleaguered Palestinians.
• The Israeli government is trying to force “a new reality” in the occupied West Bank that contradicts the Oslo accords.
• Qatar welcomes actions by the European Union and other countries against illegal Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territory.

And like clockwork: WTI futures are on session lows, having added to losses after comments from the Qatar Foreign Ministry on possible US-Iran solutions.

Rial at record low against US dollar, with traders in Tehran exchanging more than 2.5 million rials to the dollar.

Iran Is Battered but Not Collapsing

Six months of war left Iran economically battered, its society exhausted, and its politics conflicted. But Iran is neither on the verge of collapse nor a bastion of unity and stability.

My piece for @ME_Council https://t.co/nrLXs9Q9tz

— Negar Mortazavi (@NegarMortazavi) September 29, 2026 More Latest Developments

via Newsquawk

• Iran's Foreign Minister Araghchi said Tehran discussed proposals with Qatari mediators to present to the US, and response is to be relayed to Tehran through Qatari mediators, adds conditions set by Supreme Leader must be met to reopen Strait of Hormuz. If the US wants a deal or peace, Iran has offered a solution. He will fly to Tehran in a few hours, and the Qataris will know how to reach us whenever they have the answer. Expects US response on Tuesday. Communications and messages exchanged by Qatari and Pakistani mediators have always been, but now they have taken a more serious form due to the plan presented by Iran.
• Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi said Iran's positions have not changed and conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz are clear, while their position on other matters is clear. Hopeful the US' final answer will be conveyed via Qatari "by tomorrow".
• Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Baghaei said media reported about the content of consultations with the Qatari mediator are baseless speculation, noting such accounts have no basis in reality and no discussion of the details of the issues took place.
• Iran Foreign Ministry Iranian delegation met with Qatar mediator on Monday afternoon at the UNGA, adds media speculation on Qatar talks is false and that there were no talks held on detailed issues with Qatari mediator. said:. Iran delegation will depart New York for Tehran on Monday night.
• Iranian MP Ebrahim Rezaei said no negotiations will begin until the US fulfils its commitments in the Islamabad understanding, while he stated that Iranian diplomats lack permission for bilateral or trilateral talks in the current situation. said:. US failed to release blocked funds after Islamabad deal.
• UN Secretary-General Guterres requested in a meeting with Iran's Foreign Minister Araghchi for a continuation of negotiations to achieve peace, according to Fars News Agency.
• US President Trump posted "Axios just released a story that “Trump” offered Sanctions Relief and Frozen Funds to Iran. This is untrue. I offered them NOTHING! Axios’ story, like most others, is a HOAX". Full post "Axios just released a story that “Trump” offered Sanctions Relief and Frozen Funds to Iran. This is untrue. I offered them NOTHING! Axios’ story, like most others, is a HOAX, used only for purposes of satisfying their Trump Derangement Syndrome. They should withdraw this fake story, IMMEDIATELY!".

Tyler Durden Tue, 09/29/2026 - 15:50

Trump Launches America.Gov Website Simplifying Access To Government Services

Authored by Travis Gillmore via The Epoch Times,

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Sept. 29 directing all federal agencies to integrate services with a new website designed to make it easier for users to find information and interact with the government.

He described the tool as "one of the most revolutionary product launches of all time."

America.gov will serve as a landing page consolidating nearly 30,000 federal government websites into one chatbot, powered by SpaceX's Grok and Google's Gemini. The site allows users to ask questions and receive guidance about procuring services.

"The federal government no longer stands in your way, and it stands only at your service," Trump said.

"We're simplifying it. We're glamorizing it. We're making it what it should be."

Plans for full integration with more than 10,000 forms across agencies will provide opportunities for full-service enrollment, where visitors can "apply, enroll, and track progress directly in the chat," according to a statement on the new site.

Users will find a "front door" to the government replacing the "endless maze" of websites and regulations, according to the president.

"It's not just simply a website. It's a restoration of America's founding promises, and it's a reinvention of your government for the 21st century and beyond," Trump said. "We're putting power and control back into the hands of the people, right where it belongs."

Once complete, Americans can request replacement Social Security cards, apply for passports and name changes, and access countless other government services.

"And with this, nobody can any longer complain about providing proof of citizenship or voter ID," Trump said, while calling for lawmakers to pass the SAVE America Act, which would mandate proof of citizenship to register and IDs to vote. "They're always saying it's too complicated. It's not complicated anymore."

Privacy is built into the system, no login is required, the site does not track visitors, and no personal information or conversations are recorded, according to administration officials.

Preventing data leaks and hacks is a priority, Trump said during his address, noting rapid advancement in technology and potential threats while touting security precautions against any attempts to infiltrate the system.

Visitors can type queries into the text box, mirroring modern AI interfaces. The chatbot can also translate three spoken languages - English, Spanish, and French - with more additions coming soon.

While the technology is built on artificial intelligence platforms, the president is proposing a universal name change for the innovation, suggesting that super intelligence, or SI, is superior to the "artificial" alternative.

Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia, the nation's first chief design officer, revealed the website to the public in a product-demo style presentation at the Andrew Mellon Auditorium in the nation's capital.

"There was a time when Americans entered great public buildings to meet our government, and when they did, the spaces achieved a user experience unlike anything else," Gebbia said, noting the impact of architectural design and grand rooms that communicated "dignity and respect" to all who entered.

"America.gov carries that idea into the age of super intelligence to reimagine a government built around you that respects your time, that works for you, that we can be proud of as Americans."

Approximately 39 million Americans visit federal government websites every day, collectively spending more than 10 billion hours annually on government-related paperwork, according to administration officials.

The website is live as of Sept. 29, with more features expected in the coming months.

Tyler Durden Tue, 09/29/2026 - 15:45