In July 2022, 1,000 fake Chinese SpaceX engineer profiles were discovered on LinkedIn. Their purpose: scamming. The fake profiles were all graduates of Tsinghua—China’s top university, which is notoriously difficult to get into—and were senior employees of SpaceX. These details were tailored specifically to gain the trust of people outside of China who were of Chinese descent or spoke Mandarin. Mentioning Tsinghua in their profiles would instantly garner their respect. After cultivating a friendship, the scammers would persuade their victims to invest in all sorts of things, like cryptocurrency. Read full article here
Societal Issues
To curb drug deaths, communities turn to Reddit, texts and wastewater
With drug overdose deaths on the rise, authorities are attempting to curb the epidemic by tracking and sharing information in real time. In one unique effort, a nonprofit in New York City is using drug-testing equipment and stamping or marking habits of dealers to identify drug batches that may endanger users. Other approaches are also being used, such as monitoring drug-related chatter on Reddit and analyzing local wastewater for opioid and other drug levels. With the combination of these efforts, researchers hope to put a dent in the opioid crisis and reduce overdose deaths. Read full article here
Merv
June 1, 2023
