Kronos Algorithmic Scheduling Blamed for Erratic Work Hours for Retail Workers
Kronos workforce management software is used by major retail chains to algorithmically generate employee schedules. The software has been criticised for causing erratic and unpredictable work hours, leading to financial instability and emotional distress for low-wage workers. Following an investigation by the New York attorney general and negative press, Kronos announced new features aimed at improving schedule stability and worker control, though critics argue the changes are optional and lack enforcement mechanisms.
- Company involved
- Various retailers (e.g., Gap, Target, J.C. Penney, Starbucks)
- AI system involved
- Kronos scheduling software
9 source articles · read the reporting →
Gamma AI Presentation Tool Exploited in Multi-Stage Phishing Campaign
Threat actors used Gamma, an AI-powered presentation builder, to host a page that redirected recipients to a fake Microsoft SharePoint login portal. Emails sent from compromised legitimate accounts passed authentication checks, while a Cloudflare Turnstile blocked automated security scanners. An adversary-in-the-middle framework validated credentials in real time and captured session cookies, enabling multi-factor authentication bypass on Microsoft accounts. Abnormal reported the campaign on 15 April 2025.
- AI system involved
- Gamma
7 source articles · read the reporting →
Apple Intelligence feature flags scam messages as priority alerts
Apple's 'Apple Intelligence' notification summarisation feature, introduced in late 2024, is reportedly prioritising scam messages on iPhones, iPads, and Macs. Users have reported that the AI struggles to differentiate fraudulent emails from genuine alerts, with one user seeing a scam email claiming he owed $465 flagged as a priority. Experts warn that the summarisation removes context, potentially making scams more effective. Apple has stated it plans to update the feature to clarify when summaries are AI-generated.
- Company involved
- Apple
- AI system involved
- Apple Intelligence
5 source articles · read the reporting →
UAE Company Loses $35 Million in Deepfake Audio Scam
Fraudsters used forged emails and deepfake audio to impersonate a company director, convincing a branch manager at a UAE company to transfer $35 million as part of a fake acquisition. The manager believed he was following instructions from the director and a US-based lawyer. The incident, which occurred in January 2020, led to a US federal court request for assistance in tracing the stolen funds. The case highlights the growing threat of deepfake technology in corporate fraud.
6 source articles · read the reporting →
Deepfake scams impersonate relatives in video calls to steal money in Vietnam
In March 2023, scammers used deepfake technology to create fake video calls impersonating relatives of victims in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. One victim lost nearly 100 million VND after a video call that appeared to show his relative asking for a loan. Another victim lost 150 million VND in a similar scam. Police have received multiple reports and are investigating, warning that deepfake-enabled fraud is proliferating.
2 source articles · read the reporting →
Sky Gold subsidiary loses Rs 10.70 crore in deepfake scam
Starmangalsutra Private Limited, a subsidiary of Sky Gold and Diamonds, lost approximately Rs 10.70 crore after fraudsters used deepfake techniques to impersonate a director and trick an employee into transferring funds to unknown accounts. The incident was discovered on July 15, 2026, and the company reported it to cybercrime authorities and banks. Sky Gold stated there is no indication of broader IT system breaches.
- Company involved
- Starmangalsutra Private Limited
1 source article · read the reporting →
U.S. Department of Homeland Security Uses Secret Algorithm ATLAS to Flag Naturalized Citizens for Denaturalization
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security operates a secret algorithm called ATLAS that screens naturalized citizens for potential fraud or national security concerns, flagging them for denaturalization. The system, hosted on Amazon Web Services, analyzes biometric and other data from various federal databases, and its rules are undisclosed. Human reviewers then decide whether to refer flagged individuals to Immigration and Customs Enforcement for possible deportation. Critics allege the algorithm relies on inaccurate data and lacks transparency, leading to wrongful denaturalization proceedings.
- Company involved
- U.S. Department of Homeland Security
- AI system involved
- ATLAS
2 source articles · read the reporting →
Montenegro police warn of rising AI identity abuse in online fraud
Montenegrin police say AI is fuelling a rise in identity abuse by online fraudsters, using deepfake videos of public figures to promote bogus remedies and investment schemes. Surgeon and MP Vladimir Dobricanin found a manipulated video of himself apparently endorsing eyedrops and other products, while Bosnian fact-checkers reported similar misuse of statements to lure people into cryptocurrency scams. Victims reported 42 online scams in 2025 with financial losses of around 300,000 euros, but authorities say investigations are complex and often lengthy due to the use of servers abroad and encryption. Experts called for stronger technical capacities, international cooperation, and faster platform responses to tackle the problem.
- Company involved
- Limited Charm
- AI system involved
- Deepfake social media advertisements
1 source article · read the reporting →
Companies face AI deepfake job candidates for remote roles
US companies report a surge in fake job seekers using generative AI tools to fabricate identities, employment histories, and conduct deepfake video interviews for remote positions. Cybersecurity firms Pindrop and CAT Labs, along with BrightHire, describe incidents where scammers, including North Korean operatives, attempted to gain employment to install malware, demand ransoms, steal data, or collect salaries fraudulently. One candidate, 'Ivan X', was detected by Pindrop's video authentication tool after a recruiter noticed his facial expressions were out of sync with his words.
- Company involved
- Pindrop Security
- AI system involved
- video authentication program
1 source article · read the reporting →
Fraudsters use AI voice deepfake to trick UK energy firm CEO into transferring $243,000
In March 2019, criminals used commercially available AI voice-generation software to impersonate the CEO of a German parent company. They tricked the CEO of a UK-based energy firm into urgently wiring $243,000 to a Hungarian supplier. The fraud was discovered when the fraudsters attempted a second transfer, which the CEO refused. The company was insured and the loss was covered.
- Company involved
- Unnamed UK-based energy firm
- AI system involved
- Commercially available voice-generating AI software
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Walmart employees claim Everseen anti-theft AI is flawed
A group of Walmart employees, calling themselves the Concerned Home Office Associates, alleged that the Everseen AI system used in thousands of stores to prevent shoplifting frequently produces false positives, flagging innocent customer behaviour as theft. They created a video showing the system failing to stop actual theft and mistakenly alerting for a phone. Employees said the false positives frustrate customers and lead to unnecessary interventions, raising public health concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic. Walmart denied a widespread issue but said it had made improvements.
- Company involved
- Walmart
- AI system involved
- Everseen
9 source articles · read the reporting →
Shipt's new V2 algorithm reduces pay for 41% of workers, study finds
A study by MIT Media Lab and Coworker.org found that Shipt's new V2 payment algorithm reduced pay for 41% of workers by an average of 11% per shop. The algorithm, rolled out in September 2020, replaced a transparent payment system with a black-box model. Workers pooled data to analyze the impact, revealing uneven distribution of earnings.
- Company involved
- Shipt
- AI system involved
- V2
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Attempted deepfake CEO voicemail fraud against an unnamed technology company
An attacker used synthetic audio deepfake to leave a voicemail impersonating the CEO of a technology company, asking an employee to call back to finalize an urgent business deal. The employee found it suspicious and referred the matter to the legal department, avoiding any loss. Nisos analyzed the audio and found inconsistencies in pitch and tone.
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Europol cracks down on network using deepfake ads for crypto fraud
Europol and national authorities in Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany, and Israel arrested two people in November as part of a crackdown on a criminal network that used fraudulent online ads and AI-generated deepfake videos to lure victims into fake cryptocurrency investment platforms. The network allegedly laundered 700 million euros ($816 million) through the scheme, which Europol described as operating on an 'industrial' scale. The arrests were the second phase of an operation that had already led to nine arrests in October. The article does not name the suspects or firms targeted.
4 source articles · read the reporting →
Denmark's Udbetaling Danmark welfare algorithm illegally surveilled millions
Udbetaling Danmark (UDK), Denmark's centralized welfare payment agency, used automated algorithms to check eligibility and detect fraud. The system collected personal data on millions of beneficiaries and their relatives, including non-beneficiaries, in what a think-tank called 'systematic surveillance'. A complaint to the Danish Data Protection Authority led to a ruling that the data collection violated GDPR, and UDK eventually deleted the illegally obtained data. The system also caused erroneous payments, including underpaying 300,000 pensioners by 94 million euros annually.
- Company involved
- Udbetaling Danmark
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Plastic Forte fined for using facial recognition on workers without notice
The Spanish data protection agency AEPD fined Plastic Forte, a plastics manufacturer in Alicante, €20,000 for using facial recognition to record employees' working hours without informing them. A worker requested information about his personal data and discovered the biometric processing. The company initially argued it was only for time tracking but later acknowledged responsibility, resulting in a reduced fine of €12,000. The AEPD deemed facial recognition for time control as highly intrusive and requiring prior impact assessment.
- Company involved
- Plastic Forte
7 source articles · read the reporting →
Amazon Mentor app falsely flags drivers, leading to firings and lost pay
Amazon requires contracted delivery drivers to use the Mentor app, which tracks and scores driving behavior. Drivers report that the app falsely detects infractions, such as incoming calls or picking up a device, causing their scores to drop. This leads to disciplinary actions including firing, loss of bonuses, and reduced pay. Amazon has not addressed the specific allegations.
- Company involved
- Amazon
- AI system involved
- Mentor
10 source articles · read the reporting →
ScaleFactor reportedly failed to deliver promised automated bookkeeping software
ScaleFactor, an Austin-based startup, is reported to have failed to deliver the automated, real-time bookkeeping tools it promised customers, instead relying on human bookkeepers and a Filipino contract accounting firm. The company told Forbes in June that it was shutting down, initially blaming the pandemic, but Forbes later reported that its problems predated Covid-19. Investors reportedly came to see the company as more of a services business than a software platform, and pulled funding after a pivot to a marketplace model. No legal or regulatory action is reported.
- Company involved
- ScaleFactor
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Face recognition bypass used to register shell companies for tax fraud in Shanghai
In a major tax fraud case in Shanghai, criminals used face recognition cracking techniques to register shell companies on government platforms. They purchased high-resolution photos and used apps to create fake videos, then used modified phones to bypass face recognition authentication. The scheme resulted in fraudulent invoices totaling over 500 million yuan. The case was prosecuted by the Shanghai procuratorate.
7 source articles · read the reporting →
Hong Kong police arrest six in fraud syndicate using AI deepfake for loan scams
Hong Kong police arrested six people in a crackdown on a fraud syndicate that used AI deepfake technology to create doctored images for loan scams targeting banks and money-lenders. The case marks the first known instance of scammers using deepfake to fleece financial agencies. The police reminded the public to be aware of signs of deepfakes in video calls.
9 source articles · read the reporting →
California EDD's automated fraud detection wrongly suspended 600,000 legitimate unemployment claims
In January 2021, the California Employment Development Department used Thompson Reuters automated batch review software to flag 1.1 million unemployment claims as potentially fraudulent. EDD stopped payments on those claims without prior notice. Later, over 600,000 were confirmed as legitimate after claimants used ID.me to verify their identity. The incident highlights the trade-off between fraud prevention and timely benefit access.
- Company involved
- California Employment Development Department (EDD)
- AI system involved
- Thompson Reuters Automated Batch Review
7 source articles · read the reporting →
OnlyFake site uses neural networks to generate fake IDs, bypasses OKX verification
An underground website called OnlyFake uses neural networks to generate realistic photos of fake IDs for $15. The journalist tested the service and obtained a convincing California driver's license. They then used another fake ID to successfully bypass the identity verification process on OKX, a cryptocurrency exchange. The article alleges that this technology could streamline bank fraud and money laundering, but reports no actual financial loss.
- Company involved
- OKX
- AI system involved
- OnlyFake
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Hong Kong police arrest eight over deepfake bank account scam
Hong Kong police arrested eight people accused of running a scam ring that used deepfake images to bypass bank verification checks and open accounts. The deepfakes were created by merging scammers' faces with those on lost identity cards using artificial intelligence. The arrests were announced on 19 April 2025.
2 source articles · read the reporting →
Swedish welfare agency's AI system flags marginalized groups for fraud investigations
Försäkringskassan, Sweden's Social Insurance Agency, uses an AI risk-scoring system to flag welfare applicants for fraud investigations. The system disproportionately targets women, individuals with foreign backgrounds, low-income earners, and those without university degrees, according to an investigation by Lighthouse Reports and Svenska Dagbladet. Amnesty International has called for the system to be discontinued, citing violations of the right to equality and non-discrimination.
- Company involved
- Försäkringskassan (Swedish Social Insurance Agency)
6 source articles · read the reporting →
