March 2024 - cypherpunks - lists.cpunks.org

Havana Syndrome, Sonic Weapons - INTERNATIONAL LEGAL INNOVATION
by Gunnar Larson 29 Sep '24

29 Sep '24

Cognitive liberty is not currently recognized as a human right by any international human rights treaty.[11] <https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_liberty#cite_note-Bublitz_and_Mer…> While freedom of thought <https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_thought> is recognized by Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights <https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Declaration_of_Human_Rights> (UDHR), freedom of thought can be distinguished from cognitive liberty in that the former is concerned with protecting an individual's freedom to think *whatever* they want, whereas cognitive liberty is concerned with protecting an individual's freedom to think *however* they want.[29] <https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_liberty#cite_note-29> Cognitive liberty seeks to protect an individual's right to determine their own state of mind and be free from external control over their state of mind, rather than just protecting the content of an individuals’ thoughts.[30] <https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_liberty#cite_note-Boire,_Part_II-…> It has been suggested that the lack of protection of cognitive liberty in previous human rights instruments was due to the relative lack of technology capable of directly interfering with mental autonomy at the time the core human rights treaties were created.[21] <https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_liberty#cite_note-Boire,_Part_I-21> Havana Syndrome bred by Sonic Weapon technology more or less is lazyly playing in regulatory arbitrage loopholes related to cognitive liberty. Recently, we went to the SEC for guidance on consolidation of an ILO (Intiatal Legal Offering). As we await engagement with the SEC on the ILO prospect, ILO’s resemble Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs), but rather than raising money for a new coin, app, or service, they’re used to fund specific litigation. Think micro-investing for lawsuits. In an ILO, investors receive tokens entitling them to shares of potential recoveries, an economic right converted to a digital asset. If cases fail, they lose their investments. We are exploring an ILO at the international level (International Criminal Court <https://www.icc-cpi.int/>, International Court of Justice <https://www.icj-cij.org/en>), to solidify the right of Cognitive Liberty. Likely, the broader public will overwhelmly support their individual right to free thinking and systems and processes associated with thinking freely. The New York City Police Department (NYPD) is a pioneer in engaging sonic weapon technology <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonic_weapon>, An NYPD officer stands ready with the LRAD 500X at an Occupy Wall Street protest on November 17, 2011 near the city hall. The NYPD conducts experiments and other cutting edge innovation strategies as being America's Best Urban Police Force. It should be considered that the NYPD properly file logs of such technology engagement (aka ... what, when, where, why, how) as xNY.io strives to liberate the semantics related to cognitive thinking liberty. Moreover, while the NYPD pioneers new crowd control technology, other private firms have abused the technology for their own selfish agendas. Keeping all this in mind, one of xNY.io's active engagements is closing the semantic loophole related to cognitive liberty. The SEC likely will provide associated guidance in the coming 2022 year. Happy New Year World! Thank you, Gunnar -- *Gunnar Larson - xNY.io <http://www.xNY.io> | Bank.org <http://Bank.org>* MSc <https://www.unic.ac.cy/blockchain/msc-digital-currency/?utm_source=Google&u…> - Digital Currency MBA <https://www.unic.ac.cy/business-administration-entrepreneurship-and-innovat…> - Entrepreneurship and Innovation (ip) G(a)xNY.io +1-646-454-9107 New York, New York 10001

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City Settles Lawsuit From Protesters Who Accused NYPD Of Firing Sound Cannon At Them
by Gunnar Larson 29 Sep '24

29 Sep '24

https://gothamist.com/news/city-settles-lawsuit-protesters-who-accused-nypd… The City has agreed to pay $748,000 to settle a lawsuit brought by Black Lives Matter protesters who said the NYPD illegally targeted demonstrators with Long Range Acoustic Devices [LRAD] in 2014. Under the settlement, the NYPD will also ban the use of the LRAD’s powerful “deterrent tone” and, for the first time, generate a written policy governing the use of the devices. The suit stems from a demonstration in December of that year, when a group was marching in midtown Manhattan to protest a grand jury’s refusal to indict the officer who killed Staten Island resident Eric Garner using a banned chokehold. As part of an effort to disperse the crowd, two police officers repeatedly used the powerful tone generated by their LRAD. Some of the journalists and protesters who were in close range at the time complained afterwards of pain, ringing in their ears, and migraines that lasted for days afterwards. The LRAD was initially developed for the U.S. Navy after terrorists attacked the U.S.S. Cole in 2000, using a small boat laden with explosives. Like its successors, the original LRAD served a dual function, on the one hand serving as a public-address system capable of communicating ship-to-ship over very long distances, and on the other hand capable of creating a cone of noise so loud and painful that it could deter anyone from approaching. Police forces soon realized these dual functions could be used in policing protests, and began adding them to their arsenals. The NYPD used its first LRAD to address protesters during the 2004 Republican National Convention, though it wouldn’t begin regularly deploying LRADs to protests until 2014. Less frequently, police have also used the device’s piercing sound-weapon function against protesters. The NYPD devices are capable of producing sound as loud as 137 decibels, well over the threshold that can cause pain and lasting damage to human ears. In 2012, Captain Anthony Raganella, the commander of the NYPD’s Disorder Control Unit, requested the department replace his unit’s LRADs with new models: a truck-mounted 500X LRAD at $23,000, and two handheld 100X LRADs at $7,680 each. (The request was included in a larger proposal that included $30,000 for pepper spray and pepper-ball weapons, thousands more for rubber pellet grenades and chemical irritant grenades, and $16,000 for orange crowd-control netting.) In an internal email explaining to the NYPD grants unit the necessity of his request, Raganella cited the threat posed by the Animal Liberation Front, the Earth Liberation Front, and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. “The requested equipment would be used to train and ensure the readiness of the Department to respond to any civil unrest caused by these terrorist groups,” Raganella wrote. Today’s settlement brings final resolution to a landmark case first filed five years ago, but the City’s legal defeat dates back to a judge’s 2017 ruling. The de Blasio administration had argued that police couldn’t be held liable for excessive force in using an LRAD because they never actually touched anybody. “The officers' creation of a sound that plaintiffs happened to hear cannot be considered 'physical contact,’” City lawyers claimed. “the LRAD is not an instrumentality of force, but a communication device.” Judge Robert Sweet rejected the argument, ruling, “This is force, and the kind that could be used excessively.” The de Blasio administration appealed the decision, but in 2018 the 2nd Circuit affirmed it, forcefully rejecting the City’s argument that subjecting people to dangerously loud sound isn’t a use of force. “Even though sound waves are a novel method for deploying force,” the court wrote in its opinion, “the effect of an LRAD’s area denial function is familiar: pain and incapacitation.” The 2nd Circuit also reaffirmed that just because there isn’t case law governing a new technology for hurting people, that doesn’t give police a blank check to use that technology however they want. “Novel technology,” the court wrote, “does not entitle an officer to qualified immunity.” Still unwilling to concede the point, the de Blasio administration petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court in 2018 to overturn the lower courts’ rulings, but the court declined to hear the request. Notwithstanding courts’ repeated findings that the deployment of LRADs could constitute use of force, current NYPD training takes pains to assert that the LRAD is not a weapon. “The LRAD is not any of these,” reads one slide from an LRAD training program for the Disorder Control Unit: “Sound Cannon; Sound Gun; Wave Gun; Sonic Weapons; Active Denial System.” “The tone does not create a sonic wave, blast or have the ability to cause physical injury like a weapon,” one training presentation reads, explaining that NYPD officers may use the tone “to help gain attention of individuals” in bursts of up to three seconds separated by at least a second. In settling the suit, the City does not concede that police officers using the LRAD broke any laws or violated anyone’s rights. But under the terms of the settlement, the NYPD commits to update its administrative guide and its officer training to ban the use of the deterrent tone altogether, and require police using LRADs to “make reasonable efforts to maintain minimum safe distances between the LRAD and all persons within its cone of sound.” Officers who fail to do so “may be subject to such further discipline as deemed appropriate.” The City will also pay the five plaintiffs in the case a total of $98,000, as well as $650,000 in fees for their lawyers, Gideon Oliver, Elena Cohen, and Michael Decker, all affiliated with the National Lawyers Guild. Annika Edrei, the lead plaintiff in the case, was a journalism student in 2014 when she found herself caught in the LRAD’s cone of sound, and suffered migraines for a week afterwards. The experience, she said, discouraged her from attending protests for years. “I actually gave up on a major part of my photography career,” she said. Speaking of the settlement, she said, “I hope that protesters in the future are more protected because of our actions.” “The City could have and should have decided to make policy change and pay our clients for their injuries much earlier,” said Oliver. “But instead of doing that, they fought tooth and nail for years in this case, and so in addition to damages and policy change, the city has to pay attorneys’ fees that are much higher than they would have been.”

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Havana Syndrome, Part 2: How a dog's brain may help solve the mystery of Canadian diplomats' Cuban nightmare
by Gunnar Larson 29 Sep '24

29 Sep '24

Right now, I am under entrapment (again) and Brody (my beautiful 13 year old St. Bernard) is nervous. Here is research on dogs getting nervous under such conditions: https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/havana-syndrome-part-2-how-a-dogs… Could a dog’s brain offer any clues to the mysterious concussion-like syndrome affecting Canadian and American diplomats who were posted to Cuba? That is one of the many threads being pulled in an effort by researchers and scientists — and those affected — to better understand the condition referred to as Havana Syndrome, which has been blamed for debilitating some Canadian diplomats and their families. Little is known about what could have caused the symptoms shared by some diplomats who were posted in Cuba, although U.S. investigators have ruled out sonic weapons, according to the Washington Post. A doctor who examined some of the Canadian and U.S. diplomats has suggested the damage stems from a microwave weapon. 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'Far beyond' reasonable: Federal union wants 47 per cent compensation increase over three years TRENDING The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS) headquarters in Ottawa. The TBS says the union’s demands for its 120,000 employees would cost nearly $10 billion over the next three years.Next Breadcrumb Trail Links Politics National Local News Havana Syndrome, Part 2: How a dog's brain may help solve the mystery of Canadian diplomats' Cuban nightmare Author of the article:Elizabeth Payne Published Feb 27, 2019 • Last updated Feb 28, 2019 • 5 minute read Join the conversation Andrew King sketches of Elizabeth Payne's Havana Syndrome series. PHOTO BY ILLUSTRATION BY ANDREW KING /Postmedia Article content Could a dog’s brain offer any clues to the mysterious concussion-like syndrome affecting Canadian and American diplomats who were posted to Cuba? Advertisement 2 STORY CONTINUES BELOW This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content That is one of the many threads being pulled in an effort by researchers and scientists — and those affected — to better understand the condition referred to as Havana Syndrome, which has been blamed for debilitating some Canadian diplomats and their families. The brains of those diplomats and their spouses are being tested at Dalhousie’s Brain Repair Centre. Officials there were unavailable for interviews, but one of the diplomats involved told this newspaper that early findings have amazed researchers. Little is known about what could have caused the symptoms shared by some diplomats who were posted in Cuba, although U.S. investigators have ruled out sonic weapons, according to the Washington Post. A doctor who examined some of the Canadian and U.S. diplomats has suggested the damage stems from a microwave weapon. Still others have suggested the sounds being reported were actually crickets and that the symptoms are psychosomatic or a form of mass hysteria, hypotheses that anger those living with the after-effects. Dr. Michael Hoffer, a professor of otolaryngology and neurological surgery at the University of Miami, who examined 25 people linked to the diplomatic community in Havana, is frustrated by suggestions that the harms done to some of the diplomats are not real. Hoffer was the lead author of a paper that found all of the diplomatic personnel complaining of dizziness, ear pain and tinnitus suffered from an otolithic abnormality (affecting inner ear organs related to balance) and cognitive dysfunction. Such injuries could result in other symptoms such as cognitive difficulties and exhaustion, he said. “Here is the thing: These people did have an injury. I don’t know who injured them. I don’t know what injured them. But I am impatient with the fact that a lot of people are saying it was crickets or an infectious disease. “These people did have an injury. I don’t know who injured them. I don’t know what injured them. But I am impatient with the fact that a lot of people are saying it was crickets or an infectious disease. “Something happened to them. These findings of the inner ear disorder cannot be faked,” he said. “It is not hysteria. It is not crickets.” The suggestion that the symptoms could be psychosomatic has added to the frustration of affected Canadian diplomats. According to documents obtained through access to information by the National Post, a federal government official suggested early on that the symptoms could be psychosomatic. When contacted by this newspaper, one of those diplomats was wary about people questioning the syndrome. That diplomat, who uses the pseudonym Diplomat Allen, is among 15 Canadian diplomatic staff and their families suffering from Havana Syndrome. They are suing the federal government for $28 million, citing lack of support, information and treatment, among other things. He and his family began experiencing mysterious symptoms now associated with the syndrome when they were living in Havana in 2017. Allen and his family left Havana in the fall of 2017 after a series of unexplained events, including a screeching metallic sound in the middle of the night that left them with a variety of symptoms including nausea, uncontrolled nosebleeds, headaches and cognitive difficulties. During the summer of 2017, before the family returned to Ottawa, their three Shih Tzu dogs were behaving strangely, said Allen. Almost every night, the dogs would run to the corner of their yard backing on to a house where American diplomatic staff lived and bark frantically, for no apparent reason. “There was nothing there.” The dogs were shipped back to Ottawa after the family returned. One of them, a seven-year-old, subsequently began behaving strangely — suddenly biting at non-existent flies, arching its back and lying on its back and putting its feet in the air. A veterinarian diagnosed seizures and told the family there was something wrong with the dog’s brain. The vet recommended the dog be euthanized. Allen passed the information to a medical official at Global Affairs who asked if they could arrange for a necropsy on the dog. The necropsy (similar to an autopsy but performed on an animal) was conducted in Kemptville, where the University of Guelph has a campus. Later, Allen and his wife, along with other Canadian diplomats from Havana, travelled to Halifax where they are being assessed and studied at Dalhousie University’s Brain Repair Centre. Doctors there obtained a sample of the dog’s brain, said Allen. In December, researchers at Dalhousie told Allen they had found “something significant” in the dog’s brain and needed more samples. “It could be related,” Allen was told. Any links may help fill in the many blanks surrounding the mysterious syndrome. Researchers at Dalhousie are continuing to study the Canadian diplomats and spouses. Allen said he has been told “they were amazed” at what they found through MRIs of the diplomats’ brains and other tests. “All of us have brain bleeds that we shouldn’t have — and our thought processes are slower than people our age,” he said. MRIs show bleeds coming from small capillaries in their brains, he said, which are completely different from the control group. “For us, this is the concrete evidence we needed that this was real.” Canadian diplomats and families have also been diagnosed with vestibular and vision disorders, cognitive disorders and other issues. There is a small sense of relief at seeing some concrete evidence, but for Allen and others, that does little to allay fears about the future. Those with young children are particularly worried about how they might be affected in the long term. Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland said the affected diplomats have Canada’s “utmost sympathy and support.” Meanwhile, there are more questions than answers about how and why the damage occurred. Were Canadians collateral damage or targets? What kind of weapons were used? And why? Daniel Livermore, a former foreign service officer who is a senior fellow at uOttawa’s department of public and international affairs, said there is little more than speculation about the source of the mysterious injuries to diplomats — one is that Havana Syndrome resulted from some sort of eavesdropping device gone awry, another is that the injuries are the result of targeted weapons. Cuba, which has always had good international relations with Canada, is not considered to be behind the attacks, if that is what they were. Russia and China are both considered possible suspects if there were attacks with weapons. As to what kind of weapons, there are still more questions. “I don’t know how this is being weaponized,” Livermore said of speculation that the damage was done with microwave weapons. “I don’t even know what the motivation would be. I don’t see a motive,” he said.

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Litigating Universal Cognitive Liberty
by Gunnar Larson 29 Sep '24

29 Sep '24

https://litigationfinancejournal.com/litigating-universal-cognitive-liberty/ Litigating Universal Cognitive Liberty Freedom of thought is recognized by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). Interestingly,, cognitive liberty is not recognized as an international human right. Some want to change that, making the argument that humanity has the right to be free to think whatever they want (freedom of thought). The Ottawa Citizen reports <https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/military-leaders-saw-…> that the Canadian armed forces have launched ‘psychological operations’ as an experiment in government propaganda to counter civil disobedience. International human rights scholars are quick to point out that the lack of protection of cognitive liberty in such instances is due to the relative lack of technology capable of directly interfering with mental autonomy at the time the core human rights treaties were created. Similar to a ransomware attack, the technology behind such operations can be abused. Canada is said to have exploited advanced technologies without the authority to do so. Even worse, it is alleged that Canada forcefully abused technology in the unsanctioned production of reports that appeared to be aimed at cognitive activities of Canadians. - Other reports highlight similar technologies being explored by the New York City Police Department. - In 2021 <https://gothamist.com/news/city-settles-lawsuit-protesters-who-accused-nypd…>, members of the National Lawyers Guild won $650,000 in litigation financed fees from abuse of the technology in New York. The semantics empowering freedom of thought as a human right hold new opportunities for modern international recognition of the right to cognitive liberty.

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New York AG Letitia James Seeks New Crypto Regulatory Powers for AG's Office and NYDFS: Report
by Gunnar Larson 25 Sep '24

25 Sep '24

As an African American who was arrested for NYCCoin touting ... Mayor Adams' corruption at Coinbase is NYCCoin Insider trading. What is astonishing, is compliance at Coinbase is regulated by an African American. Superintendent Harris continues to play deleft to Mayor Adams' new loan program with Goldman Sachs and Ones Million Black Women. I am black and so are they but Gunnar Larson has carried a major financial loss ... One Million Black Women will be a project I plan to engage both the Mayor and Superintendent on. Meanwhile, at Coinbase both black Harris and Adams are profiting from her willful non compliance on things like child sex trafficking according to Coindesk. ---- https://www.coindesk.com/policy/2023/05/05/new-york-attorney-general-seeks-… “The lack of transparency plaguing the crypto industry causes immense harm to countless investors, especially low-income New Yorkers and people of color who carry a disproportionate share of the losses,” New York City Comptroller Brad Lander said.

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Re: Regulations on the Administration of Network Data Security (Draft for Comment)
by Gunnar Larson 24 Sep '24

24 Sep '24

Dear Cyberspace Administration of China: It has been over one month since our inquiry, and I am kindly following up on the message below. Please note, the question concerning Proof of Transfer is critical to determining any degradation to the Bitcoin blockchain's software purity. As such, it would be ideal to determine Hong Kong's approach to Network Data Security <http://www.cac.gov.cn/2021-11/14/c_1638501991577898.htm> (Draft for Comment) issued by your office. Furthermore, this correspondence is to also reference autonomy between xNY and e-CNY (given several obvious factors). Sincerely yours, Gunnar Larson -- *Gunnar Larson - xNY.io <http://www.xny.io/> | Bank.org <http://bank.org/>* MSc <https://www.unic.ac.cy/blockchain/msc-digital-currency/?utm_source=Google&u…> - Digital Currency MBA <https://www.unic.ac.cy/business-administration-entrepreneurship-and-innovat…> - Entrepreneurship and Innovation (ip) G(a)xNY.io +1-646-454-9107 New York, New York 10001 On Fri, Feb 11, 2022 at 2:08 PM Gunnar Larson <g(a)xny.io> wrote: > Dear Sir or Madam: > We seek clarification to the recent notice of the Cyberspace > Administration of China on Public Comments on the Regulations on the > Administration of Network Data Security > <http://www.cac.gov.cn/2021-11/14/c_1638501991577898.htm> (Draft for > Comment). > > The Cyberspace Administration of China > <http://www.cac.gov.cn/2021-11/14/c_1638501991577898.htm> (and Hong Kong) > issued new guidance on third-party products and services that cause damage > to users. According to the Cyberspace Administration’s guidance, users can > request Internet platform operators to pay compensation in advance for data > violations. > > Hong Kong is the data hub for Stacks (STX), where internet platform > operators shall assume data security management responsibilities for > third-party products and services connected to their platforms. Hong Kong > mandates clarity of data security responsibilities for third parties > through contracts and other forms, and urges third parties to strengthen > data security management, and adopt the necessary data security protection > measures. > > - Stacks’ strong third-party presence in Hong Kong extends to China. > One of Stacks’ board members has served as a leader of a Shanghai based > incubator. > - The looming question is if Proof of Transfer (PoX) Stacks’ extension > to Proof of Burn (PoB), where miners compete by ‘burning’ (destroying) a > Proof of Work (PoW) from an established blockchain, is allegedly illegal in > Hong Kong, under the Cyberspace Administration’s new guidance. > > PoX, when used for participation rewards (Such as with MIA Coin, NYCCoin > and STX), could lead to miner consolidation. Because miners that also > participate as holders could gain an advantage over miners who do not > participate as holders, miners would be strongly incentivized to buy the > new cryptocurrency and use it to crowd out other miners. In an extreme > case, this consolidation could lead to a centralization of mining, which > would undermine the decentralization goals of the public blockchain. > > China, along with Hong Kong, has outlawed various forms of threats to > international peace and security. > > We seek the Cyberspace Administration of China's guidance if the Proof of > Transfer > <https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wL2kN6aMfsyT-T7g01YJSBB8meMn2SWg/view?usp=…> > is a legal or legal consensus software algorithm in China and Hong Kong? > Sending you the very best regards. > > Thank you, > > Gunnar Laron > -- > *Gunnar Larson - xNY.io <http://www.xNY.io> | Bank.org <http://Bank.org>* > MSc > <https://www.unic.ac.cy/blockchain/msc-digital-currency/?utm_source=Google&u…> > - Digital Currency > MBA > <https://www.unic.ac.cy/business-administration-entrepreneurship-and-innovat…> > - Entrepreneurship and Innovation (ip) > > G(a)xNY.io > +1-646-454-9107 > New York, New York 10001 >

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Re: FOIL Request No. 2022-090560 - Larson
by Gunnar Larson 08 Sep '24

08 Sep '24

Good morning: We would like to appeal this decision. “We would like to receive any and all records, relating to NY-DFS' 2021 Apple Card Investigation. This is one part of a broader discussion we must have about equal credit access. On March 23, 2021, Ms. Linda Lacewell published NY-DFS' Findings on Apple Card and its Underwriter Goldman Sachs Bank. As the former Superintendent of NY-DFS, Ms. Lacewell's stone faced propaganda assured that Apple Card did not discriminate against women, while under Goldman Sachs management. The red flags started to appear when an authorized user drew attention to the following: A person who relies on a spouse's access to credit, and only accesses those accounts as an authorized user, may incorrectly believe they have the same credit profile as the spouse. We recently collated 61 highlights to the Report on Apple Card Investigation from March 2021: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xH16OKyuXzB-MVqIznMWDE9w8RRdmZCw/view The Apple Card investigation was to assess women's access to equitable finance. The integrity of the Apple Card investigation must be rationally considered as flawed. We would like to receive any and all records of Ms. Linda Lacewell's (emails, texts, and similar) involvement with the 2021 Apple Card report. We would like to receive any and all records to NY-DFS association to evaluating Ms. Linda Lacewell's ability to score a report specific to the Apple Card's core subject of credit access for women. Finally, we would like to receive any and all records related to NY-DFS guidance on Interlocking Directorates ( https://www.dfs.ny.gov/apps_and_licensing/banks_and_trusts/other/Permission… rlocking_Directors_and_Officers), specific to Apple's Board of Directors and Goldman Sachs' Board of Directors.” Please forgive my candor, but if DFS actually conducted an 'Apple Card Investigation' ... There would be some records relating to the investigation. Warm regards and thank you, Gunnar Gunnar Larson xNY.io - Bank.org 646-454-9107 On Wed, Oct 12, 2022, 9:17 PM JeanBaptiste, Pascale (DFS) < Pascale.JeanBaptiste(a)dfs.ny.gov> wrote: > Dear Gunnar Larson: > > > > Please see the attached determination in response to your FOIL request. > Thank you. > > >

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UK: The Scrutiny Of Celebrity Influencers' Social Media Endorsements May Help To Reduce Financial Fraud Scams
by Gunnar Larson 08 Sep '24

08 Sep '24

https://www.mondaq.com/uk/white-collar-crime-anti-corruption-fraud/1238238/… Financial fraud continues to rise year on year, the cost of living crisis will drive even more people to look for ways of enlarging their income and inevitably fall for fake investment opportunities presented to them. As the regulating authorities and law enforcement introduce measures to obstruct the methods fraudsters use to target victims, the fraudsters adapt their scams accordingly. The vehicle of social media has given the fraudulent brokers a platform where they can present their scams to thousands of people via Instagram through the practice celebrity endorsement where well-known celebrities or influencers promote a particular product or investment opportunity, often leading their followers to believe that the celebrity has a full understanding of the product or investment they are endorsing. Such endorsement may become less appealing following the fine of $1,26 million delivered to Kim Kardashian by the US Securities and Exchange Commission <https://www.sec.gov/> (SEC) for failing to divulge to her 225 million Instagram followers that she was paid $250,000 for promoting the crypto asset Ethereum Max. Ms. Kardashian made it clear that she was not providing financial advice but went on to say that her friends were telling her about Ethereum Max tokens. The SEC Chair Gary Gensler pointed out that "...investing public shouldn't confuse the skills of celebrities <https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/15/business/kanye-west-gap-termination> with the very different skills needed to offer appropriate investment advice..." *Joanna Bailey, <https://www.mondaq.com/redirection.asp?article_id=1238238&company_id=24606&…> head of the banking and financial fraud litigation department, commented "the public recognise and trust the celebrities that endorse investment schemes and think that they have real involvement and understanding of the investment they are promoting." Joanna further pointed out "Kim Kardashian is not the only celebrity to have promoted investments, Katie Price unwittingly endorsed a Forex scam. Urging members of the public who have no understanding of Forex or crypto markets to consider such investments is inappropriate and often leads them into financial scams resulting in losses"* Our lawyers in the banking and financial fraud litigation department <https://www.mondaq.com/redirection.asp?article_id=1238238&company_id=24606&…> keep ahead of the scams and the methods used to defraud unwitting investors. Giambrone & Partners now leads the field following our recent groundbreaking case where the High Court of England and Wales granted permission to serve notice of proceedings on persons or persons unknown in connection with two digital wallets over blockchain by a non-fungible token (NFT). The case was the second case in the world and the first case in Europe to serve Court papers as an NFT through blockchain and is particularly significant with regard to crypto scams due to the fact that the perpetrators are often anonymous. This method of service avoids the need for identity. The challenging economic climate currently being experienced will almost certainly lead to more people seeking out "get rich quick" investment schemes. Our lawyers in the banking and financial fraud litigation department strongly recommend resisting the temptation and point out that if you are told that you must take action immediately or the opportunity will go, it is almost certainly a scam. Joanna Bailey frequently leads the litigation against financial institutions involved in Forex/binary trading disputes, as well as cryptocurrency issues and regulatory investigations and has some considerable success in retrieving the funds lost in fraudulent investment schemes. Joanna has developed a range of strategies both to find the assets of the individuals perpetrating the fraudulent schemes and restore the funds to our clients. As well as recognising culpability in the organisations facilitating (but not associated with the fraud), by failing to undertake adequate due diligence. She is highly experienced in high-value out-of-court settlement negotiations and has in-depth knowledge of the Civil Procedure Rules as well as English common law. *The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.*

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Ex-NBA Agent Avoids Prison For Forging Player's Signature
by Gunnar Larson 08 Sep '24

08 Sep '24

Forged notaries are a felony offense and still waiting to hear from the FBI on the two notaries I was sent forged. What I think is they assumed I would not catch the forgery... But I did by looking up the numbers in New York State's notary verification database. FBI, where are we with the NBA Outfitters because I heard that you know what I am talking about at EthereumMax. ---- Ex-NBA Agent Avoids Prison For Forging Player's Signature <https://www.law360.com/newyork/articles/1803943?nl_pk=ac5a3855-e47c-4403-be…> By Pete Brush A Manhattan federal judge on Friday allowed a former basketball agent from Texas to avoid prison after he admitted forging an unnamed NBA player's signature in a fraudulent scheme to obtain a $1 million loan from the player. Read full article » <https://www.law360.com/newyork/articles/1803943?nl_pk=ac5a3855-e47c-4403-be…> | Save to favorites » <https://www.law360.com/newyork/articles/1803943?nl_pk=ac5a3855-e47c-4403-be…>

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Ripple SEC Law.com Story
by Gunnar Larson 03 Sep '24

03 Sep '24

---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Gunnar Larson <g(a)xny.io> Date: Fri, Jan 21, 2022, 2:52 PM Subject: Ripple SEC Law.com Story To: <pbantz(a)alm.com> Mr. Bantz: My name is Gunnar Larson. I saw your Law.com story related to Ripple and the SEC <https://www.law.com/corpcounsel/2022/01/14/ripple-general-counsel-stu-alder…> . *Perhaps there is some added reporting necessary on your part, as a supplement to your story: * - Would like to learn your perspective on Ripple's customer list by Country: *https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pmz0RF_WvKKE_rRmoG_ksx0OCShmT9Zg/view?usp=drivesdk <https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pmz0RF_WvKKE_rRmoG_ksx0OCShmT9Zg/view?usp=…>* - Note, as of 2020, Ripple's top four customers are Chinese banks - Ripple's General Counsel seems to be talking about both sides of his mouth, related to the SEC. Law.com seems to be supporting this theme with your story The SEC perhaps is not being totally transparent with their Ripple case? The top customers seem to be the focus? What are your thoughts? Thank you, Gunnar -- *Gunnar Larson - xNY.io <http://www.xNY.io> | Bank.org <http://Bank.org>* MSc <https://www.unic.ac.cy/blockchain/msc-digital-currency/?utm_source=Google&u…> - Digital Currency MBA <https://www.unic.ac.cy/business-administration-entrepreneurship-and-innovat…> - Entrepreneurship and Innovation (ip) G(a)xNY.io +1-646-454-9107 New York, New York 10001

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