Tag Archives: FBI

Can Restaurant Menu QR Code Hack Your Phone?!

Did the FBI just warn people to avoid using the restaurant menu QR code, because it can hack your phone?!

Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

Claim : FBI Says Restaurant QR Code Can Hack Your Phone!

People are sharing a Daily Mail article, or screenshots of it, which claims that the FBI just warned people not to use any restaurant menu QR code because it can allow hackers to steal your data!

Here is an excerpt from the Daily Mail article. Feel free to skip to the next section for the facts!

Why you should ALWAYS ask for a physical menu: FBI warns hackers are planting fake QR CODES in restaurants that steal your data when you click the link

Scammers are making fake QR codes to place on top of real ones
This is letting them access smartphones and steal personal data

QR codes have become the new default for accessing restaurant menus across the US post-Covid — but scammers are seizing upon the new practice.

The FBI warns thieves are creating fake QR codes and planting them at eateries, retail shops and even parking meters.

Instead of taking you to an online menu or checkout, the links instantly download malware onto your device, stealing your location and personal information

The FBI has urged consumers to look out for typos or misplaced letters in URLs accessed through QR codes and ask restaurants for a physical menu.

Truth : FBI Did Not Say Restaurant QR Code Can Hack Your Phone!

This appears to be a “misunderstanding” of an actual FBI warning about QR codes. Here is what you need to know about the risks of scanning a QR code for a restaurant menu.

Fact #1 : FBI Issued QR Code Warning In January 2022

I could find no reference to a recent QR code warning by the FBI, and oddly enough, The Daily Mail did not provide a source or link to the FBI warning its article was referring to.

The FBI only released one public service announcement (PSA) about QR codes, and that was Alert Number 1-011822-PSA which was released on January 18, 2022.

If that was the source for the Daily Mail article, then it’s more than a year old, and not recent as the article appears to suggest.

Fact #2 : FBI Warned About General QR Code Risk

The FBI advisory was a general warning about the risks of tampered QR codes. Specifically, it warned about cybercriminals tampering with both digital and physical QR codes.

The FBI is issuing this announcement to raise awareness of malicious Quick Response (QR) codes. Cybercriminals are tampering with QR codes to redirect victims to malicious sites that steal login and financial information.

Cybercriminals tamper with both digital and physical QR codes to replace legitimate codes with malicious codes. A victim scans what they think to be a legitimate code but the tampered code directs victims to a malicious site…

Fact #3 : FBI Advisory Did Not Mention Restaurant / Menu

Interestingly, the entire FBI advisory did not once mention restaurants or menus, and that makes a lot of sense.

It is odd to focus on the risk of using QR codes for online menus in restaurants, when they are used in so many other ways today – from making mobile payments, as mobile tickets, login tokens, etc.

Any security risk involving restaurant menu QR codes would also apply to QR codes used for other purposes. So it really doesn’t make sense for the FBI to “pick on” restaurant menu QR codes.

Fact #4 : QR Code Is Not Malicious In Nature

QR code (which is short for Quick Response code) is not nefarious or malicious in nature. The FB advisory specifically pointed that out – “QR codes are not malicious in nature“.

The QR code is merely a type of two dimensional barcode that was invented in 1994 by the Japanese company, Denso Wave, to track automotive parts. It has since been adopted for other purposes because it is more efficient and can support more than just numbers. For example, Version 40 QR code can contain up to 7,089 numbers or 4,296 characters.

Ultimately, a QR code is nothing more than a series of numbers or characters – data which can be used for a variety of purposes, including providing a link to an online restaurant menu.

Fact #5 : QR Code Can Be Tampered With

It is true that QR codes can be tampered with. In fact, the FBI advisory was issued after Texas police departments discovered fraudulent QR code stickers on parking meters in San Antonio and Austin. Drivers who scanned those fake QR codes were taken to a scam website. instead of the real payment website.

Hence, the FBI issued that warning to remind people to check the URL link to make sure that it is the intended website, and not a phishing page with a similar link. For example, the fake website may use www.quikpay.com when the real website is www.quickpay.com.

To completely avoid this risk, avoid using QR code to access a payment website. Always go directly to the payment website on your smartphone’s web browser by keying in the link yourself. Genuine payment labels with a QR code will often include a direct URL link for you to use as a safer alternative.

Recommended : How To Block Facebook Ads + Pay Scammers!

Fact #6 : Restaurant Menu QR Code Is Low Risk

While scammers can place fraudulent QR codes over genuine ones at restaurants, bars, and other eateries, this is a very unlikely attack vector.

That’s because restaurants often use QR codes to redirect you to an online system to order food and drinks for your table. Imagine if you scan a fraudulent QR code and are asked to key in your credit card details. That would be absurd, and you would surely complain to the waiter since you haven’t even ordered your food!

In most cases, you are not expected to pay at the table using QR code. You either pay using cash / credit card / mobile payment using QR code at the payment counter. Even if that QR code is compromised, the cashier would notice it immediately as any payment made using that QR code would not reflect in the restaurant’s point-of-sale (POS) system.

And payment only occurs after dining – a fraudulent QR code that leads you to a fake website won’t allow you to actually order anything, since it’s not connected to the real restaurant and its ordering system. That’s why this attack vector is highly improbable.

In any case, many restaurants now generate temporary QR codes on disposable paper stubs to avoid this risk. The QR code is only valid for your dining session. The next person to dine at the same table will receive a different QR code.

Fact #7 : QR Code Can Potentially Inject Malware

It is possible for QR code to inject malware into the smartphone that you are using to scan. In fact, there are apps like QRGen that allow scammers / hackers to easily generate malicious QR codes. However, it isn’t quite as simple as the article makes it out to be.

For one thing – malware and exploits are limited to specific operating systems or phone models. For example, an Android exploit / malware won’t work on iPhones. Or an exploit / malware that makes use of an Android 11 vulnerability won’t work on newer / updated Android smartphones since they would have patched the exploit.

Second – any malware will require considerable amounts of code to load. The scammer / hacker will have to use an enormous QR code like the version 40 example below, or it will need to convince you to download and install the malware package itself.

Genuine restaurant menu QR codes are simple – like the version 1 / version 10 examples above, because they only serve a link to their online menu / ordering system. If you see a large and complex QR code like the version 40 example, avoid scanning it, and ask the restaurant staff to verify its authenticity.

Restaurant menu QR codes would also never ask you to download or install anything. They only serve to load a link to an online menu / ordering system, so if you are asked to download or install anything, do NOT proceed, and notify the restaurant.

These tips also apply to other businesses that use QR codes to show you a menu, discounts, offers, information, etc.

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Was Human Meat Found In McDonald’s Factories?!

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Did US meat inspectors find human meat in several McDonald’s factories across the United States?!

Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

Claim : Human Meat Found In McDonald’s Factories!

People are sharing a video which purportedly shows meat inspectors discovering human meat in McDonald’s factories across the United States. Here is a transcript of the video :

Oklahoma City – first, horse meat, then the mysterious “pink slime”. Now, human meat?

A shocking discovery has been made in an Oklahoma City McDonald’s meat factory and other McDonald’s meat factories nationwide.

Meat inspectors reportedly found, what appeared to be, human meat stored in the meat factory freezers of an Oklahoma City meat factory, and human meat already in trucks right outside the factory ready to be shipped to McDonald’s restaurants.

Health inspectors immediately demanded inspection in various McDonald’s meat factories across the country, and horrifyingly found human meat in about 90% of the factories inspected thus far.

The USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) has seized McDonald’s production and shipping, and will call for more meat factory inspections, and restaurant inspections.

The FBI is also investigating the factories. FBI agent Lloyd Harrison told Huzler reporters “The worst part is that it’s not only human meat, it’s child meat. The body parts that were found across the US factories were deemed too small to be adult body parts.”

The situation brings up many unanswered questions. How long have they been using human meat? Where did they get the children from? Were they already dead when brought into factories?

Investigators and inspectors are currently being deployed for intensive investigations all around the US. Here is another clip, when earlier McDonalds was caught!

Show less

Did US meat inspectors find human meat in several McDonald's factories across the US?! 😱😱

Here is my FACT CHECK : https://t.co/wlnVyzitQm #TechARP #McDonalds #Food #FoodSafety #Meat #Human #Crime #FBI #Children #Facts #FactsMatter #FactCheck #Fake #FakeNews #Viral #TikTok pic.twitter.com/dMxq6RQCYk

— Dr. Adrian Wong (@AdrianTechARP) May 4, 2023

Truth : No Human Meat Was Ever Found In McDonald’s Factories!

This is another example of FAKE NEWS circulating on social media and WhatsApp groups, and here are the reasons why….

Fact #1 : No Human Meat Was Ever Found In McDonald’s Factories

Let me be very clear – no human meat was ever found in McDonald’s factories or restaurants.

If this actually happened, it would have been worldwide news, and McDonald’s would have been shut down for good. Many McDonald’s executives and their suppliers would also face criminal charges.

Yet, there has been ZERO mention of this on any legitimate news website. There is also no mention of such an incredible find in any USDA or FBI press releases.

Needless to say, McDonald’s factories and restaurants continue to operate normally. That’s because this never happened. No human meat was ever found in McDonald’s factories or restaurants.

Fact #2 : Human Meat Patty Picture Was From Resident Evil 6 Promo!

The pictures of “human meat” used in the fake video was misappropriated from a Resident Evil 6 promo in London.

Back in September 2012, Capcom created a pop-up butchery called Wesker & Son (Wholesale Meats) in Smithfield Meat Market.

Once at the butchery, members of the public will be invited to sample and purchase a dizzying array of edible human limbs including hands, feet and a human head, which will be available to buy directly from the shop.

As well as these specially created products, gamers will be able to buy ‘Peppered Human & Lemon Sausages’ and ‘J’avo Caught Human Thigh Steaks’ along with some specially made pots of Red Herb and Green Herb.

All proceeds from the sale of the meat will be donated to the Limbless Association, which provides information and support to the limb-loss community.

Fact #3 : Story Was Created By A Fake News Website

This fake story created by a content aggregation (copy and paste) website called Huzlers, that also creates fake stories to go viral. This particular Huzlers article was written by Pablo Reyes Jr, and published on April 7, 2014 – more than 9 years ago!

To give their fake story a “veneer of satire”, they added a tagline below the writer’s name – “Believe half of what you see and nothing you read online“.

The truth is – they intentionally created the fake story to trigger you into sharing their article, so they can go viral and make money from the increased page views.

Fact #4 : McDonald’s Sells Billions Of Burgers Every Year

Let me just point out that McDonald’s sells over a billion pounds of meat every year, just in the United States. That means their suppliers have to slaughter thousands of cows every day to keep up with the demand.

Children are much smaller than cows. Those suppliers would need to slaughter tens of thousands of children a day to replace the cows. Does that really make sense to you?

The American continent would run out of children to slaughter within a year! And how does killing children for burgers make economic sense, never mind common sense?

Fact #5 : Pink Slime No Longer Used In McDonald’s Food

The fake story and video used a picture of pink slime, claiming that it was also used in McDonald’s foods.

That’s also false, because by the time the fake story was written (in 2014), McDonald’s stopped using “pink slime”, which is really Lean Finely Textured Beef (LFTB).

Q : Have you ever used so-called ‘pink slime’ in your burgers?

A : Yes, we used Lean Finely Textured Beef between 2004 and 2011. We do not use this today.

Despite its gross sounding name and look, LFTB is simply beef that has been separated from the fat in beef trimmings. LFTB technology recovers meat that would otherwise be wasted and thrown away.

Think of LFTB as low-fat beef paste. Regular ground beef consists of about 30% fat, while LFTB only has about 5% fat.

Fact #6 : Pink Slime Picture Not From McDonald’s Factory

The picture used in the fake story and video isn’t from a McDonald’s factory. However, it should be pointed out that LFTB looks like that – pink-coloured paste.

The pink colour comes from the ammonia hydroxide – an antimicrobial agent used to treat LFTB and prevent bacterial growth.

Fact #7 : Ammonia In LFTB Isn’t Toxic

Even though McDonald’s no longer uses “pink slime” in their burgers, I should point out that the amount of ammonia used in LFTB isn’t dangerous.

The amount of ammonia present in Lean Finely Textured Beef (LFTB) is actually comparable to ammonia levels present in existing foods :

Food	Ammonia Level
American Cheese	813 ppm
Unblended LFTB	400-500 ppm
Ketchup	411 ppm
Onions	342 ppm
Blended Beef Patty with 15% LFTB	200 ppm
Ground Beef	101 ppm

Everything published by Huzlers should be regarded as FAKE NEWS, until proven otherwise.

Please help us fight fake news websites like Huzlers – SHARE this fact check out, and SUPPORT our work!

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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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SBF Flew Business As Judge Recuses From FTX Case!

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The FTX drama continues as SBF was seen flying business class, while Judge Ronnie Abrams recused herself from the case!

Judge Ronnie Abrams Recuses From SBF FTX Case!

The FTX drama continues with the shocking announcement by US District Judge Ronnie Abrams over a potential conflict of interest.

On Friday afternoon, December 23, Federal Judge Ronnie Abrams of the US District Court for the Southern District of New York recused herself from the FTX case.

The judge’s husband, Greg D. Andres, is a partner at the law firm Davis Polk & Wardwell, which advised FTX in 2021. Though Andres himself did not personally advise FTX, Abrams chose to recuse herself from the case “to avoid any possible conflict, or the appearance of one.”

The order also stated that Davis Polk & Wardwell previously represented parties “that may be adverse to FTX and Defendant Bankman-Fried,” though Andres allegedly did not represent those clients either.

RONNIE ABRAMS, United States District Judge:

It has come to the Court’s attention that the law firm of Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, at which my husband is a partner, advised FTX in 2021, as well as represented parties that may be adverse to FTX and Defendant Bankman-Fried in other proceedings (or potential proceedings). My husband has had no involvement in any of these representations. These matters are confidential and their substance is unknown to the Court. Nonetheless, to avoid any possible conflict, or the appearance of one, the Court hereby recuses itself from this action. See 28

U.S.C. § 455.

This decision came just one day after Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) was released from custody pending trial on eight criminal charges including wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and violations of federal campaign finance laws.

It is unknown why Judge Ronnie Abrams chose to wait until now to recuse herself from the FTX case. But it should be pointed that it was a different judge – Gabrial Gorenstein, who approved the record-setting $250 million bond that did not require SBF to pay a single cent up front.

A new judge from the Southern District of New York will now have to be selected to oversee Sam Bankman-Fried’s trial.

SBF Free + Flying Business On “No Cash Up Front” FTX Case Bail!

In the meantime, the disgraced FTX co-founder was spotted “chilling” in the American Airlines Greenwich Business Class lounge located at Terminal 8 of the John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York City.

Sam Bankman-Fried was accompanied by his parents, FBI agents and lawyers. He had full access to what looks like an Acer Predator gaming laptop, and a smartphone. When he was asked for a photo, SBF replied, “Haha maybe not today“.

You may recall that, on December 9, SBF claimed that he did not have access to (much of) his professional or personal data, despite having obvious access to a laptop and a mobile phone.

1) I still do not have access to much of my data — professional or personal. So there is a limit to what I will be able to say, and I won’t be as helpful as I’d like. But as the committee still thinks it would be useful, I am willing to testify on the 13th.

SBF was later spotted in the Business class section of an American Airlines flight, “disguised with a beanie”. He appeared to be engaged in conversation with a suited executive.

The suited executive could be his lawyer, Mark Cohen, who may have been accompanying the disgraced FTX co-founder to his parents’ home in Palo Alto, California, where he has to serve his house arrest while awaiting trial.

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XPeng Engineer Guilty Of Stealing Apple Car Secrets!

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An XPeng engineer just pleaded guilty to stealing trade secrets from the Apple Project Titan self-driving car program!

Here is what we know so far…

XPeng Engineer Guilty Of Stealing Apple Car Secrets!

A former Apple engineer who joined Xpeng – the Chinese electric vehicle maker, just pleaded guilty to the criminal charge of stealing trade secrets from the Apple self-driving car program!

Zhang Xiaolang initially pleaded not guilty to the charges, but he reached a plea deal with prosecutors and changed his plea to guilty, according to court documents released on Monday, August 22, 2022.

The plea deal is sealed, so the details are unknown. Zhang’s attorney, Daniel Olmos, confirmed the plea agreement but declined to comment on the details. Sentencing however is set for November 2022.

Zhang faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine. With this plea deal, he should serve a much shorter sentence.

In addition to Zhang, US federal prosecutors also charged Chen Jizhong with stealing secrets from the Apple self-driving car program. Chen, however, continues to plead not guilty, and will have his day in court on August 29, 2022.

Chen is also represented by the same lawyer as Zhang – Daniel Olmos.

How XPeng Engineer Stole Apple Car Secrets!

Zhang Xiaolang worked on the Apple Project Titan autonomous vehicle program as a hardware engineer between 2015 and 2018, during which he designed and tested circuit boards.

He travelled to China during his paternity leave in 2018, and on returning in April 2018, he told his boss at Apple that he was leaving to work for XPeng (Guangzhou Xiaopeng Motors Technology) in China.

XPeng, also known as XMotors in the United States, is a Chinese electric car startup backed by Alibaba, Foxconn and IDG Capital. It has developed electric cars like the XPeng G3 and XPeng P5.

His boss felt that Zhang was “being evasive” during the meeting. There was also increased network activity and visits to his office, before he resigned. All that led to an internal Apple investigation of his two company-issued phones and laptop.

That’s when they discovered that Zhang had been downloading confidential files from the Apple lab during his time away. He was also caught on CCTV removing circuit boards and a Linux server from their lab.

Zhang’s network activity was found to consist of “both bulk searches and targeted downloading copious pages of information from the various confidential database applications“.

Zhang was arrested at the San Jose airport in July 7, 2018, before he could board a last-minute, one-way flight to China aboard Hainan Airlines.

In an interview with Apple’s security team, Zhang admitted that he downloaded the data online, and removed hardware from its labs. He also admitted to the FBI that he stored the files he downloaded on his wife’s laptop.

The FBI described the data he stoled as “largely technical in nature, including engineering schematics, technical reference manuals, and technical reports“.

The files – about 24 GB worth – include a 25-page document containing engineering schematics of a circuit board, as well as technical manuals and PDFs related to the Apple self-driving car prototype.

The other Apple engineer to be charged with stealing secrets of its autonomous car project – Chen Jizhong – was accused of stealing stolen thousands of sensitive documents, as well as 100 photos taken inside its self-driving facility – all discovered in a hard disk drive he owned.

Chen was also arrested when he attempted to board a flight to China, ostensibly to visit his ill father.

XPeng Denies Involvement In Theft Of Apple Car Secrets!

XPeng said in a Weibo post that it was aware of the plea agreement from media reports, but it was “not clear about the details, nor involved in further investigation conducted by US law enforcement“.

It has been more than four years into the case, and we are not aware of the specifics of the case and have not been involved in the follow-up investigation of the case by the US judiciary.

We also have no relevant dispute with Apple and have no connection with the case. We strictly abide by relevant laws and attaches great importance to intellectual property protection.

Zhang joined XMotors in May 2018, but the company quickly distanced itself from its employee, stating on July 11, 2021 :

There is no indication that he has ever communicated any sensitive information from Apple to XMotors.

XMotors always has strictly abided by the laws of China and the United States and takes protection of intellectual property rights seriously.

Company spokesperson Isabel Jiang also stated that once they were notified in late June 2018 that US authorities were investigating Zhang, they secured his computer and office equipment and denied him access to his work. They subsequently fired him.

XPeng also said that Zhang signed an intellectual property compliance document on the day he joined, and that there was “no record that he reported any sensitive and illegal situations” to the company.

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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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FBI + MI5 Issue Joint Warning On Chinese Spying!

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The FBI and MI5 just issued a joint warning about economic spying and hacking operations by the Chinese government!

Here is what you need to know…

FBI + MI5 Issue Joint Warning On Chinese Spying!

On July 7, 2022, FBI Director Christopher Wray joined MI5 Director General Ken McCallum at the MI5 London headquarters to issue a joint warning about Chinese spying and cyberattacks.

Ken McCallum said that MI5 was running seven times as many investigations into China, as it had just four years ago. He also said that MI5 planned to double that to tackle the widespread attempts.

Christopher Wray, on the other hand, stressed that the FBI had substantially increased its investigations into China, and is currently managing about 2,000 problems, and opening about two counterintelligence cases every day.

The Chinese government is set on stealing your technology – whatever it is that makes your industry tick – and using it to undercut your business and dominate your market.

Maintaining a technological edge may do more to increase a company’s value than would partnering with a Chinese company to sell into that huge Chinese market, only to find the Chinese government and your partner stealing and copying your innovation.

Both McCallum and Wray alleged that the Chinese government is engaged in a “coordinated campaign” to “cheat and steal [technology] on a massive scale“.

They also stressed that China’s hacking programme dwarfs that of any other major country, and that it has a global network of intelligence operatives.

FBI + MI5 : China Also Preparing To Shield From Sanctions

Even more worrying is the fact that China is working to shield its economy from any future sanctions, obviously learning from how the West punished Russia for invading Ukraine.

This suggests that China is at least preparing for the possibility, if not the eventuality, of insulating its economy from potential sanctions, should it attack Taiwan.

Wray said that China is “trying to cushion themselves from harm if they do anything to draw the ire of the international community”, and that the Chinese government is pressuring Western businesses not to criticise Beijing or its policies.

He declined to say whether an invasion of Taiwan has become more likely due to these measures, but warn that Western investments in China could be similarly impacted by such a conflict.

Just as in Russia, Western investments built over years could become hostage, capital stranded. Supply chains and relationships disrupted.

Wray also shared that the Chinese government had directly interfered in a New York congressional election, because they did not want a candidate who was a critic and a former Tiananmen Square protestor to be elected.

China has for far too long counted on being everybody’s second-highest priority. They are not flying under the radar anymore.

Both Wray and McCallum said that the intention of the joint address was to “send the clearest signal” to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), because if China decides to invade Taiwan, it would cause “one of the most horrific business disruptions the world has ever seen“.

FBI + MI5 : Examples Of Chinese Spying

McCallum shared some specific cases of Chinese spying activities that MI5 detected and thwarted.

Covert Theft

Late last year Chinese intelligence officer Shu Yenjoon was convicted in a US court on charges of economic espionage and theft of trade secrets from the US aviation sector.

Shu was active in Europe too: he’d been part of a prolific Ministry of State Security network targeting the aerospace sector.

MI5 worked with those being targeted in the UK to mitigate the risks until the FBI action could solve the problem for both of us.

Tech Transfer

Clandestine espionage methodology isn’t always necessary. Take the tale of Smith’s Harlow, a UK-based precision engineering firm. In 2017 Smith’s Harlow entered into a deal with a Chinese firm, Futures Aerospace. The first of three agreed technology transfers saw Futures pay £3m for quality control procedures and training courses.

You know how this ends: after further sharing of valuable IP, Futures abandoned the deal. Smith’s Harlow went into administration in 2020. As their Chairman put it: “They’ve taken what they wanted and now they’ve got it, they didn’t need the shell of Smith’s”.

Information Advantage

The CCP doesn’t just use intelligence officers posing as diplomats in the classic fashion. Privileged information is gathered on multiple channels, in what is sometimes referred to as the ‘thousand grains of sand’ strategy.

In Germany a retired political scientist and his wife who together ran a foreign policy think tank passed information to the Chinese intelligence services for almost ten years.

In Estonia a NATO maritime scientist was convicted for passing information to his Chinese handlers, who claimed to be working for a think tank.

Cultivating New Contacts

The deceptive use of professional networking sites is well known. Seemingly flattering approaches turn into something more insidious – and damaging.

In one example a British aviation expert received an approach online, ostensibly went through a recruitment process, and was offered an attractive employment opportunity. He travelled twice to China where he was wined and dined. He was then asked – and paid – for detailed technical information on military aircraft. The ‘company’ was actually run by Chinese intelligence officers.

Chinese Response To FBI + MI5 Spying Allegations

Chinese government officials naturally rejected spying allegations by the FBI and MI5.

A spokesman for the Chinese embassy in Washington, Liu Pengyu, called the accusations groundless and said that China “firmly opposes and combats all forms of cyber-attacks“, and would “never encourage, support or condone cyber-attacks“.

His statement also said that the Taiwan issue was “purely China’s internal affair” and that there was “no room for compromise or concession“. It also said that China “will strive for the prospect of peaceful reunification with utmost sincerity and efforts“, but noted that China would “reserve the option of taking all necessary measures in response to the interference of foreign forces“.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian did not address the claims directly, but accused the United States of being the real danger instead.

The relevant US politician has been playing up the so-called China threat to smear and attack China. Facts have fully proven that the US is the biggest threat to world peace, stability and development.

We urge this US official to have the right perspective, see China’s developments in an objective and reasonable manner and stop spreading lies and stop making irresponsible remarks.

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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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US Mil Contractor Admits Selling Aviation Secrets To China!

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A US military contractor just pleaded guilty to selling classified aviation secrets to China!

US Mil Contractor Admits Selling Aviation Secrets To China!

On 23 June 2022, Shapour Moinian, 67, of San Diego, pleaded guilty to selling classified aviation secrets to “representatives of the Chinese government”.

Moinan admitted that he knew that those individuals were employed by, or directed by, t he government of the People’s Republic of China.

He also admitted making false statements to cover that up, by lying on his government background questionnaires in July 2017 and March 2020 that he did not have any close or continuing contacts with foreign nations, and that no foreign national had offered him a job.

He now faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, and a fine of up to $250,000 for action as an agent of a foreign government, and up to 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for making false statements.

His sentencing is scheduled for August 29, where federal prosecutors have agreed to recommend a sentence of no more than 20 months, as part of his plea agreement.

As Special Agent in Charge Stacey Moy of the FBI’s San Diego Field Office explains :

The defendant admitted to being an unregistered agent of a foreign power, lying on his background check paperwork to obtain his security clearance, knowingly providing proprietary information to people controlled by the Chinese government, and willingly receiving payments from them. This is another example of how the Chinese government enhances its defense capabilities through the illicit exploitation of U.S. technology.

When someone holds a security clearance, they know what information should be reported to security officials. In this case, the defendant betrayed his sacred oath, knew his actions were wrong, and subsequently lied about it. The FBI and our partners on the Counterintelligence Task Force will pursue anyone who abuses their placement and access to obtain proprietary information on behalf of a foreign government. I specifically want to thank the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) for their continued partnership on this case.

How This Military Contractor Sold Aviation Secrets To China!

Moinan was a former US Army helicopter pilot who served in the United States, Germany and South Korea from 1977 to 2000. After leaving the US Army, he worked for various “cleared” defence contractors in the United States.

The term “cleared” indicates that the contractor has been vetted and cleared to work on projects involving classified information.

While working for a cleared defence contractor on various aviation projects involving the US military and intelligence agencies, Moinan was contacted by an individual in China, who claimed to be working for a technical recruiting company.

This Chinese individual offered Moinan the opportunity to consult for the aviation industry in China. In March 2017, Moinan travelled to Hong Kong to meet with this recruiter.

At that meeting, he agreed to provide information and materials related to multiple types of aircraft designed and/or manufactured in the United States, in exchange for money. Moinan accepted between $7,000 to $10,000 during that meeting.

On returning to the United States, Shapour Moinan began gathering aviation-related materials for the Chinese government.

In one instance, he copied classified materials obtained from a cleared defence contractor into a thumb drive, which he handed over to Chinese government officials during a stopover in the Shanghai airport in September 2017.

Moinan arranged for payment for this transfer to be paid through his stepdaughter’s South Korean bank account. He told her that these funds were payments for his overseas consulting work, and instructed her to transfer the funds to him in multiple transactions – to avoid scrutiny.

Moinan also accepted a mobile phone, and other equipment from these Chinese government officials to securely communicate with them, and to aid in the electronic transfer of classified materials and information.

At the end of March 2018, Moinan travelled to Bali to meet with the same individuals again. After that meeting, his step daughter received thousands of dollars in her South Korean bank account, which she wired to him in multiple transactions.

Later in 2018, Moinan went to work for another cleared defence contractor, and in August 2019, he travelled with his wife to Hong Kong to meet with the same Chinese government officials.

This time, he received $22,000 in cash for his services, which Moinan and his wife smuggled into the United States that trip.

It is currently unknown how the US government discovered Moines’s activities, but he was investigated by the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division and the Naval Criminal Investigation Service (NCIS).

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Was Pfizer CEO Arrested For Fraud By FBI In #PfizerGate?

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Was Pfizer CEO, Albert Bourla, arrested by the FBI at his home, and charged with multiple counts of fraud?

Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the FACTS really are!

Claim : Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla Arrested For Fraud By FBI!

Social media has gone nuts, with the news that Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla was arrested by the FBI, and charged with multiple counts of fraud!

It all stemmed from this Conservative Beaver article that was posted on 5 November 2021.

It’s a LONG read, so just skip to the next section for the facts…

Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla was arrested at his home in the affluent suburb of Scarsdale, New York Friday morning by the FBI and charged with multiple counts of fraud. Bourla is being held while he awaits a bail hearing. Federal agents are in the process of executing a search warrant at his home and at multiple other properties he owns across the country.

Albert Bourla faces fraud charges for his role in deceiving customers on the effectiveness of the COVID-19 “vaccine.” Pfizer is accused of falsifying data, and paying out large bribes. According to an FBI agent that spoke to the Conservative Beaver, Pfizer lied about the effectiveness of the vaccines, and mislead customers about the serious side effects the vaccines can produce. Pfizer is accused of paying off governments and the mainstream media to stay silent.

NEW: Our latest investigation hears from a whistleblower engaged in Pfizer’s pivotal covid-19 vaccine trial. Her evidence raises serious questions about data integrity and regulatory oversight https://t.co/Ho99hQhwRM

— The BMJ (@bmj_latest) November 2, 2021

Albert Bourla was already in hot water after it was revealed Pfizer, and a research partner, “falsified data, un-blinded patients, employed inadequately trained vaccinators, and was slow to follow up on adverse events.” The whistleblower Brook Jackson was fired as a result of her attempts to stop the fraud that was being committed, BMJ reported.

In October, Project Veritas released a series of leaks dubbed “PfizerLeaks.” In the video, another Pfizer whistleblower reveals how the company uses aborted fetal cells in the COVID-19 “vaccine.” Pfizer tried to keep this fact hidden from the public.

If convicted, Albert Bourla could spend the rest of his life in prison. Bourla is considered innocent until proven guilty.

The police have ordered a media blackout, which was immediately approved by a judge. Conservative Beaver is based in Canada, and not subject to American law.

Show less

Truth : Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla Was NOT Arrested By FBI

The truth is – Pfizer CEO was NOT arrested by the FBI. Neither was he charged with fraud over the COMIRNATY vaccine or “PfizerGate”.

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS about the Pfizer vaccine that was created by a fake news website to generate page views and money from gullible people.

And here are the facts…

Fact #1 : Conservative Beaver Is A Known Fake News Website

The Conservative Beaver is a “news aggregator” (copy and paste) website that is known for creating fake news to generate more page views and money.

4 November 2021 : They wrote a fake story about Virginia governor Terry McAuliffe being arrested and charged with possession of child porn and cocaine. This never happened.

1 November 2021 : They wrote a fake story about an American Airlines plane crashing into the Atlantic ocean after the pilot died from a heart attack, after taking his second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. There was no such plane crash.

23 October 2021 : They wrote a fake story about Alec Baldwin being arrested for first-degree murder and possession of child pornography. That did not happen.

19 October 2021 : They wrote a fake story claiming that Colin Powell‘s doctor said that died from vaccine side effects, and not COVID-19 or cancer. That is completely false.

17 October 2021 : They wrote a fake story about Brian Laundrie being found alive in Mexico, and was in the process of being extradited to Florida. His body was found a week later.

Fact #2 : Albert Bourla Remained Active On Twitter

For someone who was arrested by the FBI and charged with fraud, Albert Bourla remained remarkably active on Twitter.

At 7:10 PM on 5 November 2021 – while he was supposedly under FBI custody, he posted this thread about the Pfizer oral antiviral treatment for COVID-19 – PAXLOVID :

Today is a proud day for @Pfizer. A day when the power of our science and our scientists’ ability to rapidly advance a homegrown asset for the benefit of humankind is on full display.

Here is a quick thread:

— Albert Bourla (@AlbertBourla) November 5, 2021

Fact #3 : Albert Bourla Appeared In Public TWICE!

Even though Albert Bourla was supposed to be under FBI custody with a media blackout, he appeared on CNN on 5 November 2021!

He also appeared on CNBC on 5 November 2021! So much for a media blackout…

Fact #4 : FBI Cannot Order Media Blackout

The FBI cannot order a media blackout over any arrest, even if it’s of a celebrity or a notable person like the CEO of Pfizer.

Even if that is somehow possible – it’s not – the FBI cannot control the worldwide media, or prevent anyone from writing about such a momentous arrest.

You can also be sure that even if the American press refused to run the story, it would have been gleefully published by the likes of RT, Al Jazeera, CGTN, Global Times, etc.

Yet, not a single press outlet published their account of this incredible story? That’s only because IT NEVER HAPPENED…

Everything that Conservative Beaver posts should be regarded as FAKE NEWS, until proven otherwise.

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He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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Did White Cops Arrest Black Man, Only He’s FBI?!

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Did white Minnesota police officers arrest a black man, only to find out that he’s really an FBI agent?!

Take a look at the shocking video, and find out what the facts REALLY are…

White Cops Arrest Black Man, Finds He’s FBI!

People are sharing the shocking video of Minnesota police officers – all white – arresting a black man.

Many claimed that it happened last night, and that the police officers only backed off after they discovered that he was actually an FBI agent!

White Cops Arrest Black Man, Finds He’s FBI : The Facts!

While the video is genuine, the stories are completely untrue. Watch the video and our debunking! We will share the facts directly under the video.

Fact #1 : The Man Was Not An FBI Agent

If you watch the video carefully, you will note that the man never once identified himself as an FBI agent.

One of his friends also clarified that he was not an FBI agent, but a paramedic EMT.

Fact #2 : The Incident Happened One Year Ago

The incident involving Atter happened almost exactly a year ago – on 1 June 2019 at 1 AM.

The Rochester police officers thought he looked like someone with a warrant, and released him after they checked his ID and confirmed he wasn’t the person they were looking for.

The City of Rochester issued an official press release confirming this, as well as the fact that Atter was not an FBI agent.

Fact #3 : The OP Never Made Those Claims

The person (@thisisnike1) who released this video on Instagram, specifically did not claim that Atter was an FBI agent, and said that the video was over a year old :

“‪Somethin’ been telling me to hold on to this video over a year now, ok.”

This misleading use of a genuine video follows a slew of similar fake news about the George Floyd protests in the US :

So beware of similar fake posts, because they appear to be part of some disinformation campaign.

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Name : Adrian Wong
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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SoFlo iPhone Unlocking Hoax Debunked

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A video published by SoFlo (Antonio Lievano), a notorious Facebook content thief, has gone viral after it mocked the FBI for not knowing how to gain entry into a locked iPhone. In the video, SoFloAntonio demonstrated how anyone can gain entry into a locked Apple iPhone without knowing the password. We will debunk the SoFlo iPhone unlocking video, and show you how he scammed you.

Updated @ 2016-03-07 : Added a proof video demonstrating that the hack is a hoax on two different Apple iPhones, and added a page detailing the Siri bug that the hoax is based on, as well as its relevance to the FBI.

Updated @ 2016-03-10 : SoFlo Antonio removed his video suddenly at around 12:50 AM (GMT+8), wiping out millions of views and over a million shares. We also added a new “Touch ID & Assistive Touch” section in Page 2.

Updated @ 2016-03-11 : It appears that the video is now up again, but shifted to the official SoFlo account, instead of SoFlo Antonio’s account. It’s amazing how much power Facebook gives SoFlo.

Debunking The SoFlo iPhone Unlocking Hoax

SoFlo / Antonio Lievano used a common magician’s trick to fool you into thinking he actually unlocked an Apple iPhone without knowing the passcode – misdirection.

To figure out how he did it, you must first understand that you do NOT actually need to key in the passcode to get into an Apple iPhone, particularly if it is your own iPhone. All you really need is an Apple iPhone with the Touch ID fingerprint recognition feature (first introduced in the Apple iPhone 5s). 😀

Watch this video that we specially prepared to show you how and where he misdirected you into thinking he found an easy way to get past the iPhone’s passcode security :

So now you know how he tricked you. He didn’t do anything but activate the iPhone’s Touch ID right at the start. This allowed him to access the Photos app and get out into the Home screen.

If you disable Touch ID, or just press on the Home button with the end of a pen, you will NEVER get into the Photos app, or out into the Home screen. In fact, you will not even be able to share the “soflo” clock you created (0:37 in the video).

His mocking of the FBI, however, was a marketing masterstroke. It got all of you to share and make his fake video viral. Who doesn’t want to show the world how stupid the FBI really is? So you share it out without thinking twice. Now who looks like the idiot here? 😀

Instead of sharing his FAKE video, why not share our video instead? We guarantee you will look SMARTER than your friends who shared SoFlo’s video! 😀

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Our Debunking Proof Video New!

Ever since we posted the debunking video, we received claims by a number of people who claimed to have successfully performed the hack. Some even questioned whether we tested it out before claiming SoFlo was trolling us with another hoax. Let us address that once and for all.

First of all, we fully tested and investigated his methodology before we even spent time creating the video. That’s why it took us a while to create our video after the SoFlo video was flagged to us for investigation. Even then, we continued to try on the two Apple iPhones we have here, to no avail. We even enlisted our friends to test their iPhones.

But as they say – talk is cheap. In this video, we will show you what we have been doing using the Apple iPhone 6 and Apple iPhone 5C (internally the same as the Apple iPhone 5). We will also show you how it is only possible to replicate SoFlo’s “hack” using Touch ID. Check it out…

Please note that we are not saying that those who successfully followed SoFlo’s “hack” are liars. In fact, we will now explain to you how some people are successfully doing it, and why SoFlo’s method is still wrong.

This explanation is a bit long, so we have to shift it to the second page. Head on over if you are interested to learn more about why the SoFlo iPhone unlocking hack is a hoax.

Next Page > iOS 9 Siri Bug, Relevance To The FBI

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iOS 9 Siri Bug

The source of SoFlo’s iPhone unlocking hack is really the iOS 9 Siri bug that was revealed right after iOS 9 was released on September 16, 2015. Here are the steps to exploit that bug :

[adrotate banner=”4″]In the Lock screen, key in an incorrect passcode a few times.
On the last attempt, invoke Siri immediately.
Ask Siri for the time, and click to add a new Clock.
Type in a random word in the Choose a City search field.
Select the random word and Share it as a Message.
Once in the Message app, you can access the entire Photo Library.
You can also select Create New Contact to access the Contact List.

Note the initial step of keying in an incorrect passcode a few times. It is this initial step that is (likely) allowing some users to successfully replicate the exploit. SoFlo did not mention that in his video. So even if we assume he was using an iOS 9 device, how did he even exploit the bug?

More importantly, the iOS 9 Siri bug only allows you to access the device’s Photo Library and Contact List. It does NOT allow you to go to the Home screen, and basically access the device in its entirety. Yet SoFlo demonstrated that his hack allows him to access the Home screen. How is that possible?

The simplest explanation is that SoFlo didn’t actually hack the iPhone. As we demonstrated in our proof video, triggering Touch ID is the only guaranteed way to properly replicate everything he did.

Touch ID & Assistive Touch New!

If you watch our proof video carefully, you will note that we not only used the pen to trigger Siri, we also used it to get out to the Home screen. This is because Touch ID is active AT ALL TIMES. In one instance, we chose to use the Assistive Touch shortcut, instead of the physical Home button. We did this to avoid activating Touch ID.

In other words, those of you who may have taken the precaution of calling Siri using a pen, or with your finger covered with cloth, may have activated Touch ID anyway when you pressed on the Home button later in the “hack”. To be sure you are not activating Touch ID, either disable it completely, or use a pen to press on the Home button at all times, or use Assistive Touch.

Relevance To The FBI

SoFlo’s mocking of the FBI is deliberately designed to trick you into making his hoax video go viral. Who would pass up a chance to thumb their noses at the FBI? 😀

But let’s consider the likelihood that the iOS 9 Siri bug would be of any use to the FBI, in their efforts to gain access into the Apple iPhone 5C (the same model we used in our proof video) used by one of the two shooters in the 2015 San Bernardino attack.

This bug was fixed in iOS 9.0.1, released just one week later on September 23, 2015. The San Bernardino attack happened on December 2, 2015. It is more than likely that the Apple iPhone 5C used had already been patched. By December 2, Apple had already released 2 minor updates and one major update :

iOS 9.0.1 – September 23, 2015
iOS 9.0.2 – September 30, 2015
iOS 9.1 – October 21, 2015

We do not have any information on the exact iOS version the San Bernardino iPhone 5C is using. But considering the efforts the FBI have gone into forcing Apple into installing an exploit to gain access to that device, it has likely been patched against the iOS 9 Siri bug. Needless to say, the exploit will not work if Siri was disabled.

Incidentally, if SoFlo actually discovered an exploit that actually unlocked an iPhone without the passcode or Touch ID, he would have taken it to the FBI. The publicity he would have earned from that act would be worth far, FAR more than spreading a viral video.

Think about it.

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