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One 80-year-old retired teacher in Los Angeles lost $69,000 in bitcoin to scammers. And 46,000 people lost over $1 billion to crypto scams since 2021 (according to America's Federal Trade Commission).

Now the Los Angeles Times reports California's new moves against scammers using bitcoin ATMs, with a bill one representative says "is about ensuring that people who have been frauded in our communities don't continue to watch our state step aside when we know that these are real problems that are happening." Starting in January, California will limit cryptocurrency ATM transactions to $1,000 per day per person under Senate Bill 401, which Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law. Some bitcoin ATM machines advertise limits as high as $50,000... Victims of bitcoin ATM scams say limiting the transactions will give people more time to figure out they're being tricked and prevent them from using large amounts of cash to buy cryptocurrency.

But crypto ATM operators say the new laws will harm their industry and the small businesses they pay to rent space for the machines. There are more than 3,200 bitcoin ATMs in California, according to Coin ATM Radar, a site that tracks the machines' locations. "This bill fails to adequately address how to crack down on fraud, and instead takes a punitive path focused on a specific technology that will shudder the industry and hurt consumers, while doing nothing to stop bad actors," said Charles Belle, executive director of the Blockchain Advocacy Coalition...

Law enforcement has cracked down on unlicensed crypto ATMs, but it can be tough for consumers to tell how serious the industry is about addressing the concerns. In 2020, a Yorba Linda man pleaded guilty to charges of operating unlicensed bitcoin ATMs and failing to maintain an anti-money-laundering program even though he knew criminals were using the funds. The illegal business, known as Herocoin, allowed people to buy and sell bitcoin in transactions of up to $25,000 and charged a fee of up to 25%. So there's also provisions in the law against exorbitant fees: The new law also bars bitcoin ATM operators from collecting fees higher than $5 or 15% of the transaction, whichever is greater, starting in 2025. Legislative staff members visited a crypto kiosk in Sacramento and found markups as high as 33% on some digital assets when they compared the prices at which cryptocurrency is bought and sold. Typically, a crypto ATM charges fees between 12% and 25% over the value of the digital asset, according to a legislative analysis...

Another law would by July 2025 require digital financial asset businesses to obtain a license from the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation.

Original post:
California Law Limits Bitcoin ATM Transactions to $1,000 to Thwart ... - Slashdot

Amir Golestan, the 40-year-old CEO of the Charleston, S.C. based technology company Micfo, has been sentenced to five years in prison for wire fraud. From a report: Golestan's sentencing comes nearly two years after he pleaded guilty to using an elaborate network of phony companies to secure more than 735,000 Internet Protocol (IP) addresses from the American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN), the nonprofit which oversees IP addresses assigned to entities in the U.S., Canada, and parts of the Caribbean.

In 2018, ARIN sued Golestan and Micfo, alleging they had obtained hundreds of thousands of IP addresses under false pretenses. ARIN and Micfo settled that dispute in arbitration, with Micfo returning most of the addresses that it hadn't already sold. ARIN's civil case caught the attention of federal prosecutors in South Carolina, who in May 2019 filed criminal wire fraud charges against Golestan, alleging he'd orchestrated a network of shell companies and fake identities to prevent ARIN from knowing the addresses were all going to the same buyer.

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Tech CEO Sentenced To 5 Years in IP Address Scheme - Slashdot

By Emma Weidmann | Arts and Life Editor, Abbey Ferguson | LTVN Reporter

A Boston Tea Party tonight! a colonist called out, coattails and tricorn hat braving her against the wind.

Fifteen colonists gathered at the bridge, ripping into boxes full of British tea. There were more in the crowd watching from dry land, and with each box dumped, a hearty huzzah was raised.

No, there wasnt a time machine built in Waco students enrolled in Dr. Julie Sweets History 4340 class reenacted the Boston Tea Party at the Waco Creek Bridge on Thursday afternoon.

The real Boston Tea Party took place under cover of darkness on a cold, winter Massachusetts night in December 1773, and while the sun blazed in Waco above 80 degrees, Dr. Sweets history students told the tale of the seditious event as true-to-life as they could.

The tea party began at 3:30 p.m. at the Tidwell Bible Building a stand-in for Bostons Old South Meeting House as a crowd gathered to hear the debate over plans for British tea that had been docked in the port for nearly a month. Sweet welcomed the crowd to the Brazos Tea Party, gave opening remarks and set the scene as the narrator of the unscripted production.

We ask that you, the audience, use your imagination as we, both men and women, portray the men who took part in these activities, Sweet said. This year marks the 250th anniversary of an event that eventually became known as the Boston Tea Party Why these men did so and the alternatives they considered is the material of our production today.

The night of December 16, 1773 was a looming deadline, as British tea was to be unloaded from ships the next day. The consensus among the reenactors was that the tea could not be allowed to be unloaded and sold, but opinions differed widely on the solution. The Woodlands junior Micheal Ermis didnt keep his opinion quiet as Boston merchant Lendall Pitts.

[Massachusetts Royal] Governor Hutchinson has allowed three ships full of that pernicious weed from the East India Company to enter our harbor, Ermis said. It is outrageous, and it represents the very thing that has plagued the colonies for years As a merchant, Ive had to deal with the East India Company before, but currently, as a Son of Liberty, its infringing on our rights as Englishmen to be taxed on this tea [with] due representation in parliament.

Ermis explained that some colonists wanted to burn or sink the ships, and others wouldve liked to unload the tea and destroy it on dry land. But, as one tea party participant raised, their plans were in danger of being foiled by the British, and burning the ships could burn the city down entirely.

Houston junior Sophia Tejeda stressed the need for action as craftsman Henry Purkitt.

We have had multiple meetings in the Old South Meeting House, and Governor Hutchinson has just come back and told us that he will not support us and that British officials will seize the tea, but we are done being taxed without representation, so we have to do something about it.

To fuel debate, Norman, Okla. senior George Schroeder engaged with the eager crowd as colonist Benjamin Edes, and he spoke directly to First Gent Brad Livingstone, who was among the crowd. Livingstone suggested that he would drink the tea instead of it being destroyed, and the colonial reenactors were incensed at the proposal.

After more discussion with the crowd, a plan was formed. Instead of burning ships or drinking the tea, the product would be dumped into the harbor in order to send a message to the British crown.

One final Huzzah! saw them off, and they began the half-mile trek to the Waco Creek Bridge to put the plan into action as more than 100 students, professors and families walked alongside.

While there was no tea inside the empty boxes, the reenactors stayed in character throughout the production as they mimed pillaging the British supply. When it was all over, a final cheer was raised, and Sweet closed the event.

Although Sweet previously produced a reenactment of the Boston Massacre trials, this was the first production of this scale put on by the Baylor history department, and Tejeda said it was the reason she enrolled in the class altogether.

Thats quite cool that I get to do something like this for college credit, Tejeda said. Its an experience unlike any other that you might get for credit Everyone got really into it, so it was fun Its fun to do micro-history like this because you learn so much more beyond.

Students researched their character beginning in August, each a real colonist who could have participated in the tea party. Because many participants remained anonymous to the grave, and more prominent Patriot leaders like John Adams, Samuel Adams and others werent present, students chose lesser-known figures to embody, according to Sweet.

All of that involves research, but nobody said research has to be boring, and this is a perfect example of how its not boring, Sweet said. You say Boston Tea Party, and everybodys heard of it, everybody thinks they know the story, and the whole destruction of property it kind of marketed itself.

Sweet expressed her pride in her students for taking on their roles and digging deep into the research for the production.

Theyre a fabulous team, Sweet said. The spark is there, and the fire is lit.

More:
No re-creation without representation: Boston Tea Party gets Brazos ... - The Baylor Lariat

Fountain Hills AZ Tea Party will address Policing in Fountain Hills Thursday, Oct. 26, at 6:30 p.m. at the Fountain Hills Community Center.

Public safety has been a topic of discussion in recent months. The cost for police services in Fountain Hills constitutes a significant portion of the towns budget. The Town Council just approved a new contract with Maricopa County Sheriffs Office (MCSO), but it includes an option to withdraw from the contract with proper notice.

Questions about our past and current service have been raised and some alternatives have been proposed. The guest speaker panel on Thursday, Oct. 26, will include several people with knowledge about this issue: Jerry Sheridan, candidate for County Sheriff; David Spelich, former Town Council member and retired Chicago Police detective; Gerry Friedel, candidate for mayor; and Larry Meyers, longtime Fountain Hills resident.

As always, all interested parties are welcome to attend, listen, ask questions, and get informed. Admission is free but donations to cover expenses are welcomed and appreciated.

Fountain Hills AZ Tea Party is a local not-for-profit organization established in 2010 to provide education about important issues of government and governing. For more Information, visit fhteaparty.us.

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Tea Party to meet Oct. 26 - Fountain Hills Times

Thank you for joining us in Boston (and virtually) for Clinical Congress 2023. I am honored to welcome you to this prestigious gathering of surgeons.

This is our first in-person Clinical Congress on the East Coast since 2018, when we also held the meeting in Boston. Please take time this week to enjoy the city, which is preparing to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party in December.

Please experience all that Clinical Congress has to offer: 4 days packed with excellent education, research, and technological innovations, as well as important opportunities to network, socialize, and meet new people who may one day become your partner, research collaborator, or coworker.

Coming together and learning from each other is an essential way to sustain our professional well-being.

Lets take full advantage of our time together this week. Spending a few days surrounded by our colleagues in surgery will help us return home and be better surgeons. We will be fulfilled professionally and personally, and we all will feel a renewed commitment to the highest quality care for the patients we serve.

Clinical Congress offers something at every stage in your career, whether you are a seasoned surgeon or at the beginning of your career. Please take time to meet someone new, rekindle friendships, make connections that will fulfill you and enhance your career for years to come.

Every surgeon who participates in Clinical Congressand in the House of Surgerymakes each of us better, wiser, and more skilled.

Please join us tonight at 6:00 pm for Convocation, where we will proudly confer Fellowship on 1,674 new Initiates. During this ceremony, we also will recognize Honorary Fellows, present several important awards, welcome our new ACS President Henri R. Ford, MD, MHA, FACS, and hear his Presidential Address.

Tomorrow, I hope you can join us for the Opening Ceremony at 8:00 am, where Dr. Ford will preside, and I will provide the annual State of the ACS overview. The Martin Memorial Lecture will follow at 9:00 am and will be delivered by Gordon L. Telford, MD, FACS.

Make time to visit the Exhibit Hall Monday through Wednesday to examine the latest equipment and devices, check out the Career Fair, and stop by ACS Central to learn more about everything the College has to offer. Importantly, the Update Your Profile section of ACS Central will give you a chance to add details to your member record that will allow us to better serve you with more personalized content based on your career stage, surgical discipline, practice type, and interests. While there, a professional photographer will provide you with a free digital headshot that you can add to your online member profile.

All ACS members are encouraged to attend the Annual Business Meeting of Members on Wednesday afternoon at 4:15 pm in Room 104ABC. Youll hear reports from College leadership, presentation of several awards, and remarks from the newly installed President-Elect.

Following the Business Meeting will be a perennial favoriteTaste of the Citya festive event that closes Clinical Congress. All attendees and their family members are invited to this complimentary celebration that begins at 5:30 pm in Exhibit Hall B2. Food, drinks, entertainment, and camaraderie are on the menu. No advance registration is needed.

Attendees are encouraged to wear casual dress all day on Wednesday.

We have packed a lot of content into 4 short days, so please note that on-demand session access is included with your registration and available through May 1, 2024. Most sessions will be made available for on-demand viewing on the meeting platform soon after the live presentations. The program guide available at registration features a full list of sessions that will be available on demand.

Once again, welcome to Clinical Congress 2023!

Patricia L. Turner, MD, MBA, FACS Executive Director & CEO

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Welcome to Clinical Congress 2023 | ACS - American College of Surgeons