#FactCheck - Uncovered: Viral LA Wildfire Video is a Shocking AI-Generated Fake!

Introduction:

Technology has become a vital part of everyone’s life nowadays, it occupies essential activities of a person’s life whether we are working or playing and studying. I would say from education to corporate, technology makes everything easier and simpler to achieve the goals for a particular thing.  Corporate companies are using technology for their day-to-day work and there are many law-based foundations that are publishing blogs and papers for legal awareness, many lawyers use internet technology for promoting themselves which amounts to growth in their work. Some legal work can now be done by machines, which was previously unthinkable. Large disputes frequently have many documents to review. Armies of young lawyers and paralegals are typically assigned to review these documents. This work can be done by a properly trained machine. Machine drafting of documents is also gaining popularity. We’ve also seen systems that can forecast the outcome of a dispute. We are starting to see machines take on many tasks that we once thought was solely the domain of lawyers.

How to expand law firms and the corporate world with the help of technology?

If we talk about how lawyers’ lives will be impacted by technology then I would explain about law students first. Students are the one who is utilizing the technology at its best for their work, tech could be helpful in students’ lives. as law students use SCC online and manupatra, which are used for case laws. And during their law internships, they use it to help their seniors to find appropriate cases for them. and use it as well for their college research work. SCC and manupatra are very big platforms by which we can say if students use technology for their careers, it will impact their law career in the best ways.

A lawyer running a law firm is not a small task, and there are plenty of obstacles to that, such as a lack of tech solutions, failure to fulfil demands, and inability to innovate, these obstacles prevent the growth of some firms. The right legal tech can grow an organization or a law firm and there will be fewer obstacles.

Technology can be proven as a good mechanism to grow the law firm, as everything depends on tech, from court work to corporate. If we talk about covid during 2020, everything shifted towards the virtual world, court hearings switched to online mode due to covid which proved as a bone to the legal system as the case hearings were speedy and there was no physical contact due to that.

Legal automation is also helping law firms to grow in a competitive world. And it has other benefits also like shifting tedious tasks from humans to machines, allowing the lawyer to work on more valuable work. I would say that small firms should also need to embrace automation for competition in the corporate sector. Today, artificial intelligence offers a solution to solve or at least make the access-to-justice issue better and completely transform our traditional legal system.

There was a world-cited author, Richard Susskind, OBE, who talked about the future of law and lawyers and he wrote a book, Online Courts and the Future of Justice. Richard argues that technology is going to bring about a fascinating decade of change in the legal sector and transform our court system. Although automating our old ways of working plays a part in this, even more, critical is that artificial intelligence and technology will help give more individuals access to justice.

The rise of big data has also resulted in rapid identification systems, which allow police officers to quickly see an individual’s criminal history through a simple search.The FBI’s Next Generation Identification (NGI) system matches individuals with their criminal history information using biometrics such as fingerprints, palm prints, iris recognition, and facial recognition. The NGI’s current technologies are constantly being updated, and new ones are being added, to make the NGI the most comprehensive way to gather up-to-date information on the person being examined

During covid, there were e-courts services in courts, and lawyers and judges were taking cases online. After the covid, the use of technology increased in the law field also from litigation to corporate. As technology can also safeguard confidential information between parties and lawyers. There was ODR, (online dispute resolution) happening meetings that were taking place online mode.

File sharing is inevitable in the practice of law. Yet sometimes the most common ways of sharing (think email) are not always the most secure. With the remote office, the boom has come an increased need for alternate file-sharing solutions. There is data encryption to protect data as it is a reliable method to protect confidential data and information.

Conclusion-

Technology has been playing a vital role in the legal industry and has increased the efficiency of legal offices and the productivity of clerical workers. With the advent of legal tech, there is greater transparency between legal firms and clients. Clients know how many fees they must pay and can keep track of the day-to-day progress of the lawyer on their case. Also, there is no doubt that technology, if used correctly, is fast and efficient – more than any human individual. This can prove to be of great assistance to any law firm.  Lawyers of the future will be the ones who create the systems that will solve their client’s problems. These legal professionals will include legal knowledge engineers, legal risk managers, system developers, design thinking experts, and others. These people will use technology to create new ways of solving legal problems. In many ways, the legal sector is experiencing the same digitization that other industries have, and because it is so document-intensive, it is actually an industry that stands to benefit greatly from what technology has to offer.

Introduction

A 33-year-old MBA graduate and 36-year-old software engineer set up the cybercrime hub in one bedroom. They formed the nameless private enterprise two years ago and hired the two youngsters as employees. The police revealed that the fraudsters moved Rs 854 crore rapidly through 84 bank accounts in the last two years. They were using eight mobile phones active during the day and night for their malicious operations. This bad actors group came in the eyes of the police when a 26-year-old woman filed a complaint, she was lured and cheated for Rs 8.5 lakh on the pretext of making small investments for high returns. It led to cyber crime police on their doorstep. The police discovered that they were operating a massive cyber fraud network from that single room, targeting a large number of people for committing cyber fraud through offering investment schemes and luring innocent people. 

How cybercrime fraudsters lured the victims?

The Bangalore police have busted a cyber fraud scam worth 854 Crore rupees. And police have arrested 6 accused. These bad actors illegally deceived numerous victims on the pretext of investment schemes. The gang used to lure them through WhatsApp and Telegram. Initially, the people were asked to invest small amounts, promising daily profits ranging from 1 thousand to 5 thousand rupees. As the trust grew, thousands of victims indulged in investments ranging from 1 lack to 10 lack rupees. This Money luring modus operandi was used by the fraudsters to attract them and get the victims to invest more and more. The amount invested by the victims was deposited into various bank accounts by the fraudsters. When the victims tried to withdraw their amount after depositing they were unable to do so. Soon after the amount was received, the accused gang would launder the money and divert it to other accounts. 

Be cautious of online investment fraud 

It concerns all of us who used to invest online. The Bangalore police have busted cyber crime or cyber investment fraud of 854 crore rupees. The 6 members of the gang that the police have arrested used to approach victims through WhatsApp and telegram to convince them to invest small amounts, from 1 thousand to 10 thousand at the bare minimum and promising them returns or profit amount per day and later lock this amount and diverting it into different bank accounts, ensuring that those get invested never get access to it again.  Now, this went on in the country receiving a large number of cases that have been registered from various states in the country. 

Advisory and best practices

• It is important to mention that there could be several other cybercrime investment frauds like this that you may not even be aware of. Hence, this incident of massive online investment fraud operated from the IT capital of the country definitely acts as an eye-opener for all of us. We urge people to be cautious and raise the alarm about any such cyber crime or investment fraud that they see in the cyber world today. 
• In the age of the internet, where there is a large number of mobile users in the country, and users look for a source of income on the internet and use it to invest their money, it is important to be aware of such fraud and be cautious and take proper precautions before investing in any such online scheme. It is always advisable to invest only in legitimate sources and after conducting due diligence.
• Be cautious and do your research: Whenever you are investing in any scheme or in digital currency, make sure to verify the authenticity or legitimacy of the person or company who is offering such service. Check the reviews, official website, and feedback from authentic sources. Find out whether the agents or brokers who contact you are licensed to operate in your state and are compliant with regulators or other investors. 
• Verify the credentials: Check the genuineness by checking the licenses, registration and certification of the person or company offering such services, whether he is authorised or not.
• Be Skeptical of offers which seem to be too good: If it sounds too good, be cautious and inquire about its authenticity, such as unsolicited offers. Be especially careful if you receive an unsolicited pitch to invest in a particular company or see it praised online but if you could not find current financial information about it from independent sources. It could be a fraudulent scheme. It is advisable to compare promised yields with current returns on well-known stock indexes.
• Seek Expert Advice: If you are a beginner in online investment, you may seek advice from reliable resources such as financial advisors who can provide more clarity on aspects of investment and guidance to help you make informed decisions.
• Avoid Unreliable Platforms: Be cautious and stick to authorised established agencies. Be cautious when dealing with a person or company lacking sufficient user reviews and credible security measures.
• Protect yourself online: Protect yourself online. Fraudsters target users on online and social marketing sites and commit various online frauds; hence, it's important to be cautious and protect yourself online. So be cautious and make your own sound decision after all analysis while investing in any such services. 
• Report Suspicious Accounts: If you encounter any social media accounts, social media groups or profiles which seem suspicious and engaged in fraudulent services, you must report such profiles to the respective platform immediately.
• Report cyber crimes to law enforcement agencies: A powerful resource available to victims of cybercrime is the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal, equipped with a 24x7 helpline number, 1930. This portal serves as a centralised platform for reporting cybercrimes, including financial fraud.

Conclusion:

This recent cyber investment fraud worth Rs 854 Crore, orchestrated by a group of fraudsters operating from a single room, serves as a stark reminder of the risks posed by bad actors. This incident underscores the importance of being vigilant when it comes to online investments and financial transactions. As we navigate the vast and interconnected landscape of the internet, it is imperative that we exercise due diligence and employ best practices to protect ourselves. We need to be cautious and protected from falling victim to these fraudulent schemes, actively reporting suspicious accounts and cybercrimes to relevant authorities through resources like the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal will contribute to helping stop these types of cyber crimes. Knowledge and awareness are some of the biggest factors we have in fighting back against such cyber frauds in this digital age and making a safer digital environment for everyone.

References

• https://www.news18.com/india/bengaluru-cyber-crime-rs-854-crore-84-banks-accounts-fraud-network-one-bedroom-house-yelahanka-karnataka-8618426.html
• https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/bangalore/cyber-crime-bengaluru-links-over-5000-cases-india-8982753/lite/

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Executive Summary:

A viral photo on social media claims to show a ruined bridge in Kerala, India. But, a reality check shows that the bridge is in Amtali, Barguna district, Bangladesh. The reverse image search of this picture led to a Bengali news article detailing the bridge's critical condition. This bridge was built-in 2002 to 2006 over Jugia Khal in Arpangashia Union. It has not been repaired and experiences recurrent accidents and has the potential to collapse, which would disrupt local connectivity. Thus, the social media claims are false and misleading.

Claims:

Social Media users share a photo that shows a ruined bridge in Kerala, India. 

Fact Check:

On receiving the posts, we reverse searched the image which leads to a Bengali News website named Manavjamin where the title displays, “19 dangerous bridges in Amtali, lakhs of people in fear”. We found the picture on this website similar to the viral image. On reading the whole article, we found that the bridge is located in Bangladesh's Amtali sub-district of Barguna district.

Taking a cue from this, we then searched for the bridge in that region. We found a similar bridge at the same location in Amtali, Bangladesh.

According to the article, The 40-meter bridge over Jugia Khal in Arpangashia Union, Amtali, was built in 2002 to 2006 and was never repaired. It is in a critical condition, causing frequent accidents and risking collapse. If the bridge collapses it will disrupt communication between multiple villages and the upazila town. Residents have made temporary repairs. 

Hence, the claims made by social media users are fake and misleading.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, the viral photo claiming to show a ruined bridge in Kerala is actually from Amtali, Barguna district, Bangladesh. The bridge is in a critical state, with frequent accidents and the risk of collapse threatening local connectivity. Therefore, the claims made by social media users are false and misleading.

• Claim: A viral image shows a ruined bridge in Kerala, India. 
• Claimed on: Facebook
• Fact Check: Fake & Misleading

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