"And that set off kind of a battle royale for control of the platform that Durov eventually lost," said Nathalie MarÃĐchal of the Washington advocacy group Ranking Digital Rights. The picture was mixed overseas. Hong Kongâs Hang Seng Index fell 1.6%, under pressure from U.S. regulatory scrutiny on New York-listed Chinese companies. Stocks were more buoyant in Europe, where Frankfurtâs DAX surged 1.4%. Additionally, investors are often instructed to deposit monies into personal bank accounts of individuals who claim to represent a legitimate entity, and/or into an unrelated corporate account. To lend credence and to lure unsuspecting victims, perpetrators usually claim that their entity and/or the investment schemes are approved by financial authorities. "Someone posing as a Ukrainian citizen just joins the chat and starts spreading misinformation, or gathers data, like the location of shelters," Tsekhanovska said, noting how false messages have urged Ukrainians to turn off their phones at a specific time of night, citing cybersafety. Such instructions could actually endanger people â citizens receive air strike warnings via smartphone alerts.
from nl
