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Russian Hackers Stole $5 Million Per Day From Advertisers With Bots and Fake Websites (cnn.com)
Russian hackers have used fake websites and bots to steal millions of dollars from advertisers. According to researchers, the fraud has siphoned more than $180 million from the online ad industry. CNNMoney reports: Dubbed "Methbot," it is a new twist in an increasingly complex world of online crime, according to White Ops, the cybersecurity firm that discovered the operation. Methbot, so nicknamed because the fake browser refers to itself as the "methbrowser," operates as a sham intermediary advertising ring: Companies would pay millions to run expensive video ads. Then they would deliver those ads to what appeared to be major websites. In reality, criminals had created more than 250,000 counterfeit web pages no real person was visiting. White Ops first spotted the criminal operation in October, and it is making up to $5 million per day -- by generating up to 300 million fake "video impressions" daily. According to White Ops, criminals acquired massive blocks of IP addresses -- 500,000 of them -- from two of the world's five major internet registries. Then they configured them so that they appeared to be located all over the United States. They built custom software so that computers (at those legitimate data centers) acted like real people viewing those ads. These "people" even appeared to have Facebook accounts (they didn't), so that premium ads were served. Hackers fooled ad fraud blockers because they figured out how to build software that mimicked a real person who only surfed during the daytime -- using the Google Chrome web browser on a Macbook laptop.
With Hillary there was no money trail.
But there is a nice big money trail for Trump and his followers:
Paul Manafort: advisor to former pro-Russian Ukrainian leader Viktor Yanukovych. Was on list of people who may have received millions in bribes by Yanukovych or his Russian sponsors.
Rex Tillerson: head of Exxon with known close personal, not just business, ties to Putin. Has received an award or two from Putin for no apparent reason other than doing business in Russia.
Trump himself. His business ties to Russia are well known. His refusal to condemn Russia's attack and invasion of Ukraine or Russia's deliberate bombing of hospitals in Syria raises numerous, serious, questions.
Other members of Trump's nominated cabinet, including at least one of the generals, has ties with Russia as well.
We will bankrupt ourselves in the vain search for absolute security. -- Dwight D. Eisenhower
With Hillary there was no money trail.
There is a $140MM money trail from Uranium One to the Clinton Foundation prior to the (Hillary led) State Department approval of the purchase of Uranium One by Rosatom, the Russian atomic energy agency. This led to approximately 20% of the United States uranium supply now being owned by Russia.
Mr. Bill Clinton also gave a speech promoting the deal, in exchange for a $500k speaking fee. He was also thanked personally by Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin for giving the speach.
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