Technology
VA issues overpayment scam alert for veterans
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As the nation honors veterans for their service, the Department of Veterans Affairs is reminding the community to stay alert to a growing threat, the VA overpayment scam.
Reports show that fraudsters are contacting veterans through text, email and phone calls, pretending to be VA employees. They claim you were overpaid on your benefits and must send money or banking details to correct the issue.
These criminals often make their messages look official with VA logos, formal wording and even fake caller IDs. Once they gain your trust, they push for quick payment, hoping you act before verifying. Staying informed and cautious is the best way to protect your benefits and your identity.
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Scammers are claiming veterans were overpaid on their benefits by impersonating VA employees. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
How to spot a VA overpayment scam
Be on alert for these red flags:
- Messages demanding urgent payment, especially by gift card, wire transfer or cryptocurrency.
- Requests for your VA login or password.
- Emails or texts with links that don’t lead to VA.gov.
- Caller ID spoofing showing “VA” or “Debt Center” to look official.
- Messages or letters that lack detailed explanations or account numbers.
If you spot any of these, don’t engage; instead, verify the communication directly through VA.gov or by calling the VA’s official number.
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Legitimate VA communications always direct veterans to VA.gov or the official Debt Management Center. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
How real VA overpayments work
When the VA determines an actual overpayment, it sends a formal letter explaining the amount and your options to appeal or set up a payment plan. You’ll never be told to pay through text or third-party apps, and you’ll never be asked to share login credentials or banking info outside VA.gov.
Real VA notices always direct you to official channels like VA.gov or the Debt Management Center (1-800-827-0648). If something feels off, it probably is, so always verify before taking action.
To protect your hard-earned VA benefits stay alert and verify messages through official channels. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
Top ways to protect yourself from VA overpayment scams
Stay ahead of scammers by following these simple but powerful steps to protect your VA benefits.
1) Verify through your official VA.gov account
Whenever you receive a notice about an overpayment, log in to your VA.gov account directly instead of clicking any link or responding to a message. The site shows your current balance, payment status and any real debts.
2) Use official VA payment channels
If you discover a legitimate debt, handle it only through VA’s official payment options. Call the Debt Management Center at 1-800-827-0648 or make payments through your secure VA.gov dashboard. Avoid sending funds through apps, wire transfers, or prepaid cards as the VA will never ask for those.
3) Never share your login information
Your VA login and password are like your house keys. The VA will never ask for them, not by phone, email, or text. Anyone who requests them is a scammer. If you think your credentials were compromised, change your password immediately and enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) if available.
Consider using a password manager, which securely stores and generates complex passwords, reducing the risk of password reuse.
Next, see if your email has been exposed in past breaches. Our No. 1 password manager pick includes a built-in breach scanner that checks whether your email address or passwords have appeared in known leaks. If you discover a match, immediately change any reused passwords and secure those accounts with new, unique credentials.
Check out the best expert-reviewed password managers of 2025 at CyberGuy.com.
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4) Avoid suspicious links and attachments
Fraudsters often embed fake links in messages that look real at first glance. Hover over a link before clicking to preview the URL; if it doesn’t start with “https://www.va.gov,” it’s fake. Be equally cautious with attachments, as they can install malware designed to steal your personal data.
The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links that install malware, potentially accessing your private information, is to have strong antivirus software installed on all your devices. This protection can also alert you to phishing emails and ransomware scams, keeping your personal information and digital assets safe.
Get my picks for the best 2025 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices at CyberGuy.com.
5) Use a data removal service
Data brokers often publish your name, phone number and even veteran status online, information scammers use to target you. Personal data removal services can automatically request data removals from hundreds of broker sites, reducing your exposure and lowering the odds of being targeted.
While no service can guarantee the complete removal of your data from the internet, a data removal service is really a smart choice. They aren’t cheap, and neither is your privacy. These services do all the work for you by actively monitoring and systematically erasing your personal information from hundreds of websites. It’s what gives me peace of mind and has proven to be the most effective way to erase your personal data from the internet. By limiting the information available, you reduce the risk of scammers cross-referencing data from breaches with information they might find on the dark web, making it harder for them to target you.
Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting CyberGuy.com.
Get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web: CyberGuy.com.
6) Watch out for unusual payment methods
Scammers love untraceable transactions. Any request for payment through gift cards, Bitcoin, prepaid debit cards, or wire transfers is an instant red flag. The VA does not and will not use these methods to collect payments.
7) Limit your social media exposure
Scammers sometimes gather information from social networks to make messages seem more personal. Review your friends and followers, tighten privacy settings and think twice before posting details about your military service or VA benefits.
8) Report suspected fraud immediately
If you think someone tried to scam you, contact the VA directly at 1-800-827-1000. You can also report incidents at VSAFE.gov or call (833) 38V-SAFE (833-388-7233). Reporting quickly helps protect others in the veteran community.
Kurt’s key takeaways
This Veterans Day is a time to reflect on service, sacrifice and strength, and that includes protecting what you have earned. Scammers may be persistent, but staying alert and using official VA resources gives you the upper hand. Your benefits represent more than money; they are recognition of your service. Keep them safe, stay skeptical of sudden messages and verify everything before you act.
How can technology companies and the government do a better job of protecting veterans online? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below. Let us know by writing to us at CyberGuy.com.
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Copyright 2025 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.
Technology
You need to listen to Billy Woods’ horrorcore masterpiece for the A24 crowd
Billy Woods has one of the highest batting averages in the game. Between his solo records like Hiding Places and Maps, and his collaborative albums with Elucid as Armand Hammer, the man has multiple stone-cold classics under his belt. And, while no one would ever claim that Woods’ albums were light-hearted fare (these are not party records), Golliwog represents his darkest to date.
This is not your typical horrorcore record. Others, like Geto Boys, Gravediggaz, and Insane Clown Posse, reach for slasher aesthetics and shock tactics. But what Billy Woods has crafted is more A24 than Blumhouse.
Sure, the first track is called “Jumpscare,” and it opens with the sound of a film reel spinning up, followed by a creepy music box and the line: “Ragdoll playing dead. Rabid dog in the yard, car won’t start, it’s bees in your head.” It’s setting you up for the typical horror flick gimmickry. But by the end, it’s psychological torture. A cacophony of voices forms a bed for unidentifiable screeching noises, and Woods drops what feels like a mission statement:
“The English language is violence, I hotwired it. I got a hold of the master’s tools and got dialed in.”
Throughout the record, Woods turns to his producers to craft not cheap scares, but tension, to make the listener feel uneasy. “Waterproof Mascara” turns a woman’s sobs into a rhythmic motif. On “Pitchforks & Halos” Kenny Segal conjures the aural equivalent of a POV shot of a serial killer. And “All These Worlds are Yours” produced by DJ Haram has more in common with the early industrial of Throbbing Gristle than it does even some of the other tracks on the record, like “Golgotha” which pairs boombap drums with New Orleans funeral horns.
That dense, at times scattered production is paired with lines that juxtapose the real-world horrors of oppression and colonialism, with scenes that feel taken straight from Bring Her Back: “Trapped a housefly in an upside-down pint glass and waited for it to die.” And later, Woods seamlessly transitions from boasting to warning people about turning their backs on the genocide in Gaza on “Corinthians”:
If you never came back from the dead you can’t tell me shit
Twelve billion USD hovering over the Gaza Strip
You don’t wanna know what it cost to live
What it cost to hide behind eyelids
When your back turnt, secret cannibals lick they lips
The record features some of Woods’ deftest lyricism, balancing confrontation with philosophy, horror with emotion. Billy Woods’ Golliwog is available on Bandcamp and on most major streaming services, including Apple Music, Qobuz, Deezer, YouTube Music, and Spotify.
Technology
Grok AI scandal sparks global alarm over child safety
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Grok, the built-in chatbot on X, is facing intense scrutiny after acknowledging it generated and shared an AI image depicting two young girls in sexualized attire.
In a public post on X, Grok admitted the content “violated ethical standards” and “potentially U.S. laws on child sexual abuse material (CSAM).” The chatbot added, “It was a failure in safeguards, and I’m sorry for any harm caused. xAI is reviewing to prevent future issues.”
That admission alone is alarming. What followed revealed a far broader pattern.
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OPENAI TIGHTENS AI RULES FOR TEENS BUT CONCERNS REMAIN
The fallout from this incident has triggered global scrutiny, with governments and safety groups questioning whether AI platforms are doing enough to protect children. (Silas Stein/picture alliance via Getty Images)
Grok quietly restricts image tools to paying users after backlash
As criticism mounted, Grok confirmed it has begun limiting image generation and editing features to paying subscribers only. In a late-night reply on X, the chatbot stated that image tools are now locked behind a premium subscription, directing users to sign up to regain access.
The apology that raised more questions
Grok’s apology appeared only after a user prompted the chatbot to write a heartfelt explanation for people lacking context. In other words, the system did not proactively address the issue. It responded because someone asked it to.
Around the same time, researchers and journalists uncovered widespread misuse of Grok’s image tools. According to monitoring firm Copyleaks, users were generating nonconsensual, sexually manipulated images of real women, including minors and well-known figures.
After reviewing Grok’s publicly accessible photo feed, Copyleaks identified a conservative rate of roughly one nonconsensual sexualized image per minute, based on images involving real people with no clear indication of consent. The firm says the misuse escalated quickly, shifting from consensual self-promotion to large-scale harassment enabled by AI.
Copyleaks CEO and co-founder Alon Yamin said, “When AI systems allow the manipulation of real people’s images without clear consent, the impact can be immediate and deeply personal.”
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Grok admitted it generated and shared an AI image that violated ethical standards and may have broken U.S. child protection laws. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
Sexualized images of minors are illegal
This is not a gray area. Generating or distributing sexualized images of minors is a serious criminal offense in the United States and many other countries. Under U.S. federal law, such content is classified as child sexual abuse material. Penalties can include five to 20 years in prison, fines up to $250,000 and mandatory sex offender registration. Similar laws apply in the U.K. and France.
In 2024, a Pennsylvania man received nearly eight years in prison for creating and possessing deepfake CSAM involving child celebrities. That case set a clear precedent. Grok itself acknowledged this legal reality in its post, stating that AI images depicting minors in sexualized contexts are illegal.
The scale of the problem is growing fast
A July report from the Internet Watch Foundation, a nonprofit that tracks and removes child sexual abuse material online, shows how quickly this threat is accelerating. Reports of AI-generated child sexual abuse imagery jumped by 400% in the first half of 2025 alone. Experts warn that AI tools lower the barrier to potential abuse. What once required technical skill or access to hidden forums can now happen through a simple prompt on a mainstream platform.
Real people are being targeted
The harm is not abstract. Reuters documented cases where users asked Grok to digitally undress real women whose photos were posted on X. In multiple documented cases, Grok fully complied. Even more disturbing, users targeted images of a 14-year-old actress Nell Fisher from the Netflix series “Stranger Things.” Grok later admitted there were isolated cases in which users received images depicting minors in minimal clothing. In another Reuters investigation, a Brazilian musician described watching AI-generated bikini images of herself spread across X after users prompted Grok to alter a harmless photo. Her experience mirrors what many women and girls are now facing.
Governments respond worldwide
The backlash has gone global. In France, multiple ministers referred X to an investigative agency over possible violations of the EU’s Digital Services Act, which requires platforms to prevent and mitigate the spread of illegal content. Violations can trigger heavy fines. In India, the country’s IT ministry gave xAI 72 hours to submit a report detailing how it plans to stop the spread of obscene and sexually explicit material generated by Grok. Grok has also warned publicly that xAI could face potential probes from the Department of Justice or lawsuits tied to these failures.
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Researchers later found Grok was widely used to create nonconsensual, sexually altered images of real women, including minors. (Nikolas Kokovlis/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Concerns grow over Grok’s safety and government use
The incident raises serious concerns about online privacy, platform security and the safeguards designed to protect minors.
Elon Musk, the owner of X and founder of xAI, had not offered a public response at the time of publication. That silence comes at a sensitive time. Grok has been authorized for official government use under an 18-month federal contract. This approval was granted despite objections from more than 30 consumer advocacy groups that warned the system lacked proper safety testing.
Over the past year, Grok has been accused by critics of spreading misinformation about major news events, promoting antisemitic rhetoric and sharing misleading health information. It also competed directly with tools like ChatGPT and Gemini while operating with fewer visible safety restrictions. Each controversy raises the same question. Can a powerful AI tool be deployed responsibly without strong oversight and enforcement?
What parents and users should know
If you encounter sexualized images of minors or other abusive material online, report it immediately. In the United States, you can contact the FBI tip line or seek help from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
Do not download, share, screenshot or interact with the content in any way. Even viewing or forwarding illegal material can expose you to serious legal risk.
Parents should also talk with children and teens about AI image tools and social media prompts. Many of these images are created through casual requests that do not feel dangerous at first. Teaching kids to report content, close the app and tell a trusted adult can stop harm from spreading further.
Platforms may fail. Safeguards may lag. But early reporting and clear conversations at home remain one of the most effective ways to protect children online.
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Kurt’s key takeaways
The Grok scandal highlights a dangerous reality. As AI spreads faster, these systems amplify harm at an unprecedented scale. When safeguards fail, real people suffer, and children face serious risk. At the same time, trust cannot depend on apologies issued after harm occurs. Instead, companies must earn trust through strong safety design, constant monitoring and real accountability when problems emerge.
Should any AI system be approved for government or mass public use before it proves it can reliably protect children and prevent abuse? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.
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Copyright 2025 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.
Technology
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In another “alarming” example, the company provided bogus information about crucial liver function tests, which could leave people with serious liver disease wrongly thinking they are healthy.
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