Editor’s note: This blog, originally published on October 28, 2024, has been updated. Financial losses from worldwide credit card transaction fraud are projected to reach more than billion over the next decade. The new NVIDIA AI Blueprint for financial fraud detection can help combat this burgeoning epidemic — using accelerated data processing and advanced algorithms to improve AI’s ability to detect and prevent credit card transaction fraud. Launched this week at the Money20/20 financial services conference, the blueprint provides a reference example for financial institutions to identify subtle patterns and anomalies in transaction data based on user behavior to improve accuracy and reduce false positives compared with traditional methods. It shows developers how to build a financial fraud detection workflow by providing reference code, deployment tools and a reference architecture. Companies can streamline the migration of their fraud detection workflows from traditional compute to accelerated compute using the NVIDIA AI Enterprise software platform and NVIDIA accelerated computing. The NVIDIA AI Blueprint is available for customers to run on Amazon Web Services, with availability coming soon on Dell Technologies and Hewlett Packard Enterprise. Customers can also use the blueprint through service offerings from NVIDIA partners including Cloudera, EXL, Infosys and SHI International. Businesses embracing comprehensive machine learningtools and strategies can observe up to an estimated 40% improvement in fraud detection accuracy, boosting their ability to identify and stop fraudsters faster and mitigate harm. As such, leading financial organizations like American Express and Capital One have been using AI to build proprietary solutions that mitigate fraud and enhance customer protection. The new AI Blueprint accelerates model training and inference, and demonstrates how these components can be wrapped into a single, easy-to-use software offering, powered by NVIDIA AI. Currently optimized for credit card transaction fraud, the blueprint could be adapted for use cases such as new account fraud, account takeover and money laundering. Using Accelerated Computing and Graph Neural Networks for Fraud Detection Traditional data science pipelines lack the compute acceleration to handle the massive data volumes required for effective fraud detection. ML models like XGBoost are effective for detecting anomalies in individual transactions but fall short when fraud involves complex networks of linked accounts and devices. Helping address these gaps, NVIDIA RAPIDS — part of the NVIDIA CUDA-X collection of microservices, libraries, tools and technologies — enables payment companies to speed up data processing and transform raw data into powerful features at scale. These companies can fuel their AI models and integrate them with graph neural networksto uncover hidden, large-scale fraud patterns by analyzing relationships across different transactions, users and devices. The use of gradient-boosted decision trees — a type of ML algorithm — tapping into libraries such as XGBoost, has long been the standard for fraud detection. The new AI Blueprint for financial fraud detection enhances the XGBoost ML model with NVIDIA CUDA-X Data Science libraries including GNNs to generate embeddings that can be used as additional features to help reduce false positives. The GNN embeddings are fed into XGBoost to create and train a model that can then be orchestrated. In addition, NVIDIA Dynamo-Triton, formerly NVIDIA Triton Inference Server, boosts real-time inferencing while optimizing AI model throughput, latency and utilization. NVIDIA CUDA-X Data Science and Dynamo-Triton are included with NVIDIA AI Enterprise. Leading Financial Services Organizations Adopt AI During a time when many large North American financial institutions are reporting online or mobile fraud losses continue to increase, AI is helping to combat this trend. American Express, which began using AI to fight fraud in 2010, leverages fraud detection algorithms to monitor all customer transactions globally in real time, generating fraud decisions in just milliseconds. Using a combination of advanced algorithms, one of which tapped into the NVIDIA AI platform, American Express enhanced model accuracy, advancing the company’s ability to better fight fraud. European digital bank bunq uses generative AI and large language models to help detect fraud and money laundering. Its AI-powered transaction-monitoring system achieved nearly 100x faster model training speeds with NVIDIA accelerated computing. BNY announced in March 2024 that it became the first major bank to deploy an NVIDIA DGX SuperPOD with DGX H100 systems, which will help build solutions that support fraud detection and other use cases. And now, systems integrators, software vendors and cloud service providers can integrate the new NVIDIA blueprint for fraud detection to boost their financial services applications and help keep customers’ money, identities and digital accounts safe. Explore the NVIDIA AI Blueprint for financial fraud detection and read this NVIDIA Technical Blog on supercharging fraud detection with GNNs. Learn more about AI for fraud detection by visiting the AI Summit at Money20/20, running this week in Amsterdam. See notice regarding software product information. #bring #receipts #new #nvidia #blueprint

Insurance is a modern necessity—and it can often be a literal lifesaver. When any sort of disaster strikes, whether it’s to your property, your business, or your health, getting a payment on your claim can mean the difference between getting through the emergency in one piece and being buried under bills for years to come.While it might seem pretty straightforward, anyone who’s actually dealt with insurance companies knows that their least favorite thing to do in this world is pay out on claims. In fact, studies have found that 17% of claims made to HealthCare.gov insurers and 18% of claims made to private insurers are denied—with some insurance companies rejecting nearly 50% of all claims.In fact, some insurers employ several legal but underhanded tricks to avoid paying out on claims. Here are five common tricks insurance companies will use against you.Moving as slowly as possibleThe simplest trick an insurance company can play is to drag their feet on your claim—there’s a reason the phrase “deny and delay” has become linked to the insurance industry as a whole. This tactic works because your insurer knows you’re desperate for a settlement on your claim; that’s the whole point of insurance. The longer they make you wait, the more likely you’ll accept whatever they offer you, even if you know it’s much less than you’re entitled to.Delay tactics vary, but can include:Documentation overload. Insurance companies sometimes request huge amounts ofdocumentation that takes a lot of time to procure and organize.Personnel swaps. Insurers may change the adjuster and other employees on your case, with each new person requiring some time to review the claim and get up to speed.Claiming no response. Your insurer asked for something, and you provided it. Weeks later they claim they never received it, and ask that you submit it again.The best way to counter these tactics is meticulous record-keeping. If you feel that your insurer is asking for unnecessary documentation, ask them to explain why they need the documents—this sometimes makes document requests magically vanish. Send all written communications via certified mail and turn on read receipts for emails and other electronic communications.Love bombingInsurers are often extremely nice to you when you initially start dealing with them. They express sympathy, use the words “I’m sorry” in the context of your injuries or loss, and generally sound warm and friendly. That’s nice, and may even be genuine. But it’s also a tactic they use to delay or eventually find reasons to deny your claim.Studies have found that apologies can be weaponized, and that people will tolerate delays and settle for less if they think the other party is taking responsibility or expressing empathy. Being excessively nice to you can fool you into thinking you can rely on the insurer to handle things on your behalf. This lets the company delay as much as possible, stringing you along. Love bombing like this can also get you to say things you shouldn’t say—as we’ll see in the next entry.Twisting your wordsAnother reason an insurance adjuster or other employee might apologize to you? Because it can gently goad you into expressing regrets of your own which can then be used against you. Any expression of apology or regret could be interpreted as an admittance of fault. And establishing a friendly, sympathetic rapport with you could be a tactic to get you to say more than you should by speculating on causes or your responsibility in a claim.For example, while speaking with a friendly adjuster about a car accident you were involved with, you might tell them you wish you’d noticed the other car driving erratically—if you had, you might have avoided the accident. This might seem like a simple observation, but it could be twisted into an admittance that you weren’t paying attention—and thus your claim is denied.Insurers will also sometimes demand that you submit a recorded statement, often very quickly after the incident covered by the claim. They will sometimes state that this is best for you, as it will get the claim moving more quickly. But a rushed recorded statement can also lead to a denied claim—if you’re wrong or inaccurate about anything in your statement, this could be used as a basis for denial.To avoid the tactics listed above, follow a few simple rules for dealing with insurers:Lawyer up. Hiring a lawyer to help you deal with insurance claims might seem like overkill, but you should always have a lawyer with you when speaking with insurers. An experienced attorney can ensure you don’t say anything that could hurt your claim.Never record. You’re typically not required to submit recorded statements, so don’t do it. Insist that all communications be done in person or over the phone, with your attorney present.Be suspicious. If an adjuster or other representative of the insurance company is overly friendly, don’t fall for it. Their sympathy might be genuine, but it can still get you into trouble if you let your guard down.RushingIronically, an effective tactic to delay and deny claims is to rush things. You file your claim, and before you can get organized, hire a lawyer, and recover from whatever happened, the insurer is on the phone, offering a settlement. This is often combined with pressure—like sending you a letter stating that you have two weeks to accept the settlement offer, or the company will “close the file.”This is usually designed to reduce the payout—that easy, fast settlement is probably for a lot less than the amount you’re actually entitled to—and to force errors on your part. By rushing to pull together information, you’ll probably make mistakes that can then be used to deny the claim.You can defend against this in two simple ways:Slow down. Ignore pressure to respond immediately or by arbitrary deadlines. Take your time, gather information, and respond when you’re ready. An attorney can help by acting as a buffer between you and the company.Know the statute. If your insurer tells you it will close your claim file, let it happen. It’s a meaningless administrative action. Your state’s laws will have a defined Statute of Limitations on your claim—a period of time when you’re legally allowed to pursue the claim. As long as you’re within that time period, you can force the insurer to re-open the claim.LowballingIf your insurer doesn’t think it can totally deny your claim, it may offer you a lowball settlement. You shouldn’t accept an insurance company’s calculations as gospel. In fact, the most important piece of information you can have about the claims process is that you are allowed to hire your own insurance adjuster. A public insurance adjuster works for you, not the insurance company, and will often arrive at a much higher figure for your claim.Hiring your own adjuster also insulates you from internal delays, as you won’t have to wait on your insurer’s processes or play phone tag with their adjuster. In addition to an experienced lawyer, a public adjuster can also ensure that you have all the support and knowledge you need to navigate the often murky world of insurance claims. #five #tricks #insurance #companies #use

Converting paper documents into digital formats means you’ve got backups of your paperwork should you ever need them. It can also help you clear out a substantial amount of clutter from your home or office — perhaps a whole filing cabinet’s worth.It’s now easier than ever to scan documents using today’s phones — a large flatbed scanner is no longer needed as it was in the past. Receipts, business cards, bills, and any other kind of printed material can be stored digitally.If you’ve got an iPhone, you can do this straight from the built-in Notes or Files apps. If those don’t quite give you the features you need, there are third-party alternatives that will do the job as well.Scan documents with Notes or FilesWhen you scan with Files or Notes, the camera will automatically line the image up. Screenshot: AppleNotes makes it simple to scan a document. Screenshot: AppleThe process of scanning a document is similar in both Notes and Files. To get started in Notes, open or create a note, then tap the paperclip icon at the bottom, then Scan Documents. In Files, tap the three dots, then Scan Documents.This gets you into the scanning interface. By default, you’ll be in auto mode — frame the document in the camera viewfinder, and when it’s lined up, a picture is automatically taken. Line up the next page, and after a moment, another capture is made.Tap Autoto switch to manual mode, which lets you take each snap using the shutter button manually. The Auto button changes to read Manual, and you can tap it again to switch back to automatic mode.You’ll see a couple of icons at the top. The lightning bolt lets you control the flash, while the three circles lets you switch between Color, Grayscale, Black & White, and Photo for the scanning mode.When all the documents and pages have been captured, tap . In Notes, the pages you’ve scanned are then added to the current note, and in Files the pages are saved together as a PDF file.Scanning documents from a MacYou can scan documents via your iPhone in Mac apps such as Finder. Screenshot: AppleApple’s Continuity suite of features includes a useful little trick that lets you scan documents from your Mac using an iPhone. As with other Continuity features, you must be signed in to the same Apple account on both devices for this to work, and both devices need to have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth turned on.This works in Finder, Mail, Messages, Notes, Keynote, Numbers, Pages, and TextEdit on macOS. There are three options, depending on the app you’re in:Ctrl+click where you want the scan to show, then choose Import from iPhone or iPad > Scan Documents.From the File menu, choose Import from iPhone or iPad > Scan Documents.From the Insert menu, choose Import from iPhone or iPad > Scan Documents.All three methods will launch the document scanner on your iPhone — at which point you’re back to the interface we covered in the previous section. When you tap on your iPhone, the documents show up in your Mac app.Third-party scanning appsDropbox lets you tweak the crop of the scan. Screenshot: DropboxDropbox also gives you options for reducing the file size. Screenshot: DropboxThe process in iOS and macOS is very straightforward, but plenty of other apps do document scanning too, if you need them. A couple that I use regularly are Google Drive and Dropbox, so you might find they suit you better if those apps are where you tend to keep your digital archives.With Google Drive, tap the scan document icon in the lower right corner. This takes you to a camera interface that matches the one you get in Notes and Files, but when you tap , you get to choose where in your Google Drive you want the scanned PDF uploaded to.You get a few more options with Dropbox: Tap the blue +button at the bottom, then Scan files. There’s the Auto and Manual toggle switch again, but as soon as a page is captured, you get taken to a new screen where you can edit the borders of the scan or rotate it, and add further pages. When that’s sorted, you’re able to choose where in your Dropbox you want the scanned PDF to be saved, and how much compression to apply.See More: #how #scan #documents #using #your

Macworld PDFs are the universal language of bureaucracy. They show up when you’re applying for jobs, submitting expense reports, reviewing contracts, or signing your kid’s permission slip. But trying to edit one? That’s a digital nightmare. Until now. PDF Expert Premium for Mac is on sale for justthrough June 30, and once you get it, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it. This lifetime license gives you everything you need to master PDFs—without monthly fees or weird formatting bugs that make you want to scream into your laptop. Need to fix a typo in a contract? You got it. Want to sign and send that NDA without printing it out like it’s 1999? Easy. Want to split a 50-page document into digestible chunks, merge files, convert formats, or even OCR your scanned receipts so you can search them? PDF Expert handles it like a pro—because that’s what it is. Designed exclusively for Mac, PDF Expert is fast, clean, and shockingly intuitive. It takes advantage of Apple’s latest tech to give you buttery-smooth performance and a user-friendly interface. Whether you’re managing client documents, wrangling freelance paperwork, or digitizing receipts, this one-time purchase of PDF Expert might be the smartest you spend all year. PDF Expert Premium Plan: Lifetime SubscriptionSee Deal StackSocial prices subject to change. #end #pdf #frustration #life #with

By James Pero Published May 22, 2025 | Comments| Google Veo 3 man-on-the-street video generation. © Screenshot by Gizmodo Wake up, babe, new viral AI video generator dropped. This time, it’s not OpenAI’s Sora model in the spotlight, it’s Google’s Veo 3, which was announced on Tuesday during the company’s annual I/O keynote. Naturally, people are eager to see what chaos Veo 3 can wreak, and the results have been, well, chaotic. We’ve got disjointed Michael Bay fodder, talking muffins, self-aware AI sims, puppy-centric pharmaceutical ads—the list goes on. One thing that I keep seeing over and over, however, is—to put it bluntly—AI slop, and a very specific variety. For whatever reason, all of you seem to be absolutely hellbent on getting Veo to conjure up a torrent of smooth-brain YouTube content. The worst part is that this thing is actually kind of good at cranking it out, too. Don’t believe me? Here are the receipts. Is this 100% convincing? No. No, it is not. At a glance, though, most people wouldn’t be able to tell the difference if they’re just scrolling through their social feed mindlessly as one does when they’re using literally any social media site/app. Unboxing not cutting it for you? Well, don’t worry, we’ve got some man-on-the-street slop for your viewing pleasure. Sorry, hawk-tuah girl, it’s the singularity’s turn to capitalize on viral fame. Again, Veo’s generation is not perfect by any means, but it’s not exactly unconvincing, either. And there’s more bad news: Your Twitch-like smooth-brain content isn’t safe either. Here’s one of a picture-in-picture-style “Fortnite” stream that simulates gameplay and everything. I say “Fortnite” in scare quotes because this is just an AI representation of what Fortnite looks like, not the real thing. Either way, the only thing worse than mindless game streams is arguably mindless game streams that never even happened. And to be honest, the idea of simulating a simulation makes my brain feel achey, so for that reason alone, I’m going to hard pass. Listen, I’m not trying to be an alarmist here. In the grand scheme of things, AI-generated YouTube, Twitch, or TikTok chum isn’t going to hurt anyone, exactly, but it also doesn’t paint a rosy portrait of our AI-generated future. If there’s one thing we don’t need more of, it’s filler. Social media, without AI entering the equation, is already mostly junk, and it does make one wonder what the results of widespread generative video will really be in the end. Maybe I’ll wind up with AI-generated egg on my face, and video generators like Flow, Google’s “AI filmmaker,” will be a watershed product for real creators, but I have my doubts. At the very least, I’d like to see some safeguards if video generation is going to go mainstream. As harmless as AI slop might be, the ability to generate fairly convincing video isn’t one that should be taken lightly. There’s obviously huge potential for misinformation and propaganda, and if all it takes to help mitigate that is watermarking videos created in Veo 3, then it feels like an easy first step. For now, we’ll just have to take the explosion of Veo 3-enabled content with a spoonful of molasses, because there’s a lot of slop to get to, and this might be just the first course. Daily Newsletter You May Also Like Raymond Wong, James Pero, and Kyle Barr Published May 22, 2025 By James Pero Published May 22, 2025 By Vanessa Taylor Published May 22, 2025 By Raymond Wong Published May 21, 2025 By James Pero Published May 21, 2025 By AJ Dellinger Published May 21, 2025 #google039s #veo #already #deepfaking #all

After visual and musical artist Antirealaccused Bungie of using her artwork without credit in Marathon’s recently released alpha build, the studio has admitted to wrongdoing. On Thursday, Antireal said on X, “The Marathon alpha released recently and its environments are covered with assets lifted from poster designs I made in 2017.” And she came with receipts, showing triangular V graphics, a series of boxed icons, and a script reading “ALEPH” in Marathon’s alpha that mirrors her designs. On top of that, she connected a graphic sheet from Marathon’s press kit to more of her work from 2017. bungie is of course not obligated to hire me when making a game that draws overwhelmingly from the same design language i have refined for the last decade, but clearly my work was good enough to pillage for ideas and plaster all over their game without pay or attribution. pic.twitter.com/G3FbPtbPJD— N²May 15, 2025 In response, Bungie admitted fault in the situation, posting on X, “We immediately investigated a concern regarding unauthorized use of artist decals in Marathon and confirmed that a former Bungie artist included these in a texture sheet that was ultimately used in-game.” Bungie further stated, “We are conducting a thorough review of our in-game assets, specifically those done by the former Bungie artist, and implementing stricter checks to document all artist contributions. We value the creativity and dedication of all artists who contribute to our games, and we are committed to doing right by them.” The company also noted that it has “reached out to 4nt1r34l to discuss this issue and are committed to do right by the artist.” Antireal’s support community took doing right by the artist into their own hands by donating through her Ko-fi page. She posted, “Completely overwhelmed by the response to this — thank you so much for the support and especially to those who have donated, it helps enormously.” This isn’t the first time Bungie has faced accusations of using independent artists’ work without permission. In 2021, the studio acknowledged that fan art of a Destiny 2 character was used in a trailer without permission, which was resolved with Bungie acquiring permission with proper credit. In 2023, Bungie again had to reach out to credit and compensate an independent artist for fan art used in a Destiny 2 cutscene. And last year, it admitted to using fan art for a Destiny 2 Nerf gun. This Marathon incident is the latest in a pattern of Bungie lifting visual art from uncredited sources. #bungie #admits #lifting #art #marathon

Receipts often contain the chemical BPS. LordHenriVoton/Getty Images 2025-05-15T10:34:01Z d Read in app This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now. Have an account? Receipts often contain bisphenols, which are chemicals linked to reproductive toxicity and cancer. That's because receipts are coated in a plastic polymer for heat-based printing. Dr. Leonardo Trasande from NYU Langone says he opts for email and text receipts when possible. Plastics and the chemicals they carry are everywhere, from our air, water, and blood to the products we use every day.Researchers like Dr. Leonardo Trasande know the unexpected places where these chemicals sneak into our lives, like the receipts you get at grocery stores, gas stations, restaurants, and clothing outlets."We don't think of thermal paper receipts as plastic, but that shiny coating is a polymer on top," Trasande, a professor of pediatrics and environmental health researcher at NYU Langone, told Business Insider. Trasande's main complaint about receipts is what that plastic polymer puts into human skin.Where there is plastic, he added, "chemicals of concern come along for the ride."When it's an option to receive his receipt by email or text, Trasande goes for that.Toxic chemicals on store receiptsReceipts are usually made of thermal paper, which is designed to print using heat-sensitive inks. That makes for cheap and easy on-the-spot printing in restaurants and businesses.The problem is that this thermal paper usually contains bisphenols, a class of chemicals used to manufacture plastics. Receipts are usually printed on thermal paper using heat. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls The most famous bisphenol, called BPA, has been linked to heart disease, decreased fertility, breast and prostate cancers and, in children, asthma and neurodevelopmental issues. BPA has been phased out of US products over the past decade, including receipts.However, studies have found that many receipt manufacturers have replaced the BPA with its cousin BPS, which is banned in Europe for use in food containers, considered a reproductive toxin by the state of California, and has been associated with breast cancer.If you touch a receipt that's coated in BPS, the toxic chemical can quickly enter your body by absorbing through your skin, according to recent research.This year, the nonprofit watchdog Center for Environmental Health tested receipts from 32 major retailers and found that touching one for 10 seconds would expose someone to enough BPS to legally require a warning in California. Under the state's Proposition 65, businesses must provide warnings about significant exposures to chemicals that cause cancer or reproductive harm. The CEH delivered a legal notice to those 32 retailers in April."Chemicals used in plastic materials need to be properly vetted for safety," Trasande said. "Insofar as chemicals are identified to be toxic to human health, we have safer alternatives that should be considered."He called electronic receipts "an important positive step forward." Microplastics in receiptsUnderlying the bisphenols, of course, is plastic. Though Trasande said there is much more definitive research on the health effects of many chemicals in plastics, emerging science about the proliferation of plastics themselves throughout the human body is not comforting.The plastic items that surround us all in our homes, workplaces, schools, and even the outdoors are shedding tiny particles called microplastics — or, when they get really tiny, nanoplastics.These minuscule plastics build up in our bodies. They've been found in almost every human body tissue researchers have checked, from the brain to the lining of the arteries. Their health impacts are not yet clear, but they've been linked to chronic inflammation, lung and colon cancers, reproductive health issues, and heart attack and stroke risk."There are limits to what I can control," Trasande said. "At the same time, there are so many steps we can take to reduce our exposure to chemicals of concern and particularly micro- and nanoplastics."Declining paper receipts is one of them. On the whole, though, Trasande said the world needs to reduce its plastic production.If business as usual continues, plastics production is expected to triple by 2060, according to the United Nations Environment Programme.Trasande said a global plastics treaty would help. According to Reuters, the United Nations is set to resume negotiations for such a treaty in August. Recommended video #doctor #who #studies #toxic #chemicals

A games console is more than just a dumb box that sits at home these days. With portable versions, sophisticated technology and built-in shops, these entertainment centres are valuable items, costing hundreds. If the worst happens and your Xbox, PlayStation or Nintendo gets stolen, here’s what to do.What to do if your console is stolen Change your Microsoft, Sony or Nintendo account password, which will help keep the thieves out of your entertainment library. Remove your payment information from the digital store built into your console to help prevent anyone running up large bills. Report your console as stolen to the police via 101 in the UK. Give them the make, model and serial number of the console, which you’ll find on the box or in your online Microsoft, Sony or Nintendo account. Don’t forget to include details of any games, joypads or accessories that were taken with the console. Report the theft to the manufacturer through its website or customer service. Contact your insurance company should the console be covered under your household policy. This is usually under “high risk” items but portable consoles may need to be included in specified items for coverage outside of the home. What to do as soon as you get a new oneWhen you get a new or replacement console, there are a few things you can do to help in the event it goes missing again: Unlike phones, tablets and other devices there is no built-in way of tracking most consoles, so consider attaching a Bluetooth tracker such as an Apple AirTag, Tile or Samsung SmartTag so you can locate them with phone or browser. Make sure you use a strong password and two-step authentication for your console’s account to help prevent your details being stolen and items from being bought from any associated stores. Set a pin code on your console’s account or turn on an option to require your password to confirm purchases on the digital store to prevent thieves running up a bill. This setting is either on your profile or part of the parental controls. Backup your game data and settings in the cloud, which should happen automatically if your console is connected to the internet and logged into your online account. Game save syncing is free on Xbox but requires a subscription for Playstation or Nintendo. Some consoles also allow game save backups to external storage. Make note of the serial numbers for your console, controllers and accessories. Take and store photos of each item along with purchase receipts so you can show them to the police or insurance. Source: https://www.theguardian.com/money/2025/may/14/what-to-do-if-your-games-console-is-stolen #what #your #games #console #stolen #the #cheat #codes