Welcome to this week’s Weird and Wacky Wednesday, where we explore some of the most baffling ways people try to outwit the system. These stories go from high tech to low places. It just goes to show just how far some will go to break the rules.
Fake photos, fake videos and now fake music!
In a story that highlights the potential pitfalls of artificial intelligence, a North Carolina man has been accused of using AI to scam music streaming platforms for over $10 million in royalties. Michael Smith allegedly created thousands of AI-generated songs and then programmed bots to continuously stream the music, tricking platforms like Spotify, Amazon Music, and Apple Music into paying him royalties. For a while, the scheme worked, netting Smith over a million dollars a year.
Authorities allege that Smith used virtual private networks (VPNs) to disguise the fact that all this activity originated from his own home, making it look like a global operation. When the platforms’ fraud detection algorithms caught on, Smith ramped up his efforts, creating hundreds of thousands of new songs and bots in a bid to overwhelm the system. Unfortunately for him, the scheme eventually came to light, leading to his arrest. Now, he faces multiple federal charges, including wire fraud and money laundering, which carry a potential sentence of up to 20 years each.
Not so private network
Sometimes it doesn’t take a VPN to disguise the illegal activity and all you need is to change the name. Or so a US Navy officer thought. In an attempt to keep herself and fellow officers entertained while at sea, a U.S. Navy chief secretly installed a Starlink satellite dish on a warship, allowing her and a select group of officers to access the internet during deployment. Grisel Marrero, the officer in question, paid for the satellite kit out of her own pocket, disguising the network as a printer to avoid detection. She reportedly used the connection to check sports scores, scroll social media, and watch movies, a violation of Navy rules that prohibit
Marrero’s sneaky setup went undetected for several months before Navy officials uncovered the Starlink dish and launched an investigation. Marrero was found guilty of dereliction of duty and providing false official statements during her court-martial and was ultimately demoted. While her tech-savvy approach may have made her popular among a select few on board, it ultimately cost her rank and reputation.
They really wanted time off
Finally, the low tech approach. If you can’t fake an injury, make one yourself! Henry Herring, a 54-year-old cleaner with New York City’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), faces charges of falsely reporting an incident after allegedly faking an attack to secure time off during the hot summer months. According to prosecutors, Herring told police that he was assaulted on July 31 while cleaning a subway car at the 179th St. station in Queens. He claimed an unknown assailant pushed him from behind and cut both his hands with a sharp instrument.
However, surveillance footage reportedly revealed that no such attack occurred, leading investigators to confront Herring. Faced with the evidence, Herring admitted to cutting his own hands in an attempt to get time off, telling authorities, “My goal was to have the summer off because it was too hot down there.”
Herring’s actions have led to his suspension without pay, and MTA officials expressed disappointment in the false report, which diverted resources from real crime investigations. The incident also sparked initial outrage from the Transit Workers Union, though they have yet to comment on the newly revealed information.
