It's Valentine's Day, so it feels pertinent to talk about romance scams.
Wired has a great piece tying the so-called 'loneliness epidemic' and the rise in AI and chatbots to romance scams, which exploit targets’ feelings of isolation and net fraudsters hundreds of millions of dollars per year.
Scammers are taking advantage of AI technologies and running their operations like a business so they can scale, according to the Wired piece. But the scams are communication-intensive and require a lot of human involvement.
"Romance scams, also known as confidence scams, are extremely communication-intensive. They require attackers to build relationships with their targets via dating apps and social media. So, while generative AI chatbots are already being used to write scripts and converse in multiple languages for other types of fraud, they can’t quite pull off these romance scams on their own. But with the vulnerable population growing, researchers believe there is real potential for automation to provide a boon to scammers."
Be careful out there!
As always, drop me a line at sharon.florentine@cyberriskalliance.com if you have news to share or want to say hi!
Grab your coffee. Here's what you need to know today.
Today’s Tech, Channel and MSP News
1. Vodafone Business partners with Advantage Communications Group: Telecommunications firm Vodafone inked a strategic channel partnership with Advantage Communications Group, a global managed service provider (MSP). The alliance allows U.S.-based multinational enterprises to access Vodafone’s global mobility and fixed network and services, including connectivity, cybersecurity and high-speed data. Advantage partners with over 2,400 organizations with active operations in more than 150 countries worldwide.
2. Atera's new CFO: Agentic AI IT management platform Atera this week appointed Avi Israel as the company’s new chief financial officer (CFO). Israel succeeds Lior Torem, who is stepping down from the CFO role and will join the company's advisory board. Israel brings over 15 years of experience in building, managing, and leading finance teams, as well as guiding the growth and IPO processes of leading technology companies, including Ermetic and Similarweb. Previously, he served as VP of Finance and Information Systems at Similarweb, where he led the company’s IPO on the NYSE. Congratulations!
3. Sage Future debuts for SMBs: Accounting, financial, HR, and payroll tech firm Sage this week announced registration for its annual user conference, Sage Future, taking place June 3-5, 2025, at the Georgia World Congress Center. The event is expected to welcome 5,000 attendees to Atlanta from across the U.S. and Canada, including medium-sized business and financial leaders, value-added resellers (VARs), independent software vendors (ISVs), strategic alliances, and community partners.
4. EnterpriseDB expands partner program for Postgres, AI: Postgres data and AI firm EnterpriseDB (EDB) is expanding its channel partner program, enabling on-demand support throughout the entire sales lifecycle, from deal creation to closure and post-sales, the company said. The program will offer exclusive training, certification, and technical guidance, expand go-to-market commitments to invest two-thirds of GTM motions toward partner enablement and sales, and improve digital experiences for channel partners, the company said.
5. Agellus Capital merges CompassMSP, BlackPoint IT Services: Agellus Capital has acquired CompassMSP, LLC, and will merge it with BlackPoint IT Services, which it acquired in September 2024. This latest investment expands Agellus’ presence nationwide and furthers its strategy of creating a multi-regional platform to deliver national IT and cybersecurity managed services. CompassMSP, headquartered in West Hartford, CT, serves small and mid-sized enterprises in the Midwest and Eastern U.S., offering IT and cybersecurity solutions, including managed services, network monitoring, compliance, and cloud solutions. BlackPoint is based in Seattle, WA.
