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<ul class="summary-list"><li>Around 76 locations were raided across 12 Indian states in a crackdown on tech support scam calls.</li><li>India's Central Bureau of Investigations is working with Amazon and Microsoft to combat scammers.</li></ul><p>India has been cracking down on tech support scammers in an effort to "combat and dismantle" finance-related cyber crime, officials announced on Thursday.</p><p>Officials raided around 76 suspected illegal call center locations across India, in several different states, according to a press release from <a href="https://twitter.com/CBIHeadquarters/status/1715013792697045503/photo/1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">India's Central Bureau of Investigations</a>. These raids were part of a police operation called Chakra-II. The scammers often pretend to work for reputable companies like Microsoft and Amazon, according to a press release from <a href="https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/policy-news-views/amazon-microsoft-protect-against-impersonation-scams" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Amazon</a>. </p><p>Now, Amazon and Microsoft are teaming up with CBI and international law enforcement in an effort to cut down on the calls. Many of these scammers target Americans, with over 2,000 people being impacted, according to Amazon. Countries like Canada, Australia, the UK, Germany, and Spain have also been affected. </p>  <p>Law enforcement seized 32 phones, 48 laptops and hard discs, and 33 SIM cards and froze several bank accounts amid the raid of the 76 locations, according to CBI. The locations were in Indian states including Bihar, Dehli, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal. </p>    <p>The <a href="https://pdf.live/edit?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ic3.gov%2FMedia%2FPDF%2FAnnualReport%2F2022_IC3Report.pdf&amp;guid=2ddc7657-c83a-6076-17bc-72ec9ddcb2b2&amp;installDate=070723&amp;source=google-d_pdftab_crx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FBI</a> estimates that in 2022, over 32,000 people were targeted by tech and customer support scams, with over $800 million in losses. Amazon said it has a "zero tolerance" policy for scammers pretending to be part of the company. It has taken down over 20,000 phishing websites and 10,000 phone numbers associated with fraud scams.</p><p>Oftentimes, scammers will target <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-its-so-easy-to-scam-old-people-2012-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">elderly</a> victims, with 69% of victims being 60 or older, according to the FBI. Ensuring that you and your loved ones are aware of the warning signs of a scam call or phishing email or text can help them avoid being tricked into handing away sensitive information.</p><p>Microsoft and other reputable tech companies will never contact you via phone call, email, or text to tell you that there's a problem with your device, Microsoft Security's Doug Thomas said in a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkREEmr0maw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">YouTube</a> video. He also said that pop-up messages from reputable companies won't include a phone number that you need to call to get help. </p><p>Amazon recommends that anyone who suspects they're being scammed report the activity to <a href="https://affiliate.insider.com?amazonTrackingID=biauto-63823-20&amp;h=52b2ea51ffa357f3d904f0652b1ce5e62088fb9c8234f130aa0cabb3980cc9a7&amp;postID=6532e079e20e2d7dddac5183&amp;postSlug=scam-call-centers-crackdown-raids-india-microsoft-amazon-2023-10&amp;site=bi&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fgp%2Fhelp%2Fcustomer%2Fdisplay.html%3FnodeId%3DGRGRY7AQ3LMPXVCV" target="_blank" rel="noopener">amazon.com/reportascam</a> or email stop-spoofing@amazon.com.</p>

Around 76 locations were raided in India as part of a crackdown on phony tech support scam calls

<ul><li>Amazon has filed a lawsuit against scammers in US and India for making fake Amazon apps.</li><li>The company has claimed that its customers were prompted to download the app and would be charged $150 for useless protection plans</li></ul>Amazon has filed a lawsuit against an international ring in Washington State and India that developed a tech support scheme to con people via fake Amazon apps who were looking to set up newly-bought Alexa-enabled Echo smart speakers at home, charging $150 for device protection plans.<br /><br />Amazon alleged that the scam was being run by two tech support companies - Robojap Technologies based in Covington, Washington State, and Quatic Software Solutions based in Zirakpur, Punjab.<br /><br />In a civil lawsuit filed in the federal court in Seattle, the ecommerce giant said that once customers downloaded the fake Amazon-branded apps, "they were prompted to contact a customer support number and could be charged $150 for useless protection plans", reports CNET.<br /><br />"Amazon works hard to protect our customers, and the blatant misuse of our brand to deceive unsuspecting customers setting up their new device is appalling," an Amazon spokesperson said in a statement.<br /><br />The company said it has received "a number of complaints about Robojap misleading victims into believing they are affiliated with Amazon, and selling them unwanted services".<br /><br />According to Amazon's lawsuit, the defendants developed fake websites and mobile apps that claimed to help people set up new Alexa devices.<br /><br />Quatic's website listed is no longer online, but the suit says Robojap manages Quatic.<br /><br />"Setup Guide for Echo" and "Echo Setup Instructions &amp; Guide," two mobile apps on Google Play Store that these companies allegedly used to lure in customers, have been deactivated too.<br /><br />According to Tim Mackey, Principal Security Strategist at Synopsys Software Integrity Group, fake customer support calls are nothing new.<br /><br />"So are questionable websites purporting to have the download, driver, or patch that you're searching for but can't find on the vendor's website. These scams all prey on the fact that modern technology is often more complicated than the user would prefer," Mackey said in a statement.<br /><br />"In this case, it's in Amazon's best interest for new Alexa users to have a positive first impression. Charging $150 for a tech support call goes against that goal, so it's likely a scam. So too is any requirement to use any third party app to setup an Alexa," he added.<br /><br />Amazon provides Alexa device setup for free, primarily through its own Alexa mobile app.<br /><br /><b>See also:</b><br /><br /> <b><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/cash-app-scammers-are-impersonating-jeffree-starr-and-david-dobrik-in-order-to-fake-cash-giveaways-and-defraud-people/articleshow/75722022.cms">Cash App scammers are impersonating Jeffree Starr and David Dobrik in order to fake cash giveaways and defraud people</a></b><br /><br /> <b><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/scammers-used-fake-emails-and-a-cloned-website-to-trick-health-authorities-into-spending-millions-on-face-masks-that-didnt-exist/articleshow/75211724.cms">Scammers used fake emails and a cloned website to trick health authorities into spending millions on face masks that didn't exist</a></b>

Amazon files lawsuit against scammers in India and US for making fake Amazon apps

<ul><li><strong>Scammers are now sharing links of a fake <keyword id="6762469" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="TikTok">TikTok</keyword> Pro app to obtain user information.</strong></li><li><strong>Clicking on the malicious link forwards the message to all the contacts on your phone.</strong></li><li><strong>If you receive such a message, do not click on the link and just delete the message.</strong></li></ul>The Indian government recently banned popular Chinese video sharing platform TikTok along with <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/tiktok-shareit-uc-browser-club-factory-among-59-chinese-apps-banned-by-the-indian-government/articleshow/76694483.cms">58 other Chinese apps</a> amid the border standoff with China in the Galwan valley region.<br /><br />TikTok reportedly had around 200 million users in India. While the ban has led to an increase in the popularity of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/checkout-the-top-10-indian-apps-in-2020/slidelist/76632903.cms">Indian apps</a>, scammers are also trying to use the TikTok ban in the country as an opportunity to scam users with an app called TikTok Pro.<br /><br /><div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="76725779" title="Top TikTok alternatives to make and share your videos" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div><br /><strong>What is the <keyword id="9536527" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="tiktok-pro-scam">TikTok Pro scam</keyword>?<br /></strong><br />Several users on social media have reported that they have received an SMS or a WhatsApp message asking them to download ‘TikTok Pro’ to enjoy and make TikTok videos again.<br /><br /><div type="twitter" handle="IndBraveHeart" handlename="Akhand Bharat" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/961156633605816321/gH8p9lzq_normal.jpg" favoritecount="0" retweetcount="1" status="@BlrCityPolice Sir i got a message to download the Pro version of tiktok trThru sms(no.9590139662). Thought of a s… https://t.co/RJ4hzI3yIv" createdat="1593865778000" id="1279391918703538177"></div><br />“Enjoy Tiktok Videos and also make Create Videos again. Now TikTok is only Available in (TikTok pro) So Download from below.” This message is followed by a link that downloads the TikTok Pro APK file if the user clicks on it.<br /><br />Some users who downloaded the app noted that the app does not work. However, the app requires permissions for the phone’s camera and the microphone.<br /><br />While it’s not clear what the app does, it is not an official app and is probably some kind of malware that has been designed to obtain user information.<br /><br />A TikTok user also reported that once someone clicks on the link, it is forwarded to all the contacts of the user.<br /><br /><div type="twitter" handle="GowdPurushotham" handlename="Purushotham gowd" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1255854770327293955/f8zGtLyN_normal.jpg" favoritecount="4" retweetcount="5" status="Dear sir @hydcitypolice @CYBTRAFFIC @cpcybd Some of my friends got some notifications from online about tiktok pro… https://t.co/3O6LWhWJOP" createdat="1593837182000" id="1279271978512179200"></div><br />The Telangana State Police’s official Twitter account has also posted a screenshot of the message and warned users to beware of cyber crimes.<br /><br /><div type="twitter" handle="TelanganaCOPs" handlename="Telangana State Police" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1201405391801737217/h2UduXZ1_normal.jpg" favoritecount="1232" retweetcount="416" status="Beware of Cyber crimes &amp; Be Alert! https://t.co/0BYTPcZ194" createdat="1594114140000" id="1280433628183359493"></div><br /><strong>How to protect yourself from the TikTok Pro scam?<br /></strong><br />The only thing that you need to do to protect yourself from the TikTok Pro scam is to avoid clicking on the link if you receive the above message. Also, inform all your friends and family to avoid clicking on such links.<br /><br />Just delete the message and inform the sender that the TikTok Pro app is fake and ask them to delete it immediately.<br /><br /><strong>SEE ALSO:<br /><br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/tiktok-is-under-fire-from-hong-kong-to-us-days-after-ban-in-india/articleshow/76827586.cms">TikTok is under fire from Hong Kong to US, days after ban in India</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/netflix-delhi-crime-amazon-prime-panchayat-free-episodes-could-install-malware-on-your-computer/slidelist/76531461.cms">Looking for free episodes of Netflix's Delhi Crime, Amazon Prime’s Panchayat may expose you to hackers online — here are the top 10 most targeted web series</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/jio-airtel-cipla-sun-pharma-and-others-on-chinese-hackers-radar-amid-india-china-border-tension/articleshow/76528261.cms">Top 20 Indian organisations under threat of attack from Chinese hackers to “teach India a lesson” amid border tension</a></strong><br />

TikTok Pro scam – What is it and how to protect yourself from it

<p>Good morning! This is the tech news you need to know this Monday. <a href="http://newsletter.businessinsider.com/join/4np/10-things-in-tech&amp;hash=8122c716833601fc1471f79af063b104?nr_email_referer=1&amp;utm_source=Sailthru&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=10_things_tech&amp;utm_campaign=Post%20Blast%20sai:%2010%20things%20in%20tech%20you%20need%20to%20know%20today&amp;utm_term=10%20THINGS%20IN%20TECH%20YOU%20NEED%20TO%20KNOW%20-%20ENGAGED%2C%20ACTIVE%2C%20PASSIVE%2C%20DISENGAGED0PASSIVE%2C%20DISENGAGED">Sign up here</a> to get this email in your inbox every morning.</p><p>Have an Amazon Alexa device? Listen to this update by searching "Business Insider" in your flash briefing settings.</p><ol><ol><li><strong>A Zoom engineer was accused of censorship. </strong>The DOJ <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/doj-charges-china-based-zoom-exec-over-tiananmen-crackdown-vigils-2020-12">alleged in a complaint that Xinjiang Jin</a>, Zoom's primary liaison with Chinese law enforcement, terminated calls held by users commemorating Beijing's 1989 crackdown on student protesters in Tiananmen Square.<br /><br /></li><li><strong>Security experts are freaking out about the SolarWinds attack. </strong>They say the most alarming aspect is that <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cybersecurity-experts-freaking-out-solarwinds-russia-hack-2020-12">officials are nowhere close to gauging the hack's full scope</a>, who else may have been compromised, and what the attackers could have obtained.<br /><br /></li><li><strong>Apple put a supplier on notice.</strong> The firm <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-says-wistron-on-probation-after-riot-indian-iphone-plant-2020-12">won't give Wistron new business</a> after workers at a plant in India caused rioted over reduced or unpaid salary. <br /><br /></li><li><strong>Exclusive:</strong> <strong>We looked at the life of Scott Borgerson, the entrepreneur married to Ghislaine Maxwell. </strong>He <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ghislaine-maxwells-husband-scott-borgerson-profile-2020-12">secretly married Maxwell in 2016</a>, at which point his professional network expanded to include big-name investors like Google's Eric Schmidt and the billionaire hedge-fund manager Paul Tudor Jones.<br /><br /></li><li><strong>Russian trolls used Cameo to lobby for the release of a suspected spy. </strong>The Internet Research Agency, a Russian troll farm, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russian-trolls-used-facebook-cameo-free-alleged-spy-in-libya-2020-12">used Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Cameo in a coordinated effort</a> to get the suspected spy Maxim Shugaley released from a Libyan prison. <br /><br /></li><li><strong>Facebook removed anti-vaccine content in Israel.</strong> The content <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-removed-covid-19-vaccine-misinformation-in-israel-2020-12">posted on four Hebrew-language groups</a> included photos, videos, and text posts, per the report. It said vaccines included microscopic tracking chips. <br /><br /></li><li><strong>Scammers set up fake websites posing as COVID-19 treatments.</strong> The sites <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/scammers-fake-vaccine-websites-moderna-pfizer-regeneron-doj-2020-12">purported to be created</a> by the healthcare companies Moderna and Regeneron in order to trick people into handing over their personal information.<br /><br /></li><li><strong>Facebook rejected about 3.3 million election ads.</strong> The rejected ad count <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-rejected-3-million-ad-submissions-during-trump-biden-campaign-2020-12">was disclosed in a 22-page document</a> reportedly sent to officials close to President Donald Trump and President-elect Joe Biden.<br /><br /></li><li><strong>AOC slammed Amazon over food stamps. </strong>In nine states, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/aoc-amazon-jobs-scam-food-stamps-no-financial-security">more than 4,000 Amazon employees</a> are on food stamps, according to <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2020-12-17/amazon-amzn-job-pay-rate-leaves-some-warehouse-employees-homeless">Bloomberg News</a>.<br /><br /></li><li><strong>Exclusive: Robinhood rival eToro added 5 million users.</strong> Amateur investors have piled into stock-trading apps in 2020 <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/stock-trading-app-etoro-adds-5-million-users-2020-12">thanks to a combination of working from home</a> and lower global interest rates.</li></ol></ol>

10 things in tech you need to know today

<p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>The official Twitter account for Google's G Suite was the latest to fall victim to a cryptocurrency giveaway scam on Twitter.</li><li>The scam tried to convince people to send them bitcoin to be entered into a sweepstakes.&#xa0;</li><li>The post has since been deleted, and spokespeople from Google and Twitter say the companies are working together to investigate the hack of the G Suite account.</li><li>Many verified Twitter accounts have been hacked to promote similar cryptocurrency scams - the hackers will commonly impersonate Elon Musk.</li><li>Target, the retailer, seems to have also been hit with a similar scam on Tuesday.</li></ul><p>An official, verified Twitter account for Google's G Suite was hacked by scammers seeking to bilk innocent people out of their bitcoin - making it the latest victim in a scourge that the social network can't quite stamp out.</p><p>Sent Tuesday afternoon, a tweet from the G Suite account shared information about the "biggest crypto-giveaway in the world," which followers could access by first sending over some bitcoin of their own. The tweet <a href="https://twitter.com/B_u_r_t_o_n/status/1062425103915466752">was spotted by Twitter users</a> who managed to grab screenshots of the post before it was deleted.</p><p>Verified accounts across Twitter have recently fallen victim to this kind of widespread hacking effort. Needless to say, the cryptocurrency giveaway to which it makes reference doesn't exist - it's a ploy to get cryptocurrency.</p><p>These accounts, some of which <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/twitter-is-locking-accounts-called-elon-musk-to-fight-crypto-scams-2018-7">are edited to impersonate</a>&#xa0;Tesla CEO Elon Musk, share tweets that peddle a fake cryptocurrency giveaway and attempt to scam Twitter users into sending bitcoin via a sketchy URL. Some posts, as in the case of the G Suite tweet, were even successfully "promoted" through Twitter's ad service to appear higher up in followers' feeds.</p><p>"This morning an unauthorized promoted tweet was shared from the G Suite account," a Google spokesperson said in a statement provided to Business Insider. "We removed the tweet and are investigating with Twitter now."</p><p>A Twitter spokesperson told Business Insider that the G Suite account was locked as the team discovered it was "innapropriately accessed," and that the platform would continue to "closely monitor" the situation.</p><p><em><strong>Read more:&#xa0;</strong></em><em><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fake-elon-musk-account-promoting-bitcoin-scam-promoted-twitter-ad-2018-11">Twitter is struggling to curb fake Elon Musk accounts promoting cryptocurrency scams</a></em></p><p>Twitter is well aware of the cryptocurrency scam since reports&#xa0;<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/twitter-is-locking-accounts-called-elon-musk-to-fight-crypto-scams-2018-7">first surfaced back in July</a>, when the platform tried to curb the hacks by instantly locking any accounts that changed their display name to "Elon Musk." But scammers have found ways to circumvent Twitter's efforts, and have gained access to verified accounts including those for Pantheon Books, <a href="https://thenextweb.com/hardfork/2018/11/06/india-bitcoin-twitter-musk/">India's national disaster authority</a>, and <a href="https://thenextweb.com/hardfork/2018/07/24/hack-twitter-cryptocurrency-fox/">Fox's discontinued TV show "Almost Human."</a></p><p>The platform is apparently taking further steps and investing in "proactive tools" to fight the cryptocurrency scams, says the Twitter spokesperson.&#xa0;</p><p>Google was not the only major company hit Tuesday by the bitcoin scam - Target was also apparently hacked, as the retailer <a href="https://twitter.com/Target/status/1062384241445613568">posted to Twitter</a>.</p><p>&#xa0;</p><p class="tagline">Get the latest Bitcoin price <a href="http://markets.businessinsider.com/currencies/BTC-USD">here.&gt;&gt;</a></p><div></div><div></div>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-go-open-3000-automated-stores-2018-9">Amazon wants to open 3,000 cashier-less grocery stores - and they'll have a major advantage over their competitors</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div>

An official Google account on Twitter was hacked by cryptocurrency scammers trying to convince people to send them bitcoin

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right click-to-enlarge"><div><div class="image on-image"><a title_source="(AP Photo/Darron Cummings)" title_caption="Vice President Mike Pence, AOL user." class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/58b91e76dd08951f3d8b4835-960/undefined"><span class="sprites click-to-enlarge-icon" title="Click to enlarge"></span></a><p class="source"><span>(AP Photo/Darron Cummings)</span></p><p class="caption">Vice President Mike Pence, AOL user.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Good morning! Here's the news you need to know this Friday.</p><p><strong>1. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/snap-snapchat-ipo-2017-3">Snapchat parent Snap's share price surged 44% on its stock market debut, after the company raised $3.4 billion (£2.8 billion) in its initial public offering.</a> </strong>It was valued at $33 billion (£27 billion) at the opening price, and CEO Evan Spiegel is estimated to have a $4.5 billion (£3.7 billion) stake in the business.</p><p><strong>2. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/amazon-aws-internet-outage-caused-by-engineer-typing-wrong-command-2017-3" target="_blank">Amazon blamed a major outage on Tuesday on an employee "incorrectly" entering an input command, removing a number of servers from service.</a> </strong>The glitch meant sites including Quora and Slack were down for most of the afternoon.</p><p><strong>3. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/former-uber-engineer-says-uber-law-firm-investigating-her-deleted-accounts-2017-3" target="_blank">Susan Fowler, the former Uber engineer who documented her sexual harassment complaints in a viral blogpost, has said the company is blaming her for users deleting their accounts.</a></strong> Uber denied the allegations and said it wasn't investigating Fowler personally.</p><p><strong>4. <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2017/3/2/14790982/google-assistant-android-marshmallow-nougat-now-available" target="_blank">Google will roll out Google Assistant more widely across Android M and N devices from today.</a></strong> The virtual assistant was initially limited to Google's own Pixel smartphone, but will launch for US users, then in Germany, Australia, Canada, and the <keyword id="6354868" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="UK">UK</keyword>.</p><p><strong>5. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/elon-musks-solarcity-cut-20-of-staff-last-year-2017-3" target="_blank">SolarCity, the solar power company owned by Elon Musk's Tesla, cut around 20% of staff jobs last year, marking a sharp reversal on its previous growth.</a></strong> The company cut staff across operations, installations, manufacturing, sales and marketing, possibly due to a slowdown in the rooftop solar market.</p><p><strong>6. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/uber-changes-its-mind-decides-to-apply-for-california-self-driving-car-permit-2017-3" target="_blank">Uber is applying for permits to test its self-driving vehicles in California, marking a U-turn on its previous position.</a></strong> The company had originally packed up its self-driving cars and taken them to Arizona for testing, after Californian authorities said it <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/uber-defies-california-regulators-to-keep-its-self-driving-cars-on-the-road-2016-12" target="_blank">didn't have the correct permits</a>.</p><p><strong>7. <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/03/02/mike-pence-private-email/98637782/" target="_blank">US Vice President Mike Pence used an AOL email address to send sensitive messages while he was governor of Indiana - which was then hacked.</a></strong> Pence's emails dealt with issues like terror attacks, but the account was compromised by a scammer who sent fake messages to his contacts.</p><p><strong>8. <a href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/alexkantrowitz/frustrated-snap-social-influencers-leaving-for-rival-platfor">Snapchat creator Mike Platco has 500,000 followers but he can't even get a meeting at the company's HQ.</a> </strong>"That was the very first in a long history of instances where Snapchat really solidified its position as giver of zero fucks," Platco told BuzzFeed News. It might cost the company: Several major creators are moving their audiences to Instagram, where they say they get more support.</p><p><strong>9. <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/536b7eb4-ffd0-11e6-96f8-3700c5664d30" target="_blank">Chinese shopping giant Alibaba will invest $177 million (£144 million) in one of India's biggest ecommerce businesses, Paytm.</a></strong> Alibaba is leading a $200 million investment round which values the company at $1 billion.</p><p><strong>10. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/mar/02/nintendo-switch-game-cartridges-taste-bitter" target="_blank">Nintendo made the cartridges for its new Switch console taste awful so that kids wouldn't swallow them by accident.</a> </strong>The games company coated the cartridges in the same agent used in anti-nail biting solution, which has an extremely bitter taste.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-ronald-wayne-steve-jobs-story-personality-2017-2">One of the founders of Apple tells us a great story about Steve Jobs' personality</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="Btb2EwYTE6qmLwPMO7NlRdMHaON2eFgr" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Samantha Shea had never been outside the US before she started college in 2014.</li><li>After graduating in 2019, she visited India and Pakistan while developing her travel writing.</li></ul><p>When I tell people from back home that I live in Northern Pakistan, I'm usually met with shock.</p><p>Their disbelief escalates when I show them pictures of the snow-capped Karakoram mountain range that surround the village where I live.</p><p>"I thought Pakistan was a desert" is the most common response. As wrong as they are, I don't blame them. I didn't know much about Pakistan before traveling there after college.  </p><p>I live in Hunza Valley, 8,500 feet above sea level on the border with Western China, where I work as a digital nomad.</p><p>When I first came to Pakistan in 2019, I was a recent University of Miami grad who'd never lived outside the US. </p><div type="image" title="A drone shot of Hunza Valley in early May." height="3648" width="4864" msid="100102321" hostid="261"></div><p>In Hunza, electricity comes on for only a few hours a day, you walk to the local market if you need anything – Amazon doesn't deliver to the mountainous valley region – and running hot water isn't guaranteed. </p><p>The valley has, despite these elements, become my home. Here, I don't lock up my bike or my front door, I can walk everywhere, and my recent major home renovation cost me only $3,000. </p><h2>Current guidance around traveling to Pakistan </h2><p>The US travel advice for Pakistan is to avoid traveling to Balochistan province, many parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and the Indian-Pakistan border because of the potential for terrorist attacks, kidnapping, and armed conflict at the border.</p><p>The US government warns that the assistance it can provide citizens traveling in Pakistan is limited because of these security issues. However, I have personally traveled to some of these areas and did not feel unsafe at the time.</p><p>Although this doesn't mean these threats aren't real and something to consider, many foreign nationals and local Pakistani people travel to the Hunza Valley without incident. Forbes recently named Pakistan an <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/annabel/2020/01/02/the-not-hot-list-10-best-under-the-radar-trips-for-2020/?sh=acd0ba222647" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">up-and-coming adventure vacation</a>. CN Traveller also awarded Pakistan as their <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d18T5ypYzgM&amp;t=16s" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">top holiday destination in 2020</a>.</p><h2><strong>My journey to a remote village in Northern Pakistan </strong></h2><p>My love of travel began at college. From 2014 to 2019, I was a student at the University of Miami in Florida. While I loved my school, being by the beach, and Florida's eternal summer, I never felt settled in Miami. </p><div type="image" title="Samantha Shea, young woman stood in front of the Miami beach shoreline." height="2688" width="3583" msid="100102323" hostid="261"></div><p>Because I grew up in suburban Connecticut, the move to a busy city was a big adjustment. It was noisy and fast-paced, and the proximity to crime, common in urban areas, put me on edge. </p><p>I had never traveled outside the US growing up, but I fell in love with backpacking at college. My trips became more and more offbeat. I was traveling through India the summer before my senior year in 2018 when I decided to pursue a career in travel. </p><h2><strong>I wanted to become a freelance travel blogger after graduation</strong></h2><h2><strong><div type="image" title="Samantha Shea graduating from the university of Miami sat on the college's sign." height="2179" width="2906" msid="100102325" hostid="261"></div></strong></h2><p>I worked three part-time jobs while finishing my degree to save up for my indefinite adventure.</p><p>After graduating in 2019, I set off for India again, traveling around the country and into neighboring Pakistan. </p><p>Despite media negativity and concerns from family and friends, I didn't feel nervous crossing the border from India. I traveled from the historical city of Lahore to the Hindu Kush mountains of Upper Chitral — a region that directly borders Afghanistan — and felt comfortable everywhere I went. </p><div type="image" title="Samantha Shea in Swat Valley Pakistan" height="2316" width="3088" msid="100102329" hostid="261"></div><p>I found it easier and more fun to travel here than in India, a much more "mainstream" backpacking destination. I encountered fewer scammers traveling in Pakistan. I also found Pakistan had less trash on the streets, and the roads were in better condition.</p><h2><strong>I worked for DoorDash and learned Urdu while waiting out COVID-19 limitations</strong></h2><p>In December 2019, I returned to my family home with the plan to move to Pakistan full time in the spring as a digital nomad.</p><p>My plans were halted by COVID-19. I spent the next year learning Urdu, the national language of Pakistan, and delivering for DoorDash. I also finally saw some freelance traction. </p><p>I got my first paid byline, increased my blog traffic, and freelanced in content writing and social-media management. I wanted to have established myself as a digital nomad before I left home.</p><p>In April 2021, I traveled alone to Pakistan's capital, Islamabad. I hadn't arranged a guide and had no plan beyond my first few nights at a hostel. To many, my trip seemed insane, but I was committed. </p><h2><div type="image" title="The vistas on a multi-day hike to the Shimshal Pass, not far from the Chinese border." height="2614" width="3486" msid="100102331" hostid="261"></div></h2><h2><strong>Why Hunza Valley? </strong></h2><p>My 2021 journey brought me to Hunza Valley for a reason. I'd head it was well known as the safest destination for <a href="https://asia.nikkei.com/Life-Arts/Life/Hunza-Valley-women-challenge-Pakistani-patriarchy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">solo female travelers</a>, largely due to its <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/high-up-on-a-pakistani-mountain-a-success-story-for-moderate-islam/2015/07/22/f0b878d2-2572-11e5-b77f-eb13a215f593_story.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">liberal culture toward women</a>.</p><div type="image" title="Woman walking Hunza Valley" height="4854" width="6472" msid="100102550" hostid="261"></div><p>Hunza Valley is a remote area in Northern Pakistan. The Gatorade-blue rivers and snow-capped mountains make Hunza a popular tourist destination. The local community is known for its hospitality, and I immediately felt at home – something I'd never felt in big-city America.</p><p>The community is welcoming of outsiders — respecting and taking care of guests is a core value here. Before 9/11, there were droves of foreign travelers coming to Hunza, and many locals and their families worked in tourism, so I was welcomed readily. </p><div type="image" title="The Karakoram highway that cuts through Hunza" height="3648" width="4864" msid="100102551" hostid="261"></div><p>Hunza is home to a <a href="https://www.thejuggernaut.com/ismaili-muslims-pakistan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">majority Ismaili community</a>, a liberal sect of Islam. Teens hang out in mixed groups, women own restaurants and shops, and it's common for girls to receive higher education.</p><p>I settled in Hunza and have lived here for nearly two years.</p><h2><strong>Many Westerners I've spoken with have trepidations about Pakistan</strong></h2><h2><strong><div type="image" title="Shea sits with locals in a small seaside village on the border of Sindh and Balochistan in the far south of Pakistan." height="3448" width="4597" msid="100102553" hostid="261"></div></strong></h2><p>Hunza itself could not be safer. I don't worry about locking my bike, or even my doors. I've never witnessed a crime of any kind, nor any of the terrorist incidents the US State Department warns travelers of.</p><p>Barely a day after I'd arrived, I found myself lost on a 5-mile trek I set out on alone. Wandering, I ran into a young male shepherd. He insisted on showing me the route back and carrying my bag.</p><p>I kept waiting for "that moment" for which all solo female travelers are on high alert — but it never came. The shepherd was polite and helped me safely find the trail.</p><div type="image" title="Hunza valley in Northern Pakistan" height="1066" width="1422" msid="100102555" hostid="261"></div><p>I think I felt more comfortable in Hunza than I did in Miami for several reasons: The local cuisine shared many similarities with my Polish grandma's recipes, I experienced daily peace, and being surrounded by 20,000-foot peaks made me feel like I positively was on another planet.</p><div type="image" title="Traditional spread of Hunza foods." height="1405" width="1874" msid="100102558" hostid="261"></div><p>I didn't have great WiFi for the first few months of living in Hunza, which was stressful at times. I've since found work-arounds, but it's not simple. </p><h2><strong>The biggest issue is that electricity comes on for </strong><strong>only </strong><strong>around 5 or 6 hours a day, primarily at night</strong></h2><p>I knew Northern Pakistan didn't have great electricity from my 2019 trip to other mountain valleys. Regardless, I always travel with a power bank.</p><p>I remember times when the electricity wouldn't come on as planned and I'd forgotten to charge my devices properly. I found it incredibly stressful, especially if I had a lot of work.</p><div type="image" title="Cycling in the Hunza Valley" height="1410" width="1884" msid="100102560" hostid="261"></div><p>Once, while on a road trip through Upper Chitral, another mountainous region in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, my power bank fell in water and wouldn't turn on.</p><p>I was in an area even more remote than Hunza and knew the power bank likely wasn't sold anywhere in Pakistan. The bank amazingly came back to life, but I did end up breaking another one a year later.</p><p>When these things happen, it makes me miss conveniences like Amazon, but a company called Daraz does manage to deliver plenty of items to Hunza within two or three days. </p><p>Power banks and other electronics can also be sourced from other countries via Packr, an app I've used several times to receive items from the US.</p><p>Now I have a permanent home, I've arranged more long-term solutions. </p><p>I bought a $35 UPS car battery at a local market, which keeps my WiFi router and basic lights working 24/7. I also have two 26,800-mAh Anker power banks as backups, the 2nd of which I purchased after that road-trip scare.</p><h2><div type="image" title="Car battery for back up electricity." height="5304" width="7072" msid="100102562" hostid="261"></div></h2><h2><strong>How I live and work in Hunza Valley</strong></h2><p>One month of accommodation costs between $150 and $250 on average — a far cry from the $1,300 I paid in Miami to share an apartment with roommates.</p><p>My life in Hunza began in Gojal, the local name for the northern portion of the region. When I arrived, I stayed in hotels. Nowhere I stayed cost more than $15 a night, and if I got a long-stay rate, they averaged closer to $8 a night.</p><div type="image" title="Gate to a house in Hunza Valley" height="7477" width="4987" msid="100102564" hostid="261"></div><p>Hunza was slightly more expensive than I thought, especially before I found permanent accommodation. </p><p>I was shocked by how expensive some hotels were. Budget options are available, but a large portion of Hunza's tourism caters to the wealthy sector of the domestic market.</p><p>This experience has positively influenced my career as a freelancer. I've had my stories published in major media outlets. I also run an Instagram account and a YouTube channel focusing on life here and helping travelers plan their trips.</p><h2><div type="image" title="Shea speaking at a tourism event in Hunza" height="2274" width="3024" msid="100102569" hostid="261"></div></h2><h2><strong>I now live in Aliabad in central Hunza, the largest town in the district </strong></h2><div type="image" title="Samantha Shea and her boyfriend sat outside their house." height="1737" width="2316" msid="100102572" hostid="261"></div>I met my now partner, Fareed, in a local coworking space a few months after I arrived in Hunza. He was born and raised in Hunza and now works in trekking tourism.<p>We're happily settled in Aliabad in central Hunza, close to my partner's family, who have become a second family to me. </p><p>I've started learning Burushaski, one of the two major languages spoken in the valley. My partner speaks perfect English, so there's no language barrier.</p><p>Aliabad has high-speed fiber-cable WiFi, which makes uploading content or taking Zoom calls easy, and it's where you'll find amenities like ATMs, stores, small hospitals, and a few restaurants and shops.</p><p><strong></strong></p><div type="image" title="Hunza Valley drone" height="3156" width="4208" msid="100102574" hostid="261"></div><h2><strong>Even so, Aliabad is still a village in many ways</strong></h2><p>The main roads are paved, but many residential areas have dirt roads. Everything from the doctor to my cellphone provider is within a 15-minute walking radius. </p><p>My partner and I moved into a house his parents owned. It had no electricity, flooring, or running water. We recently renovated two rooms and added a bathroom with running water and a Western toilet. It ended up costing about $3,000.</p><div type="image" title="Samantha Shea, a digital nomad stands with her boyfriends' mother and grandmother." height="2264" width="3019" msid="100102577" hostid="261"></div><p>If we were renting, it would cost around 20,000 Pakistani rupees a month, or about $50. Renting might have been cheaper in the short term, but I love having a space all our own.</p><p>A meal at a restaurant is usually between $2 for local spots and $7 for Western fare, but cooking at home is much less expensive and often tastier. WiFi costs around $8 for unlimited data each month, and I pay $4 for 10 gigabytes of data for my SIM card.</p><div type="image" title="Woman eating Yak burger in Hunza Valley, Pakistan" height="5301" width="7068" msid="100102579" hostid="261"></div><p>Hot water is also not a given in Hunza — but an $80 gas-powered water heater solved that, with refills totaling about $20 a month. The electricity that does come is only about $2 a month, and the cold running water, sourced from a glacier, is free.</p><div type="image" title="2000-gallon water tank in Hunza Valley" height="5203" width="6937" msid="100102582" hostid="261"></div><p>Aliabad has a cold desert climate.</p><div type="image" title="Yak burger on traditional stove." height="2073" width="2764" msid="100102587" hostid="261"></div><p>The coldest month is January, with temperatures averaging 25 degrees Fahrenheit. Frequently frozen pipes and a lack of central heating mean winter can be difficult.</p><p>Having spent most of my life in Connecticut, I was used to cold, long winters, and I find Hunza's to be shorter. </p><p>Winter limits my daily activities, but it almost feels like a cozy hibernation period.</p><p>I spend lazy days working by my bukhari — a traditional fireplace.</p><p><strong></strong></p><div type="image" title="Hunza Valley local drying apricots." height="3448" width="4597" msid="100102590" hostid="261"></div><h2><strong>The benefits of living in Hunza Valley far outweigh any negatives</strong></h2><p>I save thousands each month compared with living in a US city, and my quality of life is infinitely better.</p><p>I avoid the American hustle culture, which I find toxic. The people I meet in Hunza are generally quiet, polite, and respectful. I breathe clean air and eat organic, home-cooked food for every meal. </p><p>Though my solo journey to Pakistan started as a trip, Hunza Valley is now my home. I've even obtained the equivalent of permanent residency. With the money I've saved, I hope to travel to other countries, with Hunza as my base.</p>

I left Miami for a remote village in Pakistan. I have no running hot water and limited electricity &mdash; but my quality of life here is infinitely better.

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I left Miami for a remote village in Pakistan. I have no running hot water and limited electricity but my quality of life here is infinitely better.

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