To verify an online casino licence, find the casino’s legal operator and claimed licence details, then check them in the regulator’s official register. The operator, exact website domain, licence status, permitted gambling activity, and authorized location must all match before you register or deposit.

A licence logo by itself proves nothing. Fake and cloned casino websites can copy regulator seals, company names, and genuine licence numbers from legitimate operators.

Quick Take: The Four Details That Must Match

A casino passes the basic licensing check only when you can confirm all four of these details through an official regulatory source:

• Legal operator: The company named in the casino’s terms must correspond to the licence holder or a disclosed white-label operator.
• Exact domain: The website address you are visiting must appear as an authorized domain where the regulator publishes domain information.
• Active authorization: The licence must be active, not pending, expired, suspended, surrendered, forfeited, lapsed, or revoked.
• Permitted activity and location: The licence must cover online casino games and authorize the operator to serve players in your jurisdiction.

If one of these material fields does not match, do not deposit while you investigate. After the casino passes the licensing check, you can compare its available payment methods, withdrawal rules, fees, and account limits.

What You Need Before Starting

Collect the licensing claim before opening an account. You should be able to find the necessary information without installing an application, submitting identity documents, or depositing money.

Check the website footer, terms and conditions, privacy policy, responsible-gambling page, and contact page. Licensed businesses in Great Britain are required to display their licensing status and provide a link to the regulator’s register, according to the Gambling Commission guidance.

Record the information displayed by the casino, but do not assume it is accurate. Your next task is to verify the claim independently.

How to Verify an Online Casino Licence

1. Copy the exact casino domain

   Copy the hostname from the browser address bar. The hostname is the central part of the address, such as examplecasino.com or casino.example.com. You normally do not need page paths, referral codes, or tracking parameters that appear after the domain.

   Inspect the spelling one character at a time. Look for extra hyphens, repeated letters, substituted numbers, unfamiliar endings, and misleading subdomains. For example, casino.regulator-check.example.com belongs to example.com, not to a regulator whose name appears earlier in the address.

   Expected result: You have the exact domain that must be matched against the official record.

2. Find the legal operator and claimed regulator

   Locate the company responsible for operating the casino. The brand displayed in the header may differ from the legal entity in the terms. That difference is not automatically suspicious because one company can operate several brands, and some casinos use a white-label platform.

   Record the company’s complete legal name, registered address, trading names, licence number, and regulator. Avoid relying on a logo without accompanying legal information.

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   Expected result: You can attribute the casino to a named business and a specific licensing claim.

3. Open the regulator’s website independently

   Do not rely solely on the regulator badge in the casino footer. Search for the regulator independently and inspect the destination domain before using its register. A copied logo can link to a page designed to resemble a real regulator’s validation screen.

   This precaution is not theoretical. In July 2026, the Malta Gaming Authority reported websites impersonating licensed operators and using false MGA licensing claims. Its impersonation warning directs the public to verify both the operator and website through the official register.

   Expected result: You are using the regulator’s authentic website rather than a validation page supplied by the casino.

4. Search the official licence register

   Search by the exact domain first when that option is available. If it produces no result, search by legal company name, trading name, and licence number. Try exact and shortened company names because corporate suffixes or punctuation may affect results.

   The UK business register accepts searches by business name, trading name, domain name, or account number. The MGA Licensee Register also provides a dedicated URL checker.

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   Other jurisdictions may publish a list rather than a searchable licence database. The correct verification source is still the regulator or government-authorized market administrator, not an affiliate review or commercial licence-checking service.

   Expected result: You find an official record that can be compared with the casino’s claim.

5. Match the legal entity

   Compare the licence holder’s legal name with the company in the casino’s terms. Also inspect registered addresses, trading names, related companies, and any disclosed white-label relationship.

   A brand mismatch can be legitimate when the register lists the casino as a trading name or approved domain of the licensed company. It becomes a serious warning when the casino uses a real licence number belonging to an unrelated business, or when no official record connects the brand or domain to the licence holder.

   If the ownership structure is unclear, check the regulator’s detailed record and the casino’s terms again. Do not accept a support agent’s unsupported statement as a substitute for registry evidence.

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   Expected result: The public casino brand has a documented connection to the licensed legal entity.

6. Match the exact website domain

   Compare the hostname you copied with the domains shown in the official record. The match should be exact. A genuine licence held for examplecasino.com does not automatically cover example-casino.net, examplecasino.bet, or a similarly named mobile website.

   Pay attention to status labels. The UK register distinguishes active, inactive, and white-label domains. An active domain is currently recorded for the operator. An inactive domain should not be treated as current authorization. A white-label label generally means that another licensed company operates the service behind the consumer-facing brand.

   A white-label casino is not necessarily unlicensed. You must verify the operating licence holder, the listed domain, the current status, and the authorized activities. For more help identifying deceptive variations, see the guide to spotting a cloned casino website.

   Expected result: The website you are actually visiting appears in the regulator’s records or has another official, verifiable connection to the licence holder.

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7. Check the licence status and regulatory history

   Finding a company in a register does not prove that its licence remains active. Registrators may preserve historical records after authorization ends.

   Read the status field carefully. The UK register defines statuses including active, pending, expired, lapsed, forfeited, suspended, surrendered, and revoked. It also includes published regulatory actions. A pending licence is not an active licence, and a suspended operator should not be treated as currently authorized to continue normal licensed activity.

   Check enforcement notices, public statements, sanctions, settlements, and effective dates. Confirm whether an enforcement action affects the licence, the particular domain, or a specific activity.

   Expected result: The relevant authorization is active and has no current restriction that prevents the offered service.

8. Confirm that casino games are authorized

   A gambling authorization may cover only particular products. Approval for sports betting, horse racing, poker, bingo, lotteries, or land-based gambling does not necessarily include online casino games.

   France provides a useful illustration. The ANJ operator directory lists approved websites alongside categories such as sports betting, horse-race betting, and circle games. It should not be interpreted as a general authorization for every gambling product.

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   Compare the activities in the official record with the games being offered to you. If the site promotes slots or live-dealer casino games while its record covers only sports betting, stop and seek confirmation from the regulator.

   Expected result: The licence covers the specific gambling product you intend to use.

9. Confirm that the operator may serve your location

   Licensing is jurisdiction-specific. An operator licensed in one country does not automatically have permission to accept players in another. In the United States, authorization generally depends on the state. Canadian provinces can also operate distinct regulatory systems.

   For example, the Ontario operator directory identifies websites offered by regulated operators for users physically located in Ontario. Its entries can include exact regional subdomains, which demonstrates why checking only a global brand name is insufficient.

   Consult the regulator responsible for your actual location. Do not assume that the ability to register, access the cashier, or select your country proves that the casino is legally permitted to serve you.

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   Expected result: The operator and domain are authorized for the player’s location, not merely licensed somewhere else.

10. Save the evidence before depositing

    Save a screenshot or PDF of the registry result. Record the regulator URL, date checked, legal operator, domain, account or licence number, status, authorized activities, and any complaints information.

    Also save the casino’s current terms and conditions, withdrawal policy, bonus terms if relevant, and responsible-gambling information. Websites and licence records can change, so dated evidence is more useful than memory if a later dispute arises.

    Expected result: You have a dated record showing what you verified and which terms applied before payment.

Final Verification: Pass, Caution, or Fail

A pass confirms that the licensing claim matches the official record at the time checked. It does not guarantee fast withdrawals, good customer service, favorable terms, game quality, or the operator’s future financial condition.

Read the casino’s contract separately using the guide to casino terms and conditions. Pay particular attention to identity requirements, restricted locations, dormant-account charges, withdrawal limits, bonus conditions, and dispute procedures.

Licence Verification Problems and Red Flags

What a Valid Casino Licence Does and Does Not Prove

A valid licence can establish that an identifiable company has permission to conduct specified gambling activities under a particular regulator. Depending on the register, it may also identify approved domains, trading names, regulatory actions, complaints routes, and the dates on which activities began or ended.

Licensing can provide access to regulatory requirements concerning identity checks, player protection, financial controls, advertising, complaints, and responsible-gambling measures. The precise obligations vary by jurisdiction.

A valid licence does not prove that:

• Every gambling product is covered by the authorization.
• The operator may accept players from every country.
• Every game outcome or published return figure has been independently tested.
• The website cannot experience a data breach or account takeover.
• Every withdrawal will be approved immediately.
• A player will win a complaint or payment dispute.
• The casino’s terms are suitable for the player.

Licensing verification is therefore the first safety gate, not the entire evaluation. Payment terms, withdrawal procedures, security controls, account restrictions, and responsible-gambling tools still require separate checks.

Operational Limits and Edge Cases

Some legitimate situations require closer inspection. A casino may operate under a white-label agreement, change its legal company name, add a new domain, maintain several regional websites, or hold different licences for different markets.

A mobile application can also use a publisher name that differs from the casino brand. Confirm the application through a link on the verified casino domain, then compare the publisher, legal operator, privacy policy, and licence record. Do not download an app merely because it uses a familiar brand logo.

Regulator databases also vary. Some provide exact domains and activity categories, while others publish only approved operators or downloadable licensing files. A temporary register outage is not a reason to rely on an unofficial checker. Wait, consult an official downloadable dataset, or contact the regulator through independently verified details.

If a licence has recently changed, ask for written confirmation and save it. Do not deposit while a material inconsistency remains unresolved. For broader differences between official authorities, see the planned guide to online gambling regulators.

If a verified casino later withholds a payout, licensing evidence can help identify the proper escalation route. Follow the separate procedure for a pending or rejected casino withdrawal.

Key Takeaways

Frequently Asked Questions

TL;DR: The remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time has a confirmed launch date. The game will arrive on November 5 for the Switch 2. Nintendo shared the launch date during a 40th anniversary Zelda-themed Direct presentation that premiered Tuesday morning.

The remake brings one of Nintendo’s most beloved games into the modern era. The original arrived on the Nintendo 64 in late 1998 and was unlike anything seen up to that point. The 3D action adventure game was initially planned for the 64DD, but was eventually moved to cartridge when that peripheral was canceled. Despite having just 32MB of memory to work with, Nintendo put out a masterpiece that pushed the limits of storytelling, puzzle-solving, and combat to new heights.

The remake features a complete graphical overhaul that initially makes the game look more like a new entry than something from the past. Iconic scenes and elements from the original like Epona galloping across the sweeping plains of Hyrule as the Moon hangs in the distant sky and versions of Link as a child and an adult, however, bring us right back to reality.

The new game additionally features more NPC dialogue, enhanced camera controls, a jump button that replaces Link’s auto-jump ability, and a new feature called Threads of Time that serves as a guide for your next objective. Nintendo has also added an exclusive feature that allows you to hum a song into the controller, and Link will play it on his in-game ocarina.

Nintendo shared a three-and-a-half-minute trailer for the new game that should whet the appetite of most. Those interested in learning more are encouraged to check out the extended 15-minute preview hosted by series producer Eiji Aonuma.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time launches on Switch 2 on November 5. Pricing is set at $59.99 for the digital edition and $69.99 for a limited edition physical copy featuring a gorgeous retail box complete with textured foil cover art. Between this, GTA 6, and a handful of other upcoming titles, gamers will have plenty to look forward to this holiday season.

AI music generator Suno has just introduced its new v6 family of models. The models mark the first time the company has worked with labels to train a new set of AI systems. As of today, the v6 series consists of three models: v6, v6-wild and v6-mini. The first of those is Suno’s new flagship offering. The company describes v6 as “reliable, precise,” and capable of delivering consistently “polished music across every genre and style.”

For users who want “less predictable” outputs, there’s v6-wild. Suno says it’s designed for experimentation. “What we’ve heard time and time again [from musicians and producers] is that they’re often not looking for the single best output of the music model,” says Jack Brody, Suno’s chief product officer. “They’re actually looking for something that helps them think more expansively about the kind of music they could make. They’re looking for a brainstorming partner, and so v6-wild is our most creative model yet.”

Finally, there’s v6-mini, which is the one model Suno is making available to free accounts; the other two require either a Pro or Premier subscription to access. According to Brody, the new models are faster than the ones they replace, allowing users to listen to the tracks they generate within seconds of writing a prompt. They also offer new features, starting with the ability to edit specific sections of a song using only natural language. Additionally, you can now generate mashups from multiple sources in a single request. So, for example, you can tell the models to pull vocals from one of your generated songs and drums from another, then add new lyrics on top. Sampling is more precise too, allowing users to isolate and generate a new beat through a single text prompt.

Separately, the new models offer better multi-modal understanding, allowing them to generate songs from other audio, as well as images and video. At the same time, you can now describe a feeling you want a song to evoke and the models will do their best to create something appropriate to that emotion. You can now also replace a single lyric without generating a song all over again.

When I asked Brody to describe how the new models work, he declined to share specifics, saying only that the v6 family incorporates training data Suno had not used before. “The v6 family has been trained from the ground up with a new set of data that differs from the data that went into our previous models,” he said. “That includes licensed data from our partners and user data, but most importantly all of the iteration and R&D that has gone into fine-tuning these models in ways to make them subjectively the best models on the market.”

You might recall that in 2024 a group of record labels made up of the industry’s largest players, including Warner Music, sued Suno and Udio, accusing the companies of copyright infringement at a “massive scale.” In 2025, Warner dropped its lawsuit against Suno in exchange for a licensing agreement that it said would gave its artists “full control” over how their voices and music are used in AI-generated tracks.

Brody said v6 is the formal start of the company’s relationship with labels like Warner and BMG. “From the day it launches on September 9, this partnership starts generating revenue for our partners,” he said. “[…] it enables new product experiences to be developed with artists and our partners that allow people to create music and remix music from participating artists, which will in turn create additional revenue streams for the artists who participate.”

Whether those partnerships are enough to legitimize Suno remains to be seen. A 2026 leak found that the company had scraped decades’ worth of music and podcasts from YouTube, Deezer and other platforms to train its previous models. Not by accident, Suno is retiring those older models as the v6 family rolls out.

The compact all-in-one hi-fi category is getting crowded for a very good reason. A growing number of listeners want serious two-channel performance without a rack full of components, but they also aren’t necessarily willing to abandon CDs, vinyl, streaming or their television just to simplify the system.

That has created an interesting opening between traditional integrated amplifiers and the new generation of streaming amps from Eversolo, WiiM and others. Marantz is jumping directly into that space with the new MCR 60n, a $1,000 compact all-in-one hi-fi system designed to handle both physical media and modern streaming without requiring consumers to build an entire stack of separate components. Marantz calls it its most capable compact music system to date. 

More importantly, the MCR 60n arrives at exactly the same $1,000 price as the Marantz MODEL M1, which raises an obvious question: does Marantz now have two very different answers for the same customer?

Related Reading:

Marantz MCR 60n: More Than Just Another Streaming Amplifier

According to Marantz, the MCR 60n is its most capable compact music system to date.

Inside its durable and stylish chassis, the MCR 60n combines CD playback, network streaming, HDMI eARC compatibility, turntable connectivity, and premium amplification designed to deliver Marantz sound quality without unnecessary user complexity. With amplification built in, all you need is a good pair of speakers and you are ready to go.

Tuned by the Marantz Sound Master, the MCR 60n combines decades of hi-fi heritage with the latest streaming technologies in a single component.

Whether you are streaming hi-res music, playing discs from a CD collection, connecting a turntable, or upgrading your TV sound, the MCR 60n brings multiple sources together within one intuitive system designed to fit naturally into modern living spaces. Its compact footprint makes it equally suitable for a dedicated listening room, home office, bedroom, or living room, while Matte Black and Marantz Champagne Gold finishes provide two distinct design options. Champagne Gold, however, will not be available in North America.

Output Power & Speaker Configuration

To optimally support the Marantz sound, its new power supply is designed to provide greater current capability and increased amplifier headroom compared with older models. According to Marantz, this results in improved dynamics, stronger bass performance, and greater control across a wider range of loudspeakers.

Output power has been increased to 65 watts per channel into 4 ohms, providing a substantial performance improvement over its predecessor while maintaining the warm, detailed, and emotionally engaging Marantz sound signature.

With four channels of amplification, including Bi-Amp, Parallel Bridge-Tied Load (BTL), and dual speaker outputs, the MCR 60n allows users to optimize performance for different loudspeaker configurations or power two independent listening zones from a single compact amplifier.

Content Access

For additional audio input flexibility, the MCR 60n also includes HDMI eARC. This allows easy integration with modern TVs, enabling high-quality stereo playback of TV sound while supporting HDMI-CEC volume control and Dolby Digital and Dolby Digital Plus decoding.

Pro Tip: Keep in mind that Dolby Digital and Dolby Digital Plus are mixed down to two channels by the MCR 60n.

For vinyl enthusiasts, an included MM phono stage makes connecting a turntable easy, while a precision-engineered front-loading CD mechanism continues Marantz’s longstanding tradition of compact disc playback.

High-resolution music streaming is supported with PCM up to 384kHz/32-bit and DSD up to 11.2MHz, all powered by the latest HEOS networking platform. Built around the latest generation of HEOS, the MCR 60n provides a faster, more intuitive setup experience, along with access to streaming services, internet radio, and whole-home multi-room audio.

Spotify, TIDAL, and Qobuz Connect are supported, along with AirPlay 2 and Roon Ready, giving users plenty of flexibility in how they choose to stream music wirelessly.

Four customizable Smart Select presets provide instant recall of favorite sources, listening modes, and volume settings with a single press of a button on the remote control.

Bluetooth functionality has also been expanded with both receive and transmit modes. This means you can send music from your phone to the MCR 60n or use wireless headphones to listen to music and TV content without disturbing anyone else.

Optimization for Any Room

A configurable subwoofer output with adjustable crossover settings is provided for more precise low-frequency integration, while Dirac Live Room Correction is available as an optional upgrade for stereo playback. If users take advantage of that option, they can calibrate the system for their listening environment to improve imaging, tighten bass response, and achieve greater tonal accuracy.

For added setup flexibility, variable audio outputs are also included. This allows the MCR 60n to function as a streaming preamplifier, making it equally suitable for driving active loudspeakers or integrating with existing Marantz components and vintage hi-fi systems. An Ethernet network port, USB input, optical digital input, and DAB tuner (Europe only) round out the feature set.

MCR 60n Specifications

Who Does the Marantz MCR 60n Compete With?

The Eversolo Play CD Edition (2025 model) is a challenger sitting across the table. At $799, it already combines streaming, amplification, HDMI ARC, a phono stage, room correction, a large touchscreen and a built-in CD drive. It delivers 60 watts per channel into 8 ohms and offers the kind of interface and feature set that has made Eversolo one of the fastest-moving brands in this category.

And here is where Marantz has to earn the extra $201.

The MCR 60n offers HDMI eARC, HEOS, AirPlay 2, Roon Ready support, Bluetooth transmit and receive capability, Dolby Digital and Dolby Digital Plus decoding, and optional Dirac Live. It also carries a name that has been sitting in hi-fi racks for more than 70 years, which still matters to a lot of consumers.

But purely on features and price? Eversolo is not going to make this easy.

For buyers who want the touchscreen, CD ripping capability and maximum functionality for the money, the Play CD Edition looks very difficult to ignore.

The Bottom Line

Marantz has clearly noticed two things: compact streaming amplifiers are everywhere, and CDs have stubbornly refused to disappear.

The new Marantz MCR 60n is the company’s $1,000 answer to both trends, combining a front-loading CD player, HEOS network streaming, HDMI eARC, an MM phono stage, USB and optical inputs, subwoofer connectivity and 65 watts per channel into 4 ohms inside one compact chassis. Optional Dirac Live Room Correction is also part of the package, and the MCR 60n can even operate as a streaming preamplifier with active loudspeakers or an existing hi-fi system. 

That makes this considerably more interesting than another streaming amplifier with an app and a Class D output stage. Marantz is effectively betting that there is still a large group of listeners who stream Qobuz or TIDAL, watch television through HDMI eARC, own a turntable, and have a shelf full of CDs that they have absolutely no intention of throwing away. Considering where the market is going, that does not feel like a particularly risky wager.

And then things get slightly awkward.

The MCR 60n costs exactly the same $1,000 as the Marantz MODEL M1, one of our favorite compact streaming amplifiers and an Editors’ Choice winner earlier this year. The M1 offers considerably more amplifier power, but no CD player and no phono stage. The MCR 60n gives up some horsepower and responds with considerably greater source flexibility. Marantz has effectively created two different answers to the same $1,000 question.

Price & Availability

The Marantz MCR 60n is priced at $1,000 and is available from Marantz or Authorized Marantz Dealers.

Note: The similarly named Marantz Model 60n is a $1,600 streaming amplifier without CD playback released in 2024.

Related Reading:

Last year’s Find X9 was one of the best-value flagships overall. Now, OPPO has confirmed that the Find X10 and Find X10 Pro Max will launch this month. The launch is expected a week after Vivo’s X500 series, scheduled for September 21st. The Find X10 Pro Max is already known to have three cameras on the back, each with a 200-megapixel sensor. Before the phone’s launch, OPPO revealed more details about its camera features.

OPPO Find X10 Pro Max Camera Setup Detailed

The OPPO Find X10 Pro Max is expected to focus heavily on camera performance. Reports suggest this smartphone will feature three 200MP rear cameras: a primary, ultra-wide, and periscope telephoto. This could make it the first smartphone with three 200MP rear sensors.

The primary 200MP camera could use Samsung’s 1/1.3-inch ISOCELL HPC sensor. It may feature an f/1.5 aperture and CIPA 6.5-level image stabilization. Moreover, the device could offer up to 17EV dynamic range to capture images in high-contrast environments. The ultra-wide camera could have a 200-megapixel sensor with an f/2.2 aperture and a 124-degree field of view. The camera could capture group photos and landscapes with excellent detail. The third 200-megapixel camera could serve as a periscope telephoto camera with an f/2.1 aperture and 7.5-level stabilization. OPPO could also add 10cm telephoto macro support for close-up photography. On the front, the phone may feature a 50MP autofocus camera. A 3MP multispectral sensor could further help with color accuracy.

Find X10 Series Launch and Imaging Technology

OPPO has confirmed that the Find X10 and Find X10 Pro Max will launch this month. The launch is expected roughly a week after the Vivo X500 series event on September 21st. OPPO has also started teasing the new camera system ahead of the launch. The company will introduce its new Hasselblad Ultra HD Original Camera system with the series. It aims to deliver clearer images, more accurate colors, and realistic lighting and shadows.

OPPO will also use its second-generation Danxia color system for the new camera setup. The system reportedly uses 24 channels for color sampling and offers 15EV dynamic range. The LUMO imaging engine will help process and reconstruct images after capture. OPPO also wants to reduce fake-looking textures created during AI image processing. Besides the cameras, the Find X10 Pro Max could feature a 6.78-inch 2K LTPO OLED display. The panel may support a 144Hz refresh rate. The phone could also use the MediaTek Dimensity 9600 Pro chipset and ColorOS 17 based on Android 17. However, OPPO has yet to confirm these specifications and the phone’s pricing.

American cinnamon roll chain Cinnabon, known for its sweet, gooey buns, will close its last Singapore outlet on Sept 22 after operating for 3.5 years in the city-state.

The chain announced the closure of its ION Orchard store in a post on its Instagram account.

“To everyone who has visited, shared a Bon with us and supported us along the way—thank you for being part of our journey,” it read.

The post garnered mixed reactions, with some mourning the closure, while others weighed in on the cinnamon rolls’ steep prices.

Cinnabon first expanded to Singapore at Raffles City Shopping Centre in Feb 2023, followed by a second at ION Orchard that Sep, and a third at Jewel Changi Airport in Jun 2024.

The Raffles City and Jewel Changi outlets have since closed.

This comes amid a wave of closures in Singapore’s dessert scene: home-grown gelato shop Tom’s Palette announced on Aug 11 that it would shut in mid- to late Oct after 21 years, while Tarte by Cheryl Koh closed both its outlets in April after 11 years in operation.

River Valley patisserie Pantler had previously announced it would close on Aug 30, but was rescued by a white knight and will now remain open.

Vulcan Post has reached out to Cinnabon for comments.

• Read other articles we’ve written on Singapore’s current affairs here.
• Read other articles we’ve written on Singaporean businesses here.

Featured Image Credit: Mon Ami – 新马有好吃 – SM good food via Facebook/ esthereatsmore via Google Reviews

On August 4, Grant De Swardt, an independent AI consultant in East Sussex, U.K., noticed something strange going on with his Claude Max 20x account. He hadn’t been working that day, yet his token usage was climbing.

The next day, he disabled everything he had attached to Claude and did not work with it. Token consumption again increased. “In the clearest controlled interval, it increased from 45% to 55% while I performed no work, scheduled Cowork tasks were paused or completed, Dispatch/cloud execution was disabled, and there was no corresponding active local Claude Code task,” De Swardt told TechCrunch.

What was eating up his token allowance? He had no idea, so he contacted Anthropic and asked for an itemized list. Anthropic didn’t provide one, but it agreed something was off. It suspended his paid account, invalidated all of his sessions and server-side Claude Code tokens, and issued him a partial refund of £44.49 for the remaining time on his $200-per-month subscription.

The suspension wreaked havoc on his business, he told TechCrunch. His job is to help small and mid-size businesses set up agents — a sort of forward-deployed engineer for hire — for tasks like automatically loading purchase-order data from emails into the accounting software.

As a sole proprietor, he relies on agents throughout his whole business, too: daily admin tasks, website design, coding. “Like everything is just running through AI these days,” he said.

After investigating, Anthropic told De Swardt it found the culprit: A compromised Claude session key was used to mint unauthorized Claude Code OAuth tokens. The company told him the account “appeared to have been used by an unauthorized-looking third-party service to handle activity for other people, but they could not determine how it obtained access,” he told TechCrunch. “They say the evidence is consistent either with credentials/session data being taken without my knowledge, or with the account having been connected to an outside service.”

In other words, a hacker was able to obtain access to De Swardt’s account and was covertly siphoning off his tokens. Because account support tracks total usage but not itemized usage, even upon request, this kind of theft could have gone on for months undetected.

He posted his experience on Reddit and after 80 comments, he discovered he was not alone. One person claimed that their account “was auto-upgraded without my consent, my credit card got charged, and the usage shot from 0% to 100% automatically without me even touching it.” Another saw usage go from 0 to 49% in 12 minutes, when all they had used it for was a couple of prompts and a web search.

One Claude user said their account burned through its max tokens every day for three days without them using it at all; this person then created a GitHub report about it. Like with the Reddit post, other users shared similar experiences there, too.

Two of them posted emails from Anthropic where the company had — to its credit — identified and warned them that their tokens were being stolen.

“We have recently become aware of a bad actor that is using common infostealer malware to steal Claude login sessions from people’s computers, then using those login sessions to access Claude accounts and consume their usage,” the email read. Infostealers are a type of malware that installs itself on a user’s computer and steals saved passwords, session data, and login credentials.

When Anthropic saw suspicious activity, it signed the users out, invalidated existing authorizations, issued some refunds, and warned them that they may have malware.

The company also said the malware didn’t come from using Claude itself. Such malware can be picked up from many sources online, from downloading infected software to clicking on infected ads.

Anthropic did not send De Swardt one of those emails. He insists he found no evidence that his computer was compromised and says he still has no way of determining how hackers gained access.

De Swardt’s Claude account was reinstated after about two weeks. But the difficulty of getting speedy help for the matter, plus the lack of an itemized usage, soured him on Claude. He cancelled his subscription in favor of Cursor and its ability to use multiple models, including more affordable open source options.

In his experience, these other models work as well as Claude. “It’s not that much different or better,” he said, adding that he can’t see going back “without [Anthropic] actually having resolved the issue in any way.”

He says Anthropic still lacks tools that allow users to see what’s consuming their tokens. “I don’t think there’s any way that these people can protect themselves.”

When asked for information on how users can identify misuse, Anthropic declined to comment.

A fan who still likes a phone that fits the hand mailed DirectorFeng a tired iPhone 13 Mini. Daily use had worn the battery to 77 percent health, enough that the owner charged three or four times a day. Storage sat at 256 GB and felt tight. iOS 16.2 was still on the device, a leftover most people would have overwritten years ago.

Director Feng, a China-based repair expert with a specialized in board-level work, approached the project as if it were a complete overhaul. Anhydrous ethanol was used to soften the waterproof sealant around the display, making it easier to handle. A unique suction and press apparatus was utilized to carefully peel the screen off the phone without damaging the delicate flex cables. To protect the cameras, plastic film was applied to the lenses to prevent solvents and dust from entering.

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Once the screws and any remaining gunk keeping them in place had been loosened, the speaker, battery, motherboard, and soldered storage component were removed. The speaker and earphone grilles received some TLC because they had become clogged with debris and were causing strange sound effects. The effort then turned to the NAND chip, which is normally connected directly to the motherboard, so some careful drilling was required to remove the previous 256 GB chip until only the circuit pad remained. Restoring the pad to its previous splendor was not easy; it required some skillful movements. A brand-new 512 GB disk was then put on the cleaned pad.

A compact Tianyi 2520 mAh battery arrived, along with an original zero-cycle flex cable to match, so the phone would work properly with the new battery pack and not give any pairing warning nonsense. Adding that little of more capacity increased the weight by only 0.9 grams. The old adhesive was removed from all mating surfaces, making space for new glue and a nice waterproof seal. The display was then placed back in the frame.

When we turn it on, we see 512 GB of storage and 100% battery health, and the good news keeps coming, as a field test revealed that the rebuilt Mini could last 6 hours and 39 minutes without needing to be recharged, all at 50% brightness and volume. That’s what matters to someone who just wants a longer-lasting iPhone, not a bigger one.
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