online dating sites, preying on lonely older men over the age of 60, posing as this woman. >> i go on instagram, use a girl's picture. i pretend to be a girl, talk to him. >> reporter: the scammers pretend to be white american women residing in the u.s., tricking men into falling in love with them. but these are small-time hustlers working for a boss who sets them up with phones, laptops, electricity and internet. there are hundreds more underground boiler rooms just like this throughout ghana. >> i'm the mastermind behind the whole thing. >> reporter: that's syndicate boss voodoo, together with a senior member who calls himself cola. they agreed to speak to us on condition we conceal their identities. >> i come from a poor family and a poor background. >> reporter: and in a world connected by the click of a button, they've turned to cyber fraud.

polo is a university graduate who can't find a job. >> i feel disappointed. i didn't go to school to do this. sometimes we take money from people, i imagine that it's my dad. but hey, in our game, there is no sympathy because once you're on the sympathetic side, you go hungry. >> reporter: at the very bottom of the syndicate, new recruits learn the tricks of the trade, starting all by strawing the internet for new clients. once hooked, the closers like voodoo and cola step in. >> i fish everywhere, every in the world. >> reporter: which areas of the world are easier to catch? >> okay, easy to catch is americans. >> reporter: here is chatting with a 60-year-old man, posing as sandra living in new york who will soon be visiting her grandmother in africa. the man asks what she looks

like. voodoo pulls this image from a porn site. here's what comes next. the illusion of a budding romance. it begins with sending little tokens of affection, like chocolates or a teddy bear. they message constantly, laying on the attention and flattery. then it's more expensive gifts to create the perception they are independently wealthy. when the victim insists on a video call, voodoo hires online porn stars and records them acting out scenarios that he directs, from the mundane to the more raunchy. >> they think they're talking to this beautiful blond woman here. i have just paid to have her on video call. >> reporter: if the victim gets suspicious, voodoo works his magic. here he uses the image of one of his porn stars to forge an american passport as proof of identity. for in-person visits, they hire escorts who get a cut of the

profits, building trust can take months. >> we do all that to get his attention and the trust, boom, then we have a chip in the business. >> reporter: it's time for the big con, getting them to part with huge sums of money. the setup often centers around ghana's globally mined gold mines, the largest in africa. the scammers, still posing as a woman, claim they're in line to inherit one of these mines. the victim is invited to invest in the mine with a promise of huge returns that will secure the happy couple's future together. all sealed with a forged ownership document complete with an official seal. yahoo boys and their hustle kingdoms are glamorized in popular west african culture. voodoo and cola claim their biggest payout was in the millions.

>> every person has money. if you don't have money, the bank can borrow money. >> do people go into debt then because of you? >> yeah. >> reporter: they live a flashy lifestyle. expensive clubs, beach party, fancy cars. we filmed one group celebrating a big payout by just throwing money in the air. but behind the flash and glitz, they style themselves as modern-day robin hoods. >> robbing peter to pay paul, right. but the pauls in this contest really need help. >> reporter: so you lie and cheat for a living. how do i know you're not lying and cheating to me now? living. i'm using what i have here to survive. i decided to be honest with you. >> reporter: in a country where

poverty is rife and jobs are scarce, there is a long line of kids ripe for recruiting into crime. but once they taste the good life, they seldom leave, regardless of the cost to victims an ocean away. >> that was debora patta reporting. "cbs news roundup" will be right back. can your pad absorb everything and stay fresh? always flexfoam can. it's the only pad made with a flexible foam core that locks in blood and sweat while the top stays dry. keeping you up to 100% leak and odor free. see what foam can do for you.

i'm jonathan lawson, here to tell you about life insurance through the colonial penn program. if you're age 50 to 85 and looking to buy life insurance on a fixed budget, remember the three p's. what are the three p's? the three p's of life insurance on a fixed budget are price, price, and price. a price you can afford, a price that can't increase, and a price that fits your budget. i'm 54. what's my price? you can get coverage for $9.95 a month. i'm 65 and take medications. what's my price? also $9.95 a month. i just turned 80. what's my price? $9.95 a month for you too.

if you're age 50 to 85, call now about the #1 most popular whole life insurance plan available through the colonial penn program. options start at $9.95 a month. no medical exam, no health questions. your acceptance is guaranteed. and this plan has a guaranteed lifetime rate-lock, so your rate can never go up for any reason. so call now for free information, and you'll also get this free beneficiary planner. and it's yours free just for calling, so call now for free information. strong enamel is your best defense against acid erosion and cavities. that's why i recommend pronamel active shield because it will strengthen your enamel and create that shield around it. i'm excited for this product. i think patients are really going to like it. try pronamel mouthwash.

one of the most prolific self-help gurus is leaping into the digital age. deepak chopra, his 95th book, digital dharma explains why artificial intelligence is the key to unlocking personal and spiritual growth. and if you need more targeted advice, there is a digital deepak.ai. cbs' meg oliver reports. >> reporter: on 9/11 in the heart of new york city -- >> nirvana, enlightenment is the ultimate reality. >> reporter: world-renowned meditation guru dr. deepak chopra neutralizes the noise. >> what is my deepest desire? >> reporter: leading more than 2,000 yogis through meditation in search of peace. why is meditation important?

>> the mind is never at peace. so you have to go beyond the mind to the source of both the good and the bad, the up and the down, the pleasure and the pain. it's not happiness, it's peace. once you're at peace, everything is possible. what is my purpose? >> reporter: at 77 years old, the legend in wellbeing is leaning into artificial intelligence to find peace, as well. >> this is the future of a.i. technology. >> reporter: "digital dharma" explores how a.i. can elevate spiritual intelligence and mental health. why did you want to write this book? >> people are all painting doomsday scenarios with a.i., you can use a.i. for self-reflection. you can use a.i. for research as a research assistant. you can use a.i. as health coach, both physical and mental. >> reporter: chopra likes to describe dharma has the life you're supposed to live.

"digital dharma" explains how to use a.i. to accomplish that. one of the chapters is titled "the art of the prompt." >> "the art of the prompt." >> reporter: what is the best way to ask a.i. for guidance? >> think of a.i., even on this though it isn't, as a friend, even give it a name. i'm deepak, you're suzy, you're michael. can you give me some research on what's the best method for me, deepak, to go to sleep at night. the machine is not intelligent, it's a database. but it's an amazing database because it's a database of philosophy, science, spirituality. this like aladdin's lamp. you use it correctly, and the genie comes out of it, and it can solve any problem that you have. >> reporter: chopra was born and raised in new delhi, india, but moved to the u.s. in his 20s where he began his career as an endocrinologist. a prominent figure in the

new-age movement, he became famous for teaching household names from oprah and michael jackson to meditate. >> that's one of the most famous artists in india of all time. >> reporter: chopra's travels and philosophies are display in his apartment along with gifts from world leaders, a space he calls a wellness home. what does it mean to live in a wellness home? >> it means to actually experience what my obsession is, energetic body, love and compassion, clear mind and lightness of being. >> reporter: today the spiritual gangster has more than 15 million followers social media. >> what we experience including our body/mind is about your reality, a simulation. you know, i do actually one video a day. and my only goal to use social media is just that, joyful, energetic body, loving, compassionate heart, creative mind and lightness of being. >> reporter: chopra launched his

own a.i. endeavor called digitaldeepak.ai in may. >> to meditate, find a comfortable position, and close your eyes. >> reporter: i think a lot of people will be concerned how can you guarantee that they're actually getting information that you would tell them? >> well, because it's not a large language model. it doesn't go through search engines. my digital deepak only has access to what i've said in the past and updated it also. so right now you can ask it for advice on health and spirituality. but soon it will get to know you better than you know yourself. and then it will tell you, you know, you didn't sleep well last night because you were having an argument with so and so. or you were stuck in a traffic jam. it's up to you how much you want to use it. but it's all anonymous, so your data is forgotten as soon as it is given to you. >> reporter: the country is suffering from a mental health provider shortage. can a.i. fill the gap? >> yes.

i think that's the only way to fill the gap is through a.i., through algorithms that monitor your wellbeing, that can give you not only advice but actually help you in the moment to tackle your distress. i think artificial intelligence is the only way to create a critical mass of people who want to be healthy and joyful and hang out together. have you thought of your final exit? at the end of that life, are you going say my life had meaning and joy and love and compassion? don't waste it on getting sick right now, and then spending all the money you've earned to get better. >> reporter: striving for a better way to live in a digital world.

september is prostate cancer awareness month. the trouble is not many people are aware that they're at risk. 300,000 new cases are expected to be diagnosed this year, most of them in men who have never had a screening. and black men are more at risk. the american cancer society is encouraging men to know your score. that's the number you'll get out of a psa test. cbs' stephanie stahl explains. >> it's a scary thing. you know, when you get that diagnosis. >> reporter: michael nutter, the former mayor of philadelphia talking about his battle with prostate cancer that included surgery in 2020. >> you know, you're talking about, you know, male function and all these kinds of issues. you know, quite honestly, stephanie, when it all came down

to it, i said i want to live. >> reporter: in addition to teaching and consulting, nutter is also working with the american cancer society to help raise awareness with a new campaign called know your score. >> not just what the phillies or the eagles or the sixers or the flyers are doing, but there is another score, which is your psa, and you need to know that number. >> reporter: a psa blood test is the recommended screening for prostate cancer, which when found early is highly treatable. >> i got the call. the doctor said stage 3 prostate cancer. >> reporter: former nba basketball star alonzo mourning is featured in the new psa. >> this prostate cancer awareness month, know your score. finding prostate cancer early can be life-saving. >> reporter: but after decades of decline, late stage prostate cancer cases are on the rise. for black men, they're 70% more likely to develop prostate

cancer compared to white men, and twice as likely to die. it's unclear exactly why. >> black men in particular are reluctant to seek medical treatment for a variety of reasons. >> reporter: the former mayor hopes to change that trend by sharing his story of survival. stephanie stahl, cbs news, philadelphia. >> a good reminder there to get your test and know your score. and that's today's "cbs news roundup." for some of you, the news continues. for others, tune in later for "cbs mornings" and follow us online any time at cbsnews.com. reporting from the cbs news broadcast center in new york city, i'm shanelle kaul.

hello and thanks so much for watching. i'm shanelle kaul in new york, and here are some of the stories we're tracking on "cbs news roundup." hurricane helene makes landfall in florida, bringing deadly wind and flood. ukrainian president volodymyr zelenskyy visits washington and finds himself in the middle of a presidential campaign. and eric adams is vowing to stay in power after becoming the first new york city mayor to be indicted on criminal charges. at least three people have been killed after hurricane helene made landfall in florida as a category 4 storm. more than one million people lost power as the state faces life-threatening wind and rain. cbs' jason allen has more on this from inside the storm zone. >> it's going to be a significant storm. even as it moves inland throughout northern florida, you

are going to see trees that are going to be -- that are going to be falling down. >> reporter: this port st. lucie resident was getting ready for work when the wind helped topple a power pole right next to his house. >> obviously it's pretty miraculous that the house isn't on fire. >> reporter: strong gusts of wind and heavy rain moved across the orlando area thursday. residents throughout much of the state and large parts of the southeast braced for dangerous storm surge that could hit as high as 20 feet. >> any storm that comes through the area, it's something that is very worrisome, only because you don't know how far the water will come up. >> reporter: the director of the national hurricane center described the expected storm surge along florida's northwestern coastline as, quote, a really unsurvivable scenario. early flooding hit waterfront neighborhoods in st. petersburg. georgia, the carolinas and virginia have joined florida in declaring states of emergency. >> it is not necessary for you to be on the roads during and after the storm, please, try to

stay home. >> reporter: the region will face increased flash flooding and tornado threats as helene bears down. jason allen, cbs news, crawfordville, florida. >> and we're now joined by ivan cab cab cabrera, chief meteorologist. what's going on there? >> catastrophic with the category 4 landfall. now the question is where is it headed. it's not going to be moving all that fast anymore. so we're going to be looking at significant rain over the next few days. national hurricane center actually has helene as a tropical storm over atlanta. you just don't see that every season. that's incredible here. watch as i put this into motion on our rain tracker here, not just the rain but the gusts in atlanta. anywhere from 40 to as high as 50 miles per hour. with all the trees, that's going to cause some significant power outages. this continues through the day on friday, but even on saturday, i still think we're wrapping some rainfall along here. so that is why the national

hurricane center has issued this huge flood watch that includes not just the southeast, but parts of the tennessee valley as well. all of tennessee, nashville, memphis, everybody getting in on some very heavy rainfall. we're talking the potential here for double-digits. i think some areas will be close to a foot of rainfall over the next 24 to 48 hours as helene continues moving up to the north and then west, weakening as far as wind speeds, but not as far as rainfall that is going to continue. so that flood watch and that flood threat will con as well through the upcoming weekend. >> ivan cabrera, thank you. ukrainian president volodymyr zelenskyy was in washington thursday where he became the focus of american politics. cbs' weijia jiang has more. >> reporter: two presidential nominees, two starkly different approaches to handling the ukraine war. >> my support for the people of ukraine is unwavering. >> ukraine is gone. it's not ukraine anymore.

>> reporter: former president trump this week criticized the ukrainians for not cutting a deal with russian president vladimir putin to end the war. vice president harris met with president zelenskyy and said the focus should be on stopping putin. >> if we allow aggressors like putin to take land with impunity, they keep going. >> reporter: the administration announced more security assistance to ukraine and promised zelenskyy additional funds before the end of president biden's term, easing concerns that trump could cut the money off if he wins. >> we have to keep pressure on russia to stop the war and to make, truly, lasting and just peace. >> reporter: trump said he will meet with zelenskyy. >> and i will be meeting with him. >> reporter: but it could be tense given the comments zelenskyy made in the latest "new yorker" magazine, saying, "my feeling is that trump doesn't really know how to stop the war, even if he might think he knows how." >> i disagree, but i will say this.

i believe i will be able to make a deal between president putin and president zelenskyy quite quickly. >> this is how we receive our steel. >> reporter: republicans are also fuming over zelenskyy's visit to an arms factory in battleground, pennsylvania on sunday, accompanied only by democrats. >> we're in the middle of a hotly contested national election, and we don't need foreign countries intervening. >> reporter: zelenskyy's priority here at the white house was to get permission to use u.s. supplied long-range missiles on russian soil. but an official tells cbs news biden is not likely to approve that, in part because the pentagon has assessed it would not change the trajectory of the war. weijia jiang, cbs news, the white house. new york city mayor eric adams is vowing to stay in the job, despite multiple federa

charges. more from new york. >> reporter: it's an unfortunate day, and it's a painful day. >> reporter: new york city mayor eric adams asked new yorkers to reserve judgment shortly after a federal indictment was unsealed, accusing him of engaging in a long-running conspiracy involving illegal campaign contributions, charges he denies. >> i follow the law and i follow the campaign rules. >> reporter: the five-count indictment include charges of bribery, wire fraud, and two charges relating to receiving campaign contributions from foreign nationals. federal prosecutors say adams accepted more than $100,000 in luxury travel benefits from turkish officials in exchange for favors. in one instance, they say adams pressured the new york city fire department to let turkey open a new diplomatic building here, despite safety concerns. >> the turkish official got what he wanted. and as we explain in the indictment, just four days after adams held up his end of the bargain, he went right back to

soliciting more travel benefits from the turkish airline. >> reporter: this is just one of at least four federal investigations into adams or his inner circle. at least three high-ranking city employees have already resigned in recent weeks. >> this is unprecedented. >> reporter: cbs news legal contributor caroline polizzi says prosecutors must think they have a strong case to indict the sitting mayor, a first in city history. >> you to believe that prosecutors feel that they cannot only convict mayor adams at trial, but sustain that conviction as well. >> reporter: adams has vowed to remain in office while he fights the charges. michael george, cbs news, new york. when "cbs news roundup" continues, we'll take a look at the presidential campaign with our very own cbs news political director. that's up next. stay with us. adam: while serving in afghanistan, i was hit by sniper fire. the fighting was so intense, the medevac chopper was barely able to land. in the hospital, i was given a 5% chance to live.

it's a good thing, math wasn't my best subject. today, i visit classrooms and share my story. i talk to kids about dealing with life struggles. i tell them with a little help and a lot of work that you can overcome any challenge. announcer: dav helps veterans like adam get the benefits they've earned. they help more than a million veterans every year in life-changing ways. adam: i know that some struggles are big and some are small, but they're all struggles and you have to learn to get through them. with support from dav, more veterans like me can live their best life. and as a new father, i have one more reason to keep on keeping on. my victory is being there for the next generation. announcer: adam alexander, may your victories inspire many more. support more victories for veterans. go to dav.org. mental health and learning disorders are the most common illnesses of childhood and adolescence. 1 out of 5 young people struggle with disorders like depression, dyslexia, adhd, ocd, eating disorders, and anxiety.

i was one of them. as a child, i struggled with crippling anxiety, the most common and least recognized childhood mental health disorder. the mental health crisis in america is really a children's mental health crisis. every year, over a million young people visit the er because of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts. 5,000 die by suicide. when we ignore mental health, we lose our children. we have the tools to stem this crisis if we're willing. the child mind institute is the leader in the field. it's the place where kids are getting better. and the place that is doing the research and developing the programs that will change the landscape of children's mental health. to learn more visit childmind.org. ♪

this is "cbs news roundup." i'm shanelle kaul in new york. the presidential election is just 39 days away, and both presidential candidates spent the week discussing their economic plans, foreign policy views, and the war in ukraine. for the latest on the campaign trail, we're joined now by cbs news political director fin gomez. fin, great the see you. let's start with former president donald trump. we know he will be meeting with ukraine president volodymyr zelenskyy this week. what's on the agenda here? >> yes, shanelle, this was a meeting that was filled with a little bit of drama leading up to it. about a week ago, former president trump was asked by reporters if he planned to meet with the ukrainian leader during his visit to the united states this week. he said probably, and then what happened was that last weekend, volodymyr zelenskyy went with

some democratic pennsylvania democrats to an ammunitions factory in joe biden's hometown of -- president biden's hometown of scranton, pennsylvania. when that happened, republicans immediately pounced on that saying it was essentially a political photo op. but and then soon after that, we did find out that zelenskyy did a new yorker interview. and some top republicans close to the trump campaign told me that his comments in that interview that were critical of donald trump and very critical of j.d. vance, essentially rubbed the former president the wrong way. and then all of the sudden the meeting was not going to occur. that was when i spoke to some trump officials earlier this week. it did not seem like it was going to occur. and then we did find out during donald trump's press conference at trump tower. he announced that he was going to be meeting with the ukrainian

leader on friday. so a lot of uncertainty, and a lot of drama leading up to it, shanelle. but it does appear that it will happen today. >> and fin, vice president kamala harris unveiled her economic plan this week. we also know the economy isn't a very strong issue for the democrats this cycle. so how was her plan received? >> you know, democrats tell me that the strategy behind it was to really showcase what they -- what they feel is her pragmatic approach to economy, to the economy. and it was also an attempt to contrast her with donald trump's policy, economic policy. he just gave this big address the day before in north carolina. they're really focused on tariffs as well. but this was also an attempt to sort of flip the script, do political jujitsu on two areas

that have been political vulnerabilities. this week she is focusing on the economy and inflation. and then also on immigration. she is going down to the border in arizona. and these two issues have been what many consider political vulnerabilities for the vice president, but by sort of meeting it head-on, she is doing this political jujitsu and trying to effort these political vulnerabilities into strengths, shanelle. so that's really what's behind these focus on these two issues this week. >> got it. and next week, all eyes will be on the vice presidential candidates as cbs news will host the first and only vp debate. how are the candidates prepare i ing, then? >> we're looking forward to this big debate that's coming up in a few days. we do know both candidates are

in the midst of debate prep. governor tim walz has been jousting with fellow democrat and transportation secretary pete buttigieg, you recall, shanelle was a presidential candidate in 2020. j.d. vance has also been doing some more traditional prep than what we saw donald trump do ahead of his last debate. and he's been meeting with minnesota republican congressman emmer, who has been playing the role of walz in those mock debates, but also we do know that monica crowley, she was a conservative commentator is also playing the role of moderator. but both know -- both camps know these are very high stakes here, and this could be the very last debate before the november 5th election. >> okay, fin gomez, thank you so much. we always appreciate your insight on this. thank you. >> thanks, shanelle. when "cbs news roundup"

continues, both presidential candidates seem to bring on one thing, helping families. more on this just ahead.

this is "cbs news roundup." i'm shanelle kaul in new york. there are just 39 days to the presidential election, and it may come as a surprise, but both vice president kamala harris and former president donald trump do agree on something. they both want to increase the child tax credit. so what would this mean for families nancy cordes has the story. >> reporter: if anyone knows how expensive it is to raise a

child, she has raised six. her older is 25. her youngest is 12. >> i have a daughter who likes to think that hey eat dainty, but they don't. >> she has always relied on the child tax credit to make ends meet. during the pandemic, the credit was boosted temporarily from $2,000 per child to $3,000. even 3600 for families with little kids. the move helped cut u.s. child poverty by more than 40%. >> it was a comfort in knowing that, you know, you had this extra income. >> reporter: one of the few things that both presidential candidates agree on is that the child tax credit should get a big boost. >> i do support it, and i want to have it. >> reporter: we will provide $6,000 in tax relief to families during the first year of a child's life. >> reporter: the trump campaign is proposing a $5,000 per child yearly tax credit, while vice

president harris is proposing a 3,000 to $3600 per child credit newborns.mp to $6,000 for - trump wants the credit to go to all families regardless of income, while harris would restrict the credit to low and middle income families only. she would also make the credit refundable, meaning even parents who don't pay taxes would get the credit in cash. >> this is a really exciting moment. >> reporter: economist melissa carney. >> we have tons of evidence that supplementing the income of low-income families with children really meaningfully improves those children's lives. we see they do better in school. their health outcomes are improved. >> reprter: the cost has always been a sticking point. a bill to expand the credit failed in the senate just last month. >> the motion is not agreed to. >> reporter: why do you think people with kids should get a tax break? >> because we want them to grow up to be great, productive citizens. you can't do that if they can't eat. >> reporter: especially when the

cost to raise a child is only cost to raise a child is only going up. inez, let me ask you, you're using head & shoulders, right? only when i see flakes. then i switch back to my regular shampoo. you should use it every wash, otherwise the flakes will come back. he's right, you know. is that tiny troy? the ingredients in head & shoulders keep the microbes that cause flakes at bay. microbes, really? they're always on your scalp... but good news, there's no itchiness, dryness or flakes down here. i love tiny troy. and his tiny gorgeous hair. make every wash count! and for stubborn dandruff, try head & shoulders clinical strength.

talenti mango sorbetto is made with a hundred percent real fruit. -with alphonso mangoes. -yeah, i know. -oh? -right? -mmm-hmm. talenti. raise the jar. [coughs] when caroline has a cough, she takes robitussin. so, she can have those one on ones again. hey jim! can we talk about casual fridays? oh sure. what's up? get fast, powerful cough relief with robitussin, and find your voice. ♪robitussin♪ . in many parts of the country, shoplifting has gotten out of hand. we've all seen the videos of gangs rampaging through stores, smashing counters, grabbing products and getting away. well, one drug store in california is going to extreme measures to keep its shelves stocked. elise preston has more. >> reporter: the rippling impact

of crime is changing how customers shop here, but this store is one of thousands across the country strained by a growing problem. locked up and off limits. paper goods and potato chips now joining big ticket items behind plexiglas at this los angeles rite aid. >> why is it locked up like that? >> reporter: the compton drug store taking a dramatic step to combat shoplifting. nearly everything in the store is restricted. so anyone looking to purchase items must call an employee to open up a case. >> it's sad that things are this way now. >> reporter: in a statement to cbs news, rite aid said they are testing a range of product protection solutions as they are seeing a higher level of brazen shoplifting. >> this issue that is front and center in the consciousness of so many californians. >> reporter: the state's governor recently created an organized retail crime task force. so far this year, it's made over a thousand arrests. california's campaign against shoplifters is just a snapshot

of a struggle nationwide. 15 states have created task forces, and a bill in congress is calling for the department of homeland security to establish a centralized national effort. the growing problem cost businesses more than $122 billion in 2022, and a forbes survey shows the majority of small businesses have been forced to raise prices. the crimes delivering a blow to consumers' pockets. retail theft is also to blame for stores changing their hours and what they carry in stock. in the most extreme cases, a third of the nation's major retailers have shut down stores because of them. >> that was elise preston in compton, california. stay with us. you're watching "cbs news roundup."

it's friday, september 27th, 2024. this is