THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2024 Page 9 8. Fake charities: The last few weeks of the year are a busy time for charitable donations. Donors are advised to look out for fraudulent charities and scammers pretending to be individuals in need. Avoid impromptu donation decisions to unfamiliar organizations. Responsible organizations will welcome a gift tomorrow as much as they do today. Verify a charity at BBB’s Give. org or on the Canada Revenue Agency website. Where possible, donate to the charity through their website and use a credit card. 9. Fake shipping notifications: More consumers making online purchases during the holidays leads to an increase in the number of notifi cations about shipping details from retailers and carriers. Scammers use this surge to VICTORY | FROM Page 4 The Leader Herald published its fi nal newspaper on Wednesday (Dec. 18). As part of the agreement, the newspaper had to terminate all contracts with its vendors and distributors. It also had to take down its social media page and run a notice in the newspaper telling readers that it had published its last edition, according to Robbins. Had the owner and publisher/editor of the Leader Herald decided to go to trial, a jury would have decided what to award in defamation damages, the attorney said. “All a jury would have decided to do in this case would be to decide whether to award damages and how much in damages,” Robbins said. “But a jury could not have ordered a newspaper to close down. That was one of the things that made the settlement unusual,” he said. The Leader Herald published about two dozen fabricated news stories disparaging the mayor over a period of 2019 through 2022, according to court documents. The articles accused DeMaria of soliciting and accepting kickbacks, stealing money and other acts of political corruption — allegations that Resnek later admitted were fabricated. send phishing emails and texts about package deliveries with links enclosed that might allow unwanted access to your private information or download malware onto your device. They might also try to trick people into paying new shipping fees. Never click a link in a text or email that you’re not expecting. If you want to track a package, fi nd the original email or text confi rmation you received directly from the store and use that link. 10. Advent calendars: Each year there are more and more advent calendars being sold; CNN has a list of over 41 calendars, and many are in hot demand. In past years, BBB received reports to Scam Tracker about advent calendar ads on social media not delivering as promRobbins noted that the newspaper’s motive for attacking DeMaria through fabricated stories appeared to be motivated out of Philbin’s belief “that mayor had been unfavorable in his dealings with his business interests,” Robbins said. Philibin owns an insurance company, rooming houses and several other properties. “There was evidence on the reason [for the fake articles attacking the mayor],” Robbins said. “That was what the mission was. That’s what the goal was. Texts and emails mentioned that,” the attorney said. “You don’t have one smoking gun. You have an arsenal of smoking guns. A whole ammunition depot,” he said. During the barrage of repeated stories that publicly castigated the mayor as a corrupt politician, Robbins said, it was clear that the mayor, his wife, his children and elderly parents endured great public humiliation. “The mayor displayed a lot of emotion over how the stories aff ected him and his family,” Robbins said. “Here’s a story that tells how this took a personal toll on him. His father told him, ‘If what I’m reading in the paper [the Leader Herald] are true, you’re not my son,’” the attorney said. ised. Some were not received, and some people received inferior products or incomplete orders. Consumers should research before they buy, read reviews and look up the company on BBB.org before purchasing. BBB also has a shopper’s guide to help you purchase that niche advent calendar. 11. Holiday wish-list items: Low-priced luxury goods, jewelry, designer clothing and electronics are almost always cheap counterfeits and knockoff s. The same applies to popular toys. This year, the Ms. Rachel Speak & Sing Doll, Barbies, Bluey toys, and brain teasers and puzzles are some of the items in high demand. Be very cautious when considering purchasing popular toys from resellers on Facebook Marketplace and other platforms. 12. Puppy scams: Many families might be considering adding a furry friend to their household this year. However, be on the lookout for scams. Many would-be pet owners turn to the internet to fi nd their future cat or dog, but experts say a shocking 80% of sponsored pet advertisements might be fake. Be sure to see the pet in person before making a purchase. If We Happen To Meet By Accident ... You’ll Be Glad You Found Us! BEST! Celebrating 46 Years In Business! 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