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Editorial: Beware of bogus credit card readers skimming off the top

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With the holiday season now in full swing, households will be spending more time and money shopping for those special gifts, as well as purchasing ingredients for those sumptuous meals to be served at gatherings of family and friends.

Anyone who happened to visit their local supermarket in the last few days has encountered a flood of Thanksgiving shoppers retrieving those last-minute necessities.

In an effort to save precious minutes – and not stand in long register lines – you might decide to take the self-checkout route.

It’s become a more common option with the use of “chipped” credit cards that simplify and expedite the transaction.

That trend has not only caught on with consumers, but also with crooks looking to steal your card number and personal information.

A rash of recent incidents in Massachusetts and New Hampshire underscore how thieves can prey on unsuspecting shoppers.

Police uncovered credit card skimmers installed in a Market Basket and Walmart in Concord, N.H., a troubling development that may be linked to skimmers found in other Massachusetts and New Hampshire communities.

“Be vigilant, especially now going into the holiday season,” Concord Police Deputy Chief John Thomas told the Boston Herald, adding that ’tis the season when police generally see an uptick in credit-card information theft.

Those two credit card skimmers, which Concord Police found in October in self-checkout lanes, are devices that overlay and look nearly identical to the legitimate credit card machines found in stores, as well as at gas pumps, ATMs and other self-serve locations.

“At this time, we are not aware of any customer information being compromised and we will continue to monitor this situation closely,” Justine Griffin, a spokeswoman for Tewksbury-based Market Basket, wrote last week in a statement. “We are also working with both state and local authorities to help identify the responsible individuals.”

A Walmart corporate spokesman told the Herald that “this situation remains an ongoing criminal investigation, and we’re actively engaged with law enforcement.”

“Providing customers with a safe shopping experience is a top priority. We’re continually reviewing protocols and adding enhanced security measures to better protect in-store transactions,” Joe Pennington, the director of Walmart’s global communications office, wrote in a statement, adding that any customers concerned that they may have been impacted should call their card provider or Walmart’s customer care team at 800-925-6278.

According to Concord Police, a telltale sign with these two skimmers – a trick also probably used in other locations that could tip off customers – is if the card chip reader slot is inoperable, forcing the purchaser to swipe the card through the magnetic reader, where the theft of credit card information happens.

“It’s very easy to install them; they just snap over the old credit card machines,” Deputy Chief Thomas told the Herald, adding that if a customer has any suspicions about a malfunctioning machine, give it a little tug on the top to see if a skimmer has been placed. “You can see how easy it is to steal some of this information.”

Thomas said that his department has been in contact with other police departments, including Nashua, N.H., Somerville, Reading, and Haverhill – all places where the scam devices have also recently appeared – to see if they’re part of the same skimming operation.

While Thomas noted his department has received reports of credit card fraud since these incidents were reported, he said it’s hard to determine whether they were compromised at those two stores or elsewhere.

And skimming off the top of a credit card reader isn’t the only underhanded method of stealing financial and personal information.

The federal Office of the Comptroller of the Currency also warns of high-tech skimmers that can read the chips in cards, combined with the placement of a camera to read pin numbers. The office recommends walking away and speaking with a bank representative or a law enforcement officer if you suspect something’s amiss, and to check for places where a camera could be concealed, or for plastic sheaths inserted into the card slot.

The Federal Trade Commission reports that fraud overall continues to increase, totaling $8.8 billion alone in 2022, a 30% year-over-year increase.

Being a victim of credit card fraud isn’t as onerous as it used to be. Most major card companies monitor transactions for any unusual activity, and promptly alert the cardholder.

However, it’s still an inconvenience, oftentimes requiring closing an account and opening another.

If you can still find a store with a cash-allowed, self-checkout machine, you might want to take those few extra steps and use it.

Otherwise, try to use self-checkouts that are constantly monitored by a store employee.

Bottom line, it’s the consumer’s responsibility to be aware that the possibility of fraud exists, which means taking preventative steps to minimize that threat.

Editorial: Still time to get those shots before holiday season

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With Thanksgiving fast approaching, state health officials are encouraging residents to get a COVID booster and flu shot before the holidays.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health also recommends getting the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine — especially expectant mothers, newborns, and those 60-plus.

“Getting vaccinated now will maximize protection against these respiratory viruses,” said Public Health Commissioner Robert Goldstein. “We want Massachusetts residents to have a safe, healthy, and fun holiday season, and part of that is getting vaccinated to protect yourself and those around you.”

The seasonal flu vaccine and updated COVID booster both take up to two weeks to provide full protection.

This time of year, when family and friends gather to celebrate the holidays, COVID, flu and RSV are the most likely causes of severe disease resulting in hospitalization and sometimes death.

In the past week, 13% of Bay State hospital admissions were due to acute respiratory disease.

The lack of vaccine participation in this state to date concerns health officials, who fear complacency has overtaken caution.

The latest data from the health department shows that just 9% of residents have received the shot since the latest COVID boosters started to roll out in mid-September.

A greater share, 21%, have received a flu vaccine, but that’s still tracking behind previous years, according to public health officials.

“We are dramatically lower in our COVID vaccination rates than we have been in prior years,” Goldstein recently told hospital leaders. “And RSV vaccination — a new vaccine — is really lagging where we had expected it to be.”

Similar to the flu vaccine, COVID doses were reformulated this fall to better match the current strains of the virus.

Many chain pharmacies like CVS and Walgreens administer these vaccines. After a rocky rollout, CVS officials, for example, now say they are “well positioned” to meet patient demand. Call or visit their websites to find one in your local area. Your primary-care physician’s office or local health department may also be a vaccination resource.

COVID vaccine location information is also available at mass.gov/CovidVaccine. Appointments can also be made for in-home COVID and flu vaccinations by going to mass.gov/VaccinesAtHome or calling 833-983-0485.

DPH will be holding COVID and flu clinics in many communities and at upcoming cultural events. A listing of these community clinics that are accepting appointments and, in some locations, walk-ins – updated weekly – can be found at mass.gov/MobileVax.

While their ability to prevent these potentially life-threatening diseases remains a subject of much debate, an ounce of their protection might still be worth a pound of cure.

Beware of deer in the headlights

It’s peak season again for deer crashes in the Bay State.

Most deer collisions in Massachusetts happen in the last three months of the year, according to AAA Northeast, with November consistently being the top month for incidents reported to the Massachusetts Environmental Police.

These crashes peak during autumn’s mating season, which means males are on the prowl at dusk and dawn, coinciding with commuting traffic.

It’s a recipe for potentially serious crashes, particularly because visibility decreases in the fall, when sunrises get later and sunsets earlier.

In 2021, motor-vehicle accidents involving deer soared to an all-time high from October through December.

In that three-month span, the state recorded 1,656 deer accidents, the highest number since 2002, according to a AAA Northeast analysis of crash data available from the state’s IMPACT crash portal.

Last year, deer collisions in the October-December timeframe jumped to 1,806. That’s equivalent to a deer crash every 74 minutes.

While deer accidents can occur anywhere, the most accident-prone towns from October to December last year were all in the southeast past of the state: Middleboro (48); Taunton (39); Westport (29); Swansea (28); Rehoboth (22); East Bridgewater/Seekonk (tied at 20); Freetown (19); and Acushnet/Plymouth/Wareham (tied at 18).

Here’s a sampling of AAA’s driver-safety tips:

• Scan the shoulders of the road in front of you. Deer may dash out from the shoulder or wooded areas next to the road.

• Keep to the speed limit. It will give you more time to respond to unexpected wildlife movements.

• Be careful rounding curves and climbing hills, where visibility is limited.

• If you spy one deer, look for others. Deer rarely travel alone.

• If a collision is unavoidable, apply the brakes firmly and try to remain in your lane and avoid other vehicles. Swerving sharply can cause an even more serious crash.

• If a crash occurs, move the vehicle to a safe location if possible and report the incident to the Environmental Police at 1-800-632-8075.

• Contact your insurance company to report any damage to your car. Take photos of the damage if you can do so safely. Damage to the car from animal crashes generally falls under a driver’s comprehensive coverage.

While accidents can inadvertently help cull the state’s soaring deer population, it’s a dangerous way to accomplish that goal.

For drivers and deer alike.

Editorial: No one answer for flipping voters’ turnoff to a turn-on

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While there’s no way to know if Lowell’s results would have differed if more majority-minority district residents had shown up at the polls, their lack of participation did signify one of the many symptoms contributing to the ailing state of municipal elections.

With less than a 10% voter turnout, democracy took a back seat to indifference in last week’s Lowell election.

How to remedy that lack of civic engagement remains a conundrum that some have tried to address.

City Councilor Wayne Jenness’ motion on Tuesday’s agenda sought to determine whether Lowell’s election policies and procedures can be strengthened to encourage greater voter turnout.

It asked City Manager Tom Golden to have the proper department analyze the city of Worcester’s policies to see where improvements can be made.

And Councilor Kim Scott authored a motion to investigate allowing voters to directly elect the mayor.

In a post-election day interview, Director of Elections Greg Pappas suggested Lowell’s low vote count was due in part to the automatic voter registration law.

“The percentages are going to be lower now than they were years ago because the agencies like [the Registry of] Motor Vehicles automatically register you to vote whether you want to be registered or not,” Pappas told the newspaper. “Lowell usually is around 53,000 people registered to vote. If you had 20,000 people come out to vote, the percentage would be higher. Now you have 75,000 people registered to vote … Now when you divide the percentages, they look smaller.”

While Pappas’ math is a little off – Lowell’s registered voter count over the last several years has totaled from 60,000 to 65,000 — his rationale makes sense, to a point.

However, Lowell’s problem isn’t unique. Worcester, another gateway city with a population of more than 200,000, saw voter turnout jump from 16.56% in 2021 to 21.89% in 2023, despite greater numbers due to the voter registration law.

In Worcester, which shares Lowell’s Plan E form of government, voters can choose the mayor from a pool of five at-large councilors, a larger field than Lowell’s three citywide councilors.

At-large Councilor Vesna Nuon has previously said he did not believe the plaintiffs in the voting rights lawsuit that brought about district representation would support using the Worcester model.

“We need to have a framework and that framework needs to allow everyone, district councilor or at-large, a chance to put their name forward for the mayorship,” Nuon said.

Councilor Dan Rourke had mentioned this issue had gone before the Election Laws/Redistricting Subcommittee. While many motions were filed, it came back to using the Worcester model or Lowell’s current method of choosing the mayor.

In November 2021, Lowell voters overwhelmingly supported a nonbinding referendum to directly elect the city’s mayor.

But that’s as far as it went.

Even though the mayor holds a ceremonial position in Lowell’s manager-led form of government – in addition to chairing the School Committee – allowing the voters to elect that person would likely spur heightened interest and higher turnout.

And supporters of a strong mayor form of government could point to Fitchburg’s recent election to help make their case for that change.

With the prospect of a four-term mayor’s ouster by an at-large city councilor, 25% of Fitchburg’s voters made their voice heard.

That’s despite the fact that Mayor Stephen DiNatale had already seen the writing on the wall, having lost to City Councilor-At-Large Samantha Squailia in September’s four-way preliminary mayoral election by a 53.9%-35% margin.

Squailia maintained that margin of victory in the general election with 60% of the vote.

In Lowell’s case, voters have already demonstrably made their preference known on this issue. Steps should be taken to provide direct election of the mayor – whether that be a field limited to at-large councilors or inclusive of the entire 11-member body.

Other procedural changes could be made statewide to encourage greater voter participation.

Having cities and towns go to the polls in the same election cycle as state rep and senator races would help, since spikes in voter participation now only seem to occur in presidential years.

But we also believe that force-feeding election eligibility on everyone – by involuntarily registering people to vote “whether you want to be registered or not” — has diluted its significance, and by extension, contributed to its increasing irrelevance, as evidenced by the embarrassingly low turnout numbers in our town and city elections.

That’s not how a participatory democracy should function.

Editorial: Indifference, shocking ouster top city elections

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Lowell’s election results demonstrated the advantage of incumbency, especially when so few voters bother to cast a ballot.

It also marked a setback for the aspirations of what can be generally viewed as the new breed of city politicians, who failed to win either an additional City Council or School Committee seat.

Its toll included one school board incumbent and a sitting school board member who fell short in her attempt to make a City Council leap.

You can also count democracy as an election loser. Just over 7,500 of Lowell’s 75,000-plus registered voters – 10% – exercised that right of citizenship.

The same complacency couldn’t be said of Fitchburg’s elections, where 25% of the electorate – 6,959 of 27,935 – went to the polls.

And with that turnout, voters turned out four-term Mayor Stephen DiNatale, who shockingly lost to Councilor-At-Large Samantha Squailia in a landslide.

Even high-profile endorsements by Gov. Maura Healey, 3rd District U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan and former Gov. Charlie Baker could prevent Squailia’s overwhelming 4,093-2,778 victory.

In addition, voters also chose five candidates for at-large seats on the City Council out of a total of 10 contenders, with one new member being elected to the council.

Replacing the seat occupied by Squailia, School Committee member Beth Walsh will become the new at-large member on the City Council, bringing in 10.3% of votes, 1.2% over the next highest vote-getter.

City Councilor-At-Large Sally Cragin garnered the top percentage of votes out of all at-large City Council candidates with 15%, or 3,678 votes.

Marcus DiNatale, Amy Green, and Anthony Zarrella also claimed at-large victories, while Bernard Schultz, Paul Beauchemin, Andrew Van Hazinga, Marisa Fleming, Derrick Cruz, and Anthony Couture took ward councilor seats.

In the race for three seats on the School Committee, James Walsh, Debra Jeffries, and Lindsey Englund were victorious.

Lowell’s lack of competition

Lowell’s light turnout might be partially due to the lack of contested races, since many incumbents had no challengers.

They included School Committee members Connie Martin, Jackie Doherty, Eileen Delrossi, Dominik Lay and challenger Dave Conway.

On the Council side, Dan Rourke and John Leahy defeated blanks and write-ins.

But the election wasn’t without some suspense. The race for three at-large councilor slots generated the most interest, with two incumbents and a formidable district councilor facing three high-profile challengers.

Could one of those three – former Councilor Corey Belanger, activist Bobby Tubiyele or Virak Uy – break into the top three, and would 28-year veteran Councilor Rita Mercier finally succumb to the forces seeking her ouster?

Well, Mercier again frustrated the folks who’ve previously dismissed her as a dinosaur, out of step with the progressive times.

District Councilor Erik Gitschier topped the ticket with 3,837 votes, followed by Mercier (3,723) and Vesna Nuon (3,405), leaving Belanger (2,874), Tubiyele (2,472), and Uy (1,552) out of the money.

Another Council race of interest pitted District 5 incumbent Kim Scott against school board member Susie Chhoun.

While Chhoun was thought to represent a serious challenge, Scott easily retained her seat, 513 -217.

The only new Council face belongs to John Descouteaux, who won the District 8 seat vacated by Gitschier with a decisive win over fellow challenger Ty Chum, 799-387.

Descouteaux, set to retire from his position as Lowell Public Schools’ transportation director, believes he’ll now have the ability to devote the time that a seat on the Council deserves.

Incumbent Councilors Sokhary Chau, Corey Robinson, Wayne Jenness, and Paul Ratha Yem comfortably defeated their challengers.

And in the only contested School Committee race, Fred Bahou ousted District 1 incumbent Stacey Thompson by nearly 300 votes, 193-923.

Though a challenger, Bahou possessed impressive credentials. He’s been a member of the Greater Lowell Technical High School Committee for 13 years, which translates into name recognition that Thompson, who made history by becoming the first woman of color elected to a municipal or school office in the city – couldn’t match.

Incidentally, Bahou intends to keep his seat on the GLTHS board.

As for Lowell’s lazy voters, they’ll have no one to blame but themselves should the city’s governance not live up to their expectations.

Editorial: Boom-bust cycle of illicit drug trade plays out in state

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Two more examples of why victory in the war on drug cartels and syndicates that flood our country with illegal substances remains an aspirational goal, with no signs that it will ever be realized.

In the same week that three of the remaining four defendants convicted for their role in a notorious Fitchburg drug ring were sentenced, more than 220 pounds of illicit drugs were seized a by FBI gang task force in Massachusetts, in what’s believed to be among the biggest drug busts ever in New England at a single location.

In the Fitchburg case, the last of the 18 individuals convicted is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 16.

Those 18 convictions were the result of a previous organized crime task force that “identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the U.S., using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach,” according to a statement from Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua Levy.

According to court documents, following a fatal fentanyl overdose in fall of 2018, multiple levels of law enforcement began an investigation into a drug trafficking organization in the Fitchburg area.

Over the course of the investigation, police seized over 1.8 kilos of a heroin/fentanyl mixture, over 3.6 kilos of cocaine and roughly 50 grams of crack cocaine. Law enforcement also seized a stolen, loaded handgun, drug manufacturing equipment and over $376,000 in cash.

But as we’re about to close out this law-enforcement success story, this most recent bust constitutes another example of the persistent, metastasizing nature of this wide-ranging criminal enterprise that feeds on the addictions of our neighbors, friends and loved ones.

As reported by several media outlets, law enforcement that drugs, including fentanyl, methamphetamine and fake Adderall, were seized last week from a house on Western Avenue in Lynn, in a home where children live.

The 228 pounds of drugs consisted of more than 10 million doses, with a street value of $8 million, officials said.

“All told, there are more doses seized in this one house in Lynn than there are people in Massachusetts,” said Levy – who’s been busy of late – at a Monday news conference.

He spoke next to a 9.2-kilo bag of pink, heart-shaped pills that looked like Valentine’s Day candies that tested positive for fentanyl. Levy, the state’s top federal prosecutor, called the creation of candy-shaped pills “a very frightening development” in the drug trade that he hadn’t seen before, something everyone should be aware of.

“We have a ton of fake drugs out there. Now we have fentanyl that looks like candy circulating in our communities,” said Levy, who noted that six people in Massachusetts die from opioids every day.

That’s a frightening escalation in this life-and-death battle.

“If you or a loved one are buying pills off the street … it might not be what you think it is,” said Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen.

The FBI said the bust was conducted by the North Shore Gang Task Force, one of 160 violent task forces nationwide that combine federal, state and local law enforcement agencies in an effort to combat violent crime.

Emilio Garcia, Sebastien Bejin and Deiby Felix face charges of drug possession with intent to distribute in connection with the Nov. 1 bust. Garcia and Bejin are also being charged with conspiracy, according to a complaint. It wasn’t immediately clear if they had attorneys who could speak to the charges.

All three, part of a large North Shore drug-dealing network, face charges in state court as well, including in the death of a person in Salem that led investigators to the bust in Lynn, Levy said.

Lynn Police Chief Christopher Reddy called the bust significant for the city, which “has been devastated by the opioid epidemic.”

Even with these arrests and the meting out of stiff sentences in the Fitchburg bust, individuals indifferent to the addiction of others remain more than willing to flout our laws for a sizable score of cash.

In the process, they leave bereaved loved ones with broken hearts. In Massachusetts’ case, it’s a frequency that accompanied a record-setting 2,357 drug-related deaths last year alone.

We commend federal and local authorities for their efforts, a sign that individuals who traffic in deadly drugs like fentanyl will pay a high price for that heinous criminal behavior.

Unfortunately, those who undertake these illegal enterprises don’t seem to be getting the message.

Editorial: Public’s help needed to prevent a more serious Groton fire

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A blaze that was caught before turning into a major conflagration has set off alarm bells in Groton.

The town’s top two public-safety officials, along with the state fire marshal, have asked the public for any information into the cause of a suspicious fire at a vacant commercial building.

The fire, first reported by a passerby just before 2 p.m. on Monday, occurred in a utility room at 500 Main St., a vacant commercial space where vandalism has been reported in the past. Fortunately, no injuries were reported, but the fire damaged the ceiling and property inside the room before firefighters safely extinguished it.

If this fire was intentionally set, we doubt the perpetrators understood the potential catastrophic consequences of that act.

“This building is more than 128,000 square feet in size. If the fire had spread faster, or if we hadn’t been notified promptly, the damage could have been devastating and firefighters would have faced a very dangerous situation,” said Steele Chief McCurdy.

Mutual aid from the fire departments of Ayer and Pepperell responded to assist at the scene.

The investigation is being conducted jointly by the Groton Fire Department, Groton Police Department, and the State Police Fire & Explosion Investigation Unit assigned to the State Fire Marshal’s office.

“Every fire is dangerous, but intentionally set fires pose unique challenges,” said State Fire Marshal Jon Davine. “Fire doesn’t do what it’s told or what’s expected. Someone who sets a fire under these circumstances could do it again, and they could badly hurt themselves or someone else.”

Anyone with information on the fire, or who made observations in the area of 500 Main St. early yesterday afternoon, is asked to share it through the Arson Watch Reward Program’s hotline at 1-800-682-9229. The Arson Watch Reward Program is coordinated by the Massachusetts Property Insurance Underwriters Association, and offers rewards of up to $5,000 for information that detects or prevents arson crimes. All calls are confidential.

“Groton Police are investigating this fire with our partners at Groton Fire and State Police assigned to the State Fire Marshal’s office, and our top priority is the community’s safety,” said Fire Chief Michael Luth.

We’d expect police and fire officials to step up surveillance on this property, which should hopefully discourage any would-be arsonists for putting themselves, public-safety personnel and the general public in harm’s way.

Let’s hope for a quick resolution of this blaze’s cause.

State needs feds to boost legal aid for asylum seekers

A combination of competing factors has conspired to exhaust even a dramatic rise in funds allocated for aid to low-income clients in this state.

The state has contributed considerable resources in recent budgets for that purpose, but the Eagle Tribune reports that advocates insist more funding is needed to meet the demand.

In the current fiscal year, the Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation will receive $49 million in state funding for its providers to pay for civil legal services for low-income clients. That’s a more than 130% increase in funding from the 2019 fiscal year, when the state’s contribution was about $21 million, budget figures show.

Overall, the corporation distributed more than $57 million to legal-aid groups last fiscal year, including $41 million in state funds, along with money from a lawyers’ trust fund, grants and private foundations, according to the group’s latest financial report. That’s compared to about $30 million four years ago.

But the ongoing housing crisis and the recent unrelenting influx of migrants has put further financial strain on the system.

One of the biggest demands for legal aid in the previous year were housing issues, which comprised more than 40% of the cases. “Housing is one of the biggest issues we deal with, and the pandemic made that worse,” said Erin Horan, a spokeswoman for the corporation

If you’re accused of a crime you have the right to an attorney,” Horan said. “But if you’re facing an issue such as domestic violence, housing discrimination or eviction, you don’t have that right.”

The Massachusetts Immigration Legal Assistance Fund has distributed nearly $3 million, including $675,000 in the previous fiscal year, to legal-aid agencies that work on immigration cases.

The issue of state funding for immigration services has come up amid the recent surge of asylum seekers, with Gov. Maura Healey and Attorney General Andrea Campbell pumping more money into legal assistance for immigration cases.

Some critics contend that Massachusetts shouldn’t be spending state money on legal services for asylum seekers, with the federal government, which caused this conundrum, providing little assistance to the state.

Paul Craney, a spokesman for the conservative Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance, said “there is no end in sight for taxpayers unless the southern border is secure and our immigration laws are enforced.”

While that’s the ultimate goal, it’s beyond the state’s ability to accomplish.

All it can do is demand federal funds to stem a crisis not of its making.