Puppy rescued by Limerick Animal Welfare after being ‘kicked around like a football' by youths
Members of the public were left deeply sickened as Limerick Animal Welfare (LAW) shared the story of a tiny puppy that was rescued from youths 'kicking him around like a football.'
Milo was only a few weeks old and suffering with a severe worm infestation, when he was rescued by the Limerick-based charity and his welfare has sparked strong outrage among members of the public – many of whom took to social media to express their anger.
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Jasmin Griffin
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The Journal
an hour ago
- The Journal
How to spot a scam if you see an ad for discount clothes on social media
AS PART OF a new investigation, The Journal Investigates has uncovered almost 100 websites that have falsely presented themselves as legitimate Irish stores, as well as hundreds more targeting users in at least 14 other countries. These pages masquerading as Irish shops have posted more than 50,000 ads on Facebook between them, potentially targeting millions of social media users. The websites use the same methods to trick customers around the world into buying what they think are high-end goods that are actually much flimsier items that tend to come from Asia – if they arrive at all. There are five things you can ask yourself to make sure the shop you're buying from is legitimate. Although the methods that are outlined here can be enough to tell a scam website on their own, we recommend using a few of them in combination to be absolutely sure. — Investigations like this don't happen without your support… Impactful investigative reporting is powered by people like you. Support The Journal Investigates 1. What does the company's website tell you? Scam fashion websites are taking increasing steps to mimic real businesses, right down to including information like opening hours, physical addresses and contact details. Some even go to the trouble of writing touching backstories on the 'About Us' section of their websites, and claim that they're decades-old companies or much-loved family businesses. But these are the kinds of details that can sometimes reveal the website isn't what it claims to be. If a website lists a specific, real-world address, you can use Google Maps to see if the company really exists where it claims to be located; even if it only names a street, you can check along the street to see if there are any businesses with that name based there. Google Street View can also help with this: if you can't find a shop at the address using Google Maps, you can double-check using the street view function to make sure it's not there – sometimes legitimate businesses don't actually appear on Google Maps. If a shop doesn't appear on Google Maps, and the street view function shows something like a house or an office where the company listed its address, it's a sign that it's a scam or fraudulent drop-shipping business. Another tool you can use is government-run company registration databases. Irish-based businesses will usually register with the Companies Registration Office (CRO), which incorporates companies in Ireland and is where they file their annual returns. The CRO helpfully has a search function called Core that allows people to look up companies that are registered in Ireland. If the company you're buying from claims to be Irish – like a supposed family-run business or a high street store – but you can't find it on the CRO, then it's best to treat it with caution. Companies House, the UK equivalent to the CRO, has a similar function that allows people to search for businesses that are registered in the North or across the water. So if the shop you're looking at claims to be based in the UK, but you can't find any mention of it on the Companies House website, you should also be careful about ordering from it. Advertisement And some drop-shopping websites and social media pages will occasionally include landline phone numbers. If you've taken the steps above and you're still unsure about whether a business is real or fake, you can always give them a ring and see what happens. Products listed on fraudulent drop-shipping websites can likewise provide clues that the page is a scam. One thing we've noticed about these websites is that the sale prices on almost all items tend to end in the same two digits (though never .99 or .00); for example, items that sell for €25.95, €44.95 and €71.95. This would be unusual for a legitimate business to do, even if it's selling items as part of a wider sale event, so if you see this happening (particularly if the sale price doesn't end in .99 or .00) then watch out. Items for sale on a website called Vellor Dublin - the price format includes a comma, which is not standard for Irish retailers 2. Can social media pages provide any clues? In a lot of cases, shoppers will come across these websites on social media, particularly in the form of sponsored posts (AKA ads) on Facebook or Instagram that announce discounts or closing down sales. These posts usually link to third-party websites that look like they belong to normal shops, and might show examples of the products they're selling. They often convey a sense of urgency to make people want to click into them and leave social media without checking out the page that's running the ad. But even just a 30-second look at some of these pages can be enough to show they're not genuine. If you click into a Facebook page that's running ads, and it has just a handful of followers and only one or two posts, that's a big indication that it's a fake profile. The 'About' tab can also be helpful: if you click on it, you might find some contact and other basic information (like a location or phone number) about the business that isn't on its website, and you can repeat the steps from the section above. It's not uncommon for scammers to leave major clues here by accident; for example, the Facebook page might be for a shop that says it's in Dublin, but the 'About' tab actually shows a map that says it's in Vietnam or provides a phone number that clearly isn't Irish. But even bigger indications that a page is a scam can be found under the 'Page Transparency' section, which you'll also find in the 'About' tab. Here's where to find the 'Page Transparency' tab on Facebook If you go there and click the 'See All' button, it will tell you if a page has recently been set up and (often, but not always) if it's changed names before and where its administrators are based. It's probably safe to say that if a page has recently been set up or changed names – especially if it used to be called something completely different – or if it has admins in a country that isn't where it says it's based, it doesn't belong to a legitimate business. You can also find similar information about Instagram pages – just look for the 'About this account' button, and it'll tell you where a profile is based, how long ago it was set up, and how many times it's changed names. 3. Are the same images being used elsewhere? It won't seem obvious to anyone browsing just one website, but a lot of scam websites tend to sell similar products that use the same images. It's actually one of the biggest giveaways that these websites are fraudulent. High street retailers and smaller businesses will generally use their own photographers and/or design agencies for the pictures of products they're selling online; if a business is legitimate, you almost certainly wouldn't see photos of its products being used elsewhere. Thankfully, there are a number of free online tools that you can use to check this. Related Reads 'Never order off this site': Massive web of fake shops targeting Irish Facebook users uncovered Google has its own reverse image search function that allows you to upload an image to see where else it might appear on the internet. To use it, screenshot or save the photo of the product; then go to Google, click the camera symbol that's to the right of the search bar, upload a photo, and check by 'exact matches'. You can also use Google Lens, which is a version of the same tool, if you're browsing via Chrome on a desktop or using an Android phone; again, just screenshot or save the image and search via this tool (or you can right-click and use it like that if you're on a desktop). The same image of a woman in a coat on two seemingly unconnected websites, Ruby & Maeve Kerry and Oliver Harrison London A similar tool called TinEye also allows you to search via an image you've saved, and also via the URL (the link beginning to see if an image will show up elsewhere; to do the latter hold (if on mobile) or right-click (if on desktop) the image you want to search, and copy the link address, then paste it into TinEye. We advise that you try both of these tools if you want to see if an image has been used on multiple websites – sometimes you'll get results on one tool that you won't get on the other one. The more unconnected websites that a product image features on, the more likely it is that all is not as it seems with the online stores that are selling it. And if that happens, it's also possible to compare the websites that use the image to see if some or all of them are fraudulent. If the pages are structured in the same way (e.g. their logos and details like their opening hours are located on the same part of their home page, they have similar 'About Us' info, or they're all selling discounted products for similar prices), then it's likely they aren't legitimate and may be connected in some way. 4. Do the website and its social media ads use artificial intelligence? Artificial intelligence technologies are frequently used by scammers, both on the scam websites themselves and on ads for them. Creating a unique website with a backstory and descriptions for hundreds of products is a time-consuming exercise, but programs like ChatGPT or Google Gemini can speed this up for scammers who want to make money with minimal effort. It's not always easy to tell at first glance when a website is relying on AI programs like these, but there are a couple of tools you can use to get a sense. GPTZero allows users to paste text from anywhere – including a website – to assess the likelihood that it was written by an AI chatbot or a human. As a test, we used the text from a product description on the website of a confirmed dodgy store, which the tool said was 100% likely to have been generated by AI. We also ran sections of this article through the tool, and were given a 92% certainty that the text was written by a human (though of course all of it was). It's important to note that these tools are imperfect; although the two examples given are clear-cut, it's not always going to be the case, particularly because many AI models have been trained by humans. As a result, it's better to use this tool in conjunction with other methods outlined in this article. Scam websites also occasionally use AI images to create fabricated images of shops, people supposedly involved in the business, or crisis events that have led them to sell off stock at a 'discounted' rate. The fake images of people usually don't look like real photos of people but appear more cartoonish; if you're finding it hard to tell if it's an AI image, check for unnatural patterns in textures like a person's hair, skin, or clothes, as well as background parts of the image. If an ad or website shows what looks like a physical shop, do a reverse image search using the method outlined above to see if it appears on Google (as a legitimate business would). Sign up The Journal Investigates is dedicated to lifting the lid on how Ireland works. Our newsletter gives you an inside look at how we do this. Sign up here... Sign up .spinner{transform-origin:center;animation:spinner .75s infinite linear}@keyframes spinner{100%{transform:rotate(360deg)}} You are now signed up You can also do this if an ad or social media page describes a crisis event like a fire or break-in that causes damage – it'll likely have been reported on the news or elsewhere on social media. An AI image of the 'owners' of Ruby & Maeve Kerry 5. Have people complained about the company? The unfortunate reality is that dodgy websites have scammed a lot of people around the world over the past two years. The result is that scammers have been emboldened to keep going – but the silver lining is that those who've been duped are increasingly warning others. There are a few different ways you can check whether a website is trustworthy, as well as some valuable clues that suggest it's not in the absence of other information. As mentioned above, most drop-shopping stores will have an accompanying Facebook page. If you click on the 'About' section on a website's Facebook page, you can see any reviews at the bottom; many of the scam websites we found had a stream of negative Facebook reviews from people calling them out and describing how they'd been scammed. Of course, this won't be the case for all pages: some will have few if any reviews, while people may also complain about legitimate businesses. We'd suggest that if a page seems suspicious and has only one or two positive reviews, do some further research as outlined above to see if it could be fraudulent. And if the majority of a page's reviews are negative and calling it out as a scam, you're probably best avoiding it. The home page of the websites themselves may also contain images showing five-star testimonials from Trustpilot, a worldwide online review platform . In a lot of cases these reviews are fake: if you search by the website's URL on Trustpilot, you won't find them – a clear sign that the site is run by scammers. In fact, many of the Trustpilot pages for these website will have more negative reviews that also call out the page as a scam. Although some legitimate websites tend to link to their Trustpilot profiles so that users can assess reviews for themselves, scam websites don't do this (presumably to avoid directing people to negative reviews that identify it as a scam website). If you click on a Trustpilot review on a scam page, you'll see that it's just an image rather than a link – never trust a website that does this, and double-check to see what its reviews are actually like for yourself on Trustpilot. Some websites may also have a small number of positive reviews on Trustpilot. If you spot this, check to see if people who left reviews left other reviews for different websites: if they didn't, or if they left a small number of similar reviews for the same type of websites, it's an indication that the reviewer may be fake. The Journal Investigates Reporter: Stephen McDermott • Investigation Editor: Christine Bohan • The Journal Investigates Editor: Maria Delaney Investigations like this don't happen without your support... Impactful investigative reporting is powered by people like you. Over 5,000 readers have already supported our mission with a monthly or one-off payment. Join them here: Support The Journal
Irish Post
6 hours ago
- Irish Post
Kneecap thank supporters who came out in force for rapper's Westminster court hearing
KNEECAP has thanked the hundreds of supporters who came out in force as band member Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh attended a hearing at Westminster Magistrate's Court yesterday. The rapper, who performs in the Irish language hip hop group under the name Mo Chara, was met with throngs of flag-waving supporters as well as journalists and photographers as he arrived at the court. In May the Metropolitan Police's Counter Terrorism Command charged the Belfast native over a Palestinian flag allegedly displayed at Kneecap's show at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town, London on November 21, 2024. The force said that the 27-year-old displayed the flag "in such a way or in such circumstances as to arouse reasonable suspicion that he is a supporter of a proscribed organisation, namely Hezbollah". Kneecap band member Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh leaves Westminster Magistrates' Court yesterday, where his hearing was adjourned until September (Pic: Getty Images) Following his first appearance at Westminster Magistrates' Court on June 18, he was released on unconditional bail to return yesterday. He was released on unconditional bail once again as this week's hearing - which was set to establish whether chief magistrate Judge Paul Goldspring has jurisdiction to hear the case - was adjourned. He is now due to return to the court to hear the judge's findings on September 26. Ó hAnnaidh's bandmates Naoise Ó Cairealláin and JJ Ó Dochartaigh, who perform as Moglai Bap and DJ Provai respectively, joined him at the hearing. The band later thanked those supporters who were also in attendance in a social media post. 'A massive GRMA to everyone who came out to support us as their carnival of distraction rolls on,' they said. 'We will be back on September 26 for the Court to determine jurisdiction, we have set out why it does not.' They added: 'Kneecap is not the story. Palestine is the story. The British government are aiding a genocide, do not stop calling them out.' Guildford Four and Birmingham Six lawyer Gareth Pierce is leading the legal team defending Ó hAnnaidh as he fights the charge against him. The team also includes Belfast-based Darragh Mackin of Phoenix Law, Brenda Campbell KC, Jude Bunting KC and Blinne Ni Ghralaigh KC.
RTÉ News
20 hours ago
- RTÉ News
Epstein grand jury records to remain sealed, US judge rules
A US judge has denied the Justice Department's bid to unseal records from the grand jury that indicted the late financier Jeffrey Epstein on sex trafficking charges, saying the material paled in comparison to the trove of records the government has about the case but is not releasing. Manhattan-based US District Judge Richard Berman's decision came as President Donald Trump sought to quell discontent from his conservative base of supporters over his administration's decision not to release files of the case. The judge wrote that it would be more logical for the government to directly release the vast amount of information it has collected from its investigation into Epstein than to petition the court to release the more limited grand jury materials, whose secrecy is protected by law. "The Government's 100,000 pages of Epstein files and materials dwarf the 70 odd pages of Epstein grand jury materials," Judge Berman wrote. "The grand jury testimony is merely a hearsay snippet of Jeffrey Epstein's alleged conduct," the judge said. The Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. President Trump had campaigned for a second term in 2024 with promises to make public Epstein-related files, and accused Democrats of covering up the truth. However, in July, the Justice Department declined to release any more material from its investigation of the case and said a previously touted Epstein client list did not exist, angering Mr Trump's supporters. Evidence seen and heard by grand juries, which operate behind closed doors to prevent interference in criminal investigations, cannot be released without a judge's approval. In July, Mr Trump instructed Attorney General Pam Bondi to seek court approval for the release of grand jury material from Epstein's case. The grand jury that indicted Epstein heard from just one witness, an agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Justice Department said in a court filing in July. Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges. He had pleaded not guilty. His death in jail and his friendships with the wealthy and powerful sparked conspiracy theories that other prominent people were involved in his alleged crimes and that he was murdered. The New York City chief medical examiner determined that Epstein's death was a suicide by hanging. On 11 August, a different Manhattan-based judge, Paul Engelmayer, denied a similar request by the Justice Department to unseal grand jury testimony and exhibits from the case of Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's longtime girlfriend. Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison sentence following her 2021 conviction for recruiting underage girls for Epstein to abuse. Mr Engelmayer wrote that the public would not learn anything new from the release of materials from Maxwell's grand jury because much of the evidence was made public at her monthlong trial four years ago. The grand jury testimony contained no evidence of others besides Epstein and Maxwell who had sexual contact with minors, Mr Engelmayer wrote. Maxwell had pleaded not guilty. After losing an appeal, she has asked the US Supreme Court to review her case. In July, a Florida judge rejected the administration's request to unseal grand jury records from federal investigations there into Epstein in 2005 and 2007. Epstein served a 13-month sentence after pleading guilty in 2008 to a state-level prostitution charge as part of a deal now widely regarded as too lenient.
