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How to Spot Online Shopping Scams and Keep Your Money Safe Online shopping has become a daily habit for millions, but scammers have taken notice. Fraudsters are constantly refining their tactics to trick shoppers into handing over money and personal information. According to a recent alert from VA News (.gov), online shopping scams are surging, and the FBI’s latest Internet Crime Report confirms that reported losses from these scams reached record levels in 2025. Whether you’re a seasoned buyer or someone who rarely shops online, knowing how to identify and avoid these schemes is essential. ...

Update Your Privacy Tools Now to Beat AI-Powered Cyberattacks: A How-To Guide The World Economic Forum’s Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2026 makes it clear: artificial intelligence is making cybercrime faster, cheaper, and harder to spot. Attackers now use AI to automate phishing, create convincing deepfakes, and probe for system weaknesses in minutes instead of days. For the average internet user or small business owner, the old habit of “set it and forget it” with privacy tools no longer works. Here’s what the report tells us—and five concrete steps you can take today to reduce your risk. ...

1 in 3 Americans Have Been Scammed Online Shopping: How to Protect Yourself If you shop online, you have probably seen deals that seem too good to pass up or received an email about an order you don’t remember placing. You are not alone in wondering whether these are scams. According to a 2025 Pew Research Center survey, roughly one in three Americans say they have personally experienced an online shopping scam. That number is high enough that it should give any regular online shopper pause. ...

Online Shopping Scams: How to Spot and Avoid Them (2026 Guide) Online shopping has become second nature for most of us, but the convenience also comes with a persistent risk: scams. Criminals are constantly refining their tactics, using fake websites, phishing messages, and fraudulent payment schemes to trick shoppers. A recent alert from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) — published January 28, 2026 — warns consumers to watch out for scams and stay safe while online shopping. Combined with data from the FBI’s 2024 Internet Crime Report, the message is clear: staying informed is the best defense. ...

Update These Privacy Tools Now to Stay Safe in the Age of AI Cyberattacks The cybersecurity threat landscape has shifted in the last two years. The World Economic Forum’s Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2026 identifies artificial intelligence as one of the top cyber risks for individuals and organizations alike. What used to be a niche concern for IT departments is now a practical problem for anyone who browses the web, uses a chatbot, or manages accounts online. ...

How to Spot Online Shopping Scams Before They Cost You Online shopping has become second nature for most of us. A few clicks and a package is on its way. But the convenience also attracts scammers. According to the FBI’s 2024 Internet Crime Report, Americans lost billions of dollars last year to online shopping fraud alone. The numbers are staggering, and the threat doesn’t discriminate—veterans, military families, and everyday consumers are all targets. ...

One in Three Americans Has Been Scammed While Shopping Online—Here’s How to Stay Safe If you shop online, you’ve probably seen the warnings: deals that seem too good to be true, unfamiliar websites with misspelled logos, ads on social media for products that never arrive. But it’s easy to assume it won’t happen to you. The data suggests otherwise. ...

Think Before You Click: How to Spot Online Shopping Scams Online shopping is convenient, but it’s also become a hunting ground for scammers. The latest FBI Internet Crime Report shows that consumers lost tens of millions of dollars to online shopping scams in 2024 alone. And according to a recent article from VA News, these scams are growing more sophisticated — targeting not just the elderly, but anyone browsing deals on social media, email, or even official-looking websites. ...

How to Update Your Privacy Tools for the AI Era: Expert Tips from the World Economic Forum Introduction If you still rely on the same set of password managers, VPNs, and browser extensions you set up two or three years ago, it may be time for a change. Artificial intelligence is not just making cyberattacks faster — it is also making them smarter. Automated phishing campaigns, AI-generated deepfake phone calls, and tools that crack passwords by learning from leaked databases are becoming commonplace. The World Economic Forum’s latest guidance, published in its June 2026 report on updating data privacy tools, makes clear that the old playbook for online safety no longer works. ...

How to Spot Online Shopping Scams: Tips from the VA and FTC Online shopping has become second nature for most of us, but it also comes with risks. Scammers are constantly refining their tactics, and government agencies like the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and the FBI regularly update their warnings. Whether you’re a veteran, a military family member, or just someone trying to buy a gift online, knowing how to recognize a scam can save you money and frustration. ...