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How to Spot Online Shopping Scams Before You Lose Money Every shopping season brings deals, but it also brings scammers. The FBI’s 2024 Internet Crime Report recorded billions of dollars lost to online shopping fraud, and government agencies like the Department of Veterans Affairs continue to warn consumers about new tactics. Whether you’re buying gifts, household items, or electronics, it pays to know what to look for. Here’s a plain‑language guide to recognizing common scams and protecting your money. ...

Protect Your Data in the Age of AI: Simple Privacy Updates More companies are adopting artificial intelligence at a rapid pace. According to the World Economic Forum, half of all businesses now use AI in some form. That shift brings new risks for your personal data. A recent WEF report on cutting cyber risk in an AI era highlights how data privacy needs to be rethought. The good news is you don’t need to be a security expert to reduce your exposure. Here are concrete steps you can take. ...

Don’t Get Duped While Shopping Online: Simple Ways to Spot a Scam Online shopping is convenient, but it also attracts fraudsters who set up fake websites, send phishing emails, and advertise deals that don’t exist. According to the Federal Trade Commission, consumers lost more than $300 million to online shopping scams in 2023 alone. A recent alert from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs – “Watch out for scams and stay safe while online shopping” – echoes what many security experts have been saying: scammers are getting better at looking legitimate. ...

How to Recognize and Avoid Online Shopping Scams Online shopping has never been more convenient, but it has also become a hunting ground for scammers. According to the FBI’s 2024 Internet Crime Report, Americans lost over $12.5 billion to cybercrime last year, with online shopping fraud among the top categories reported. In a recent alert, the Department of Veterans Affairs echoed this warning, urging shoppers to watch out for scams and stay safe while online shopping. The advice applies to everyone, not just veterans. ...

New Privacy-Preserving AI Keeps Your Heart Data Safe While Predicting Risk As hospitals and clinics roll out AI tools to interpret medical tests, a growing question follows: what happens to your personal information along the way? When an algorithm reads an electrocardiogram (ECG), it often learns more than just the heart’s rhythm—it can infer your age, sex, and even your race from the same signal. That extra information raises privacy concerns, especially if the data is shared or stored outside your direct control. ...

How to Protect Your Privacy in the Age of AI: Lessons from a New WEF Report The World Economic Forum recently published a report titled Cutting cyber risk in an AI era – and data privacy’s role. It offers a sobering look at how artificial intelligence is changing the threat landscape for individuals and organizations alike. While much of the discussion around AI safety focuses on big-picture risks, the report highlights specific threats that directly affect anyone using AI tools—from chatbots to image generators. ...

AI Is Changing Cyber Risks: Here’s How to Keep Your Data Safe Artificial intelligence is reshaping the way we work, shop, and communicate. But the same technology that powers helpful chatbots and smart assistants also introduces new threats to your privacy and security. The World Economic Forum recently published a report on cutting cyber risk in the AI era, and its findings matter for everyone who uses digital tools. Here’s a plain‑language look at what’s changing and what you can do about it. ...

AI Innovation and Privacy: Can You Have Both? A Practical Guide Artificial intelligence tools are becoming part of everyday life — suggesting what to watch, helping draft emails, managing smart home devices, and even answering medical questions. As these services get more useful, they also demand more data. That creates a tension that’s hard to ignore: the more an AI knows about you, the better it works. But at what cost to your privacy? ...

How to Use AI Without Giving Up Your Privacy: A Practical Guide The rapid spread of generative AI tools—from chatbots like ChatGPT and Copilot to image generators and writing assistants—has created an uncomfortable paradox. These services are genuinely useful, but using them often means handing over your data. Every query you type, every document you paste, and every file you upload may be stored, reviewed, or used to train future models. ...

How to Spot Online Shopping Scams Before You Lose Money Intro Every year, millions of people buy something online without a second thought. Most transactions go smoothly. But scammers have gotten better at making fake stores, phishing messages, and fraudulent payment requests look real. The FBI’s 2025 Internet Crime Report noted that Americans lost over $10 billion to cybercrime, and online shopping scams accounted for a large share of those losses. The good news: most of these scams follow predictable patterns, and you can learn to spot them before you hand over your money. ...