Fake Prom Dress Websites: How to Spot and Avoid Online Shopping Scams This Season

Fake Prom Dress Websites: How to Spot and Avoid Online Shopping Scams This Season Prom season is here, and with it comes the annual rush to find the perfect dress. But scammers are counting on that urgency. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) recently alerted shoppers in the Hudson Valley—and the warning applies nationwide—about fraudulent websites posing as prom dress retailers. These sites are designed to look legitimate, but they exist only to take your money and personal information. ...

May 9, 2026 · 4 min · BriefArc Desk

Chrome Extensions Turned Attack Vectors: What to Do Right Now

Chrome Extensions Turned Attack Vectors: What to Do Right Now Even useful browser extensions can become a hidden threat. Recent reports from Security Boulevard and other security outlets describe a campaign in which seemingly legitimate productivity extensions for Chrome were used as backdoors to infiltrate enterprise systems. The attack relied on a supply-chain compromise—attackers injected malicious code into extensions that appeared normal, then distributed them through official channels. If you use Chrome at work or even at home, understanding how this happened and what you can do about it is worth a few minutes of your time. ...

May 9, 2026 · 4 min · BriefArc Desk

How to Avoid Fake Prom Dress Websites: A Guide Based on the Latest BBB Warning

How to Avoid Fake Prom Dress Websites: A Guide Based on the Latest BBB Warning Intro Prom season is upon us, and for many families that means hunting for the perfect dress online. But the Better Business Bureau (BBB) recently issued an alert for shoppers in the Hudson Valley region—and the warning applies well beyond New York. Scammers are setting up fake websites that look like legitimate prom dress retailers, complete with stolen photos and too-good-to-be-true prices. If you or your teen are shopping for a prom dress online this spring, it’s worth knowing what to watch for before you hand over your payment details. ...

May 9, 2026 · 5 min · BriefArc Desk

Is That Chrome Extension Safe? How a ‘Productivity Tool’ Could Be Spying on You

Is That Chrome Extension Safe? How a ‘Productivity Tool’ Could Be Spying on You You download a Chrome extension to help manage tabs, take screenshots, or track your time. It has good ratings, looks legitimate, and does what it promises. Weeks or months later, an update quietly adds extra permissions, and your browsing data, passwords, or even emails start flowing to a server you never authorised. This is not a hypothetical scenario. Recent investigations have uncovered a wave of extension-based attacks that initially target enterprises, but the same techniques are now being used against everyday users. ...

May 9, 2026 · 5 min · BriefArc Desk

How to Spot Fake Prom Dress Websites: BBB Warning and Shopping Tips

How to Spot Fake Prom Dress Websites: BBB Warning and Shopping Tips Prom season is a busy time for shoppers, especially in the Hudson Valley where the Better Business Bureau recently issued an alert about fake websites that target teens and parents looking for prom dresses. These scam sites look legitimate at first glance, but they are designed to take your money and deliver nothing in return. Here’s what happened, why it matters, and how you can protect yourself. ...

May 9, 2026 · 4 min · BriefArc Desk

How to Spot Fake Prom Dress Websites This Season – A Guide for Shoppers

How to Spot Fake Prom Dress Websites This Season – A Guide for Shoppers Prom season is a busy time for high school students and their families, and scammers know it. Across the Hudson Valley, the Better Business Bureau has warned shoppers about fraudulent websites that appear to sell prom dresses at bargain prices but instead take the money and deliver nothing. These sites can look convincing, but they follow predictable patterns. Knowing what to look for can save you from losing both money and time. ...

May 9, 2026 · 4 min · BriefArc Desk

One in Three Americans Has Been Hit by an Online Shopping Scam — Here’s How to Avoid It

One in Three Americans Has Been Hit by an Online Shopping Scam — Here’s How to Avoid It Intro With the holiday shopping season in full swing and online spending at record levels, a new survey from the Pew Research Center delivers a sobering statistic: about a third of Americans say they’ve had an online shopping scam happen to them. The data, collected in July 2025, underscores how widespread these schemes have become and why it’s worth taking a few minutes to review your own shopping habits before clicking “buy.” ...

May 9, 2026 · 3 min · BriefArc Desk

Chrome Extensions Turned Dangerous: How ‘Productivity Tools’ Can Hack Your Accounts

When a ‘Productivity Tool’ Turns Against You: The Rise of Chrome Extension Backdoors You’ve probably installed a handful of Chrome extensions to make your day easier—a note taker, a grammar checker, a tab manager, maybe a PDF viewer. They promise speed, convenience, and a cleaner workflow. But there’s a growing problem that few users realize: some of these tools are being quietly turned into backdoors. ...

May 9, 2026 · 4 min · BriefArc Desk

One in Three Americans Has Been Scammed Shopping Online. Here’s How to Avoid It.

One in Three Americans Has Been Scammed Shopping Online. Here’s How to Avoid It. If you’ve ever bought something online that never arrived, or clicked a link from a social media ad and ended up on a site that looked real but wasn’t, you’re not alone. New data from the Pew Research Center shows that about a third of Americans say they’ve experienced an online shopping scam. That’s roughly 33 percent of U.S. adults—and the number may be higher since many scams go unreported. ...

May 9, 2026 · 4 min · BriefArc Desk

Chrome Extensions Hijacked: How to Spot a Dangerous Productivity Tool Before It's Too Late

Chrome Extensions Hijacked: How to Spot a Dangerous Productivity Tool Before It’s Too Late Your browser extensions may be a bigger security risk than you think. Recent reports document a rising pattern: malicious actors compromise legitimate-looking productivity extensions, then use them to steal credentials, exfiltrate corporate data, or establish persistent access inside enterprise networks. The attack is subtle, because the extension usually delivers on its promised functionality — at least for a while. ...

May 9, 2026 · 4 min · BriefArc Desk