Consumer Protection

Don’t get fooled: How to spot online shopping scams before you pay Scammers have become skilled at creating fake storefronts, sending convincing emails, and placing ads that look just like real deals. The result is that even careful shoppers can hand over money or personal details to someone who never intends to deliver a product. Government agencies like the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regularly issue reminders to stay alert. This guide outlines the most common tactics and what you can do to protect yourself. ...

Why Shoppers Fear AI’s Impact on Privacy and What to Do About It A new survey from eMarketer confirms what many already suspected: data privacy is the top worry for shoppers when using AI-powered shopping tools—by a wide margin. The findings, released in May 2026, come as more retailers embed AI assistants, chatbots, and recommendation engines into their platforms. For anyone who has wondered whether that convenience comes at a cost, the answer is complicated. ...

How to Spot and Avoid Online Shopping Scams This Season and Beyond Online shopping has become a routine part of modern life, but it also attracts fraudsters looking to steal money and personal information. According to the Federal Trade Commission, Americans lose billions of dollars each year to online shopping fraud, and the methods scammers use keep evolving. The Department of Veterans Affairs has published guidance on staying safe, and the same principles apply to anyone shopping online. Knowing what to look for and how to respond can make the difference between a smooth transaction and a costly mistake. ...

Your Biggest Fear About AI Shopping Is Right: How to Protect Your Privacy If you’ve felt uneasy about using AI shopping tools—chatbots that recommend products, voice assistants that place orders, or personalized deal finders—you’re not alone. A recent report from eMarketer confirms that data privacy is shoppers’ number one concern when it comes to AI-powered shopping. And the fear is well-founded. ...

Data Privacy Tops List of AI Shopping Fears: What You Can Do to Stay Safe A recent survey from eMarketer confirms something many online shoppers already suspect: data privacy is the number one concern about using artificial intelligence tools for shopping. The finding isn’t surprising, given how much personal information these tools often require. But understanding the worry—and knowing what to do about it—can help you shop smarter without giving away more than you intend. ...

Afraid AI Shopping Tools Will Steal Your Data? Here’s How to Shop Safely Intro You click “recommend for me” on a product page, and within seconds a chatbot suggests a jacket you’d actually wear. AI shopping tools are convenient, but they come with a cost: your personal data. A new survey from eMarketer confirms that data privacy is shoppers’ biggest fear when using AI for shopping—by a wide margin. The concern is not unfounded. AI assistants, virtual try-ons, and personalized recommendations often collect far more information than you might realize: browsing history, purchase records, location, voice commands, and even facial measurements. ...

Shopping with AI? Here’s How to Protect Your Privacy (and What to Watch Out For) AI shopping tools have quietly become part of everyday online retail. Chatbots help you find products, recommendation engines suggest what to buy next, and virtual try-ons let you see how a jacket fits without leaving your couch. But as these tools spread, so do concerns about what happens to your personal data. A new survey from eMarketer confirms what many shoppers suspect: data privacy is the number one fear when using AI for shopping. This article explains the findings and offers practical steps you can take to protect yourself. ...

How to Protect Your Privacy When Using AI Shopping Tools If you’ve ever asked an AI chatbot for product recommendations or let a virtual assistant scan your inbox for order tracking, you’ve joined a rapidly growing group of shoppers. But that convenience comes with a catch. According to a recent eMarketer survey, data privacy is now the top fear among shoppers who use AI tools—outweighing concerns about accuracy, cost, or customer service. ...

1 in 3 Americans Hit by Online Shopping Scams: How to Shop Safely If you’ve ever clicked a link for a too-good-to-be-true deal and ended up with nothing but an empty bank account, you’re far from alone. New data from the Pew Research Center, released in November 2025, shows that roughly one in three U.S. adults have experienced an online shopping scam. That figure covers everything from phony websites that take your payment and vanish to phishing emails pretending to be from a retailer you trust. As holiday shopping ramps up and more people turn to their phones and laptops for purchases, understanding how these scams work—and how to avoid them—has become essential. ...

Your Biggest Fear About AI Shopping? Data Privacy – Here’s How to Protect Yourself If you’ve hesitated to use an AI shopping assistant because you weren’t sure how much of your personal data it would collect, you’re not alone. According to an eMarketer survey, data privacy is now shoppers’ biggest fear when it comes to AI-powered shopping tools. The finding underscores a growing tension between the convenience of personalized recommendations and the unease about how much information is being gathered behind the scenes. ...