Consumer Protection

Social Media Scams Are Costing Americans Billions — Here’s How to Stay Safe If you use Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok, you’ve probably seen ads for too-good-to-be-true deals, messages from strangers who seem too friendly, or posts promising easy money. These are more than annoyances. According to the Federal Trade Commission, Americans lost a record sum to scams that started on social media last year. The scale of the problem is hard to ignore. ...

Social Media Scams Are Costing Americans Billions: What You Need to Know Intro If you use Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok, you’ve probably seen a post for a can’t-miss deal on designer goods, a too-perfect investment opportunity, or a friendly message from a stranger who seems unusually interested in your life. These are often the opening moves of a social media scam. Fraud has shifted aggressively onto these platforms, and the dollar figures are staggering. ...

Social Media Scams Are Costing Americans Billions: How to Spot and Stop Them Scams that once arrived by email or phone call are now showing up in your Facebook feed, Instagram DMs, and TikTok comments. Fraud has moved decisively onto social media platforms, and the financial damage is staggering. ...

1 in 3 Americans Hit by Online Shopping Scams: How to Protect Yourself This Holiday Season The holiday shopping season is in full swing. Black Friday and Cyber Monday are almost here, and retailers are pushing deals across every channel. But scammers are working just as hard. A new survey from the Pew Research Center, released in November 2025, found that approximately one in three U.S. adults say they have experienced an online shopping scam. That’s a striking figure, and it ought to give anyone pause before clicking “buy.” ...

1 in 3 Americans Hit by Online Shopping Scams: How to Protect Yourself This Black Friday A new study from Pew Research Center finds that roughly one in three U.S. adults have fallen victim to an online shopping scam. With Black Friday and Cyber Monday just days away, the timing of this research is a reminder that fraudsters are counting on holiday shoppers to let their guard down. Here’s what the data tells us and what you can do to shop safely. ...

How to Spot and Avoid the Latest Google Scam That Looks Authentic A new round of Google-branded phishing emails is making the rounds, and they’re harder to dismiss than the usual poorly spelled junk. These messages mimic real Google security alerts, account recovery notifications, or login prompts so closely that even careful users can be fooled. If you use Gmail, Google Drive, or any Google service, it’s worth knowing what to look for and what to do if you click something you shouldn’t. ...

1 in 3 Americans Hit by Online Shopping Scams: Here’s How to Avoid Being Next If you’ve ever clicked a too-good-to-be-true deal on social media and ended up with an empty package—or nothing at all—you’re far from alone. New research from Pew Research Center, released in November 2025, found that roughly one in three U.S. adults say they have experienced an online shopping scam. With the holiday shopping season now in full swing, that number might well climb unless we get better at spotting the traps before we fall in. ...

Nearly 1 in 3 Americans has been caught in an online shopping scam. Here’s how to avoid it. The numbers are sobering. According to a recent Pew Research Center survey, about one in three U.S. adults say they have experienced an online shopping scam. That figure comes from a nationally representative study published in November 2025, and it reinforces what many security researchers have been saying for years: online shopping fraud is not a rare event—it is a routine risk for anyone who buys things over the internet. ...

How to avoid online shopping scams: Practical tips to shop safely Online shopping has become part of daily life for most people, but it also attracts scammers looking to steal money and personal information. Government sources like the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) regularly issue reminders about staying safe while shopping online. The advice applies to anyone, not just veterans. This article covers the most common types of online shopping scams, why they continue to work, and what you can do to protect yourself. ...

Online Shopping Scams Affect 1 in 3 Americans — Here’s How to Avoid Them Buying things online is convenient, but it comes with risks that are easy to overlook. A November 2025 survey from the Pew Research Center found that about 1 in 3 Americans say they experienced an online shopping scam. The number is a reminder that fraudulent sellers, phishing emails, and fake deals are not rare events. With major shopping occasions like Mother’s Day and Black Friday approaching, the risk typically increases as scammers try to take advantage of people looking for gifts or bargains. ...