Consumer Protection

How to Spot and Avoid Online Shopping Scams: A Guide for Consumers Winter and holiday shopping season brings a surge in online deals — and unfortunately, a surge in scams. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs recently issued a warning urging veterans and all consumers to stay alert while shopping online. Whether you’re buying gifts, household essentials, or taking advantage of seasonal sales, knowing how to recognize fraudulent offers can save you money and protect your personal information. ...

Online Shopping Scams Are on the Rise: How to Spot and Stop Them If you shop online regularly, you’ve probably noticed more emails, texts, and social media ads pushing deals that seem almost too good to pass up. Unfortunately, many of those are scams designed to steal your money or personal information. Government agencies have been issuing warnings about these threats for years, and the alerts keep coming. In January 2026, the Department of Veterans Affairs published an article specifically telling people to watch out for scams and stay safe while online shopping. It’s a reminder that everyone—especially those who use VA benefits or other government services—needs to stay cautious. ...

1 in 3 Americans Have Been Hit by an Online Shopping Scam — How to Protect Yourself If you’ve ever clicked a too-good-to-be-true deal on social media, only to receive nothing or a counterfeit product, you’re far from alone. According to a new survey from the Pew Research Center, about a third of Americans say they’ve had an online shopping scam happen to them. That’s roughly 33% of U.S. adults — a figure that underscores just how widespread fraud has become in the digital marketplace. ...

How to Spot and Avoid Online Shopping Scams: Tips from the VA Online shopping is convenient, but it also attracts scammers looking to steal your money or personal information. The Department of Veterans Affairs has published several alerts and guides on this topic, warning that fake websites, phishing emails, and even QR code scams are on the rise. Whether you are a veteran using VA benefits or anyone shopping online, knowing how to recognize these threats can save you time, money, and stress. ...

Scam ads are getting harder to spot—here’s what to watch for You’ve probably seen them: a social media ad for a designer handbag at 80% off, or a celebrity “endorsing” a supplement they never mentioned. These aren’t just annoying—they’re part of a growing wave of scam ads that cost consumers money and erode trust in legitimate brands. ...

How to Spot Scam Ads and Protect Your Trust (and Money) Scam ads have become a routine hazard of browsing the web. They impersonate trusted brands, use fake celebrity endorsements, and promise deals that are too good to be true. For consumers, the consequences range from wasted money to identity theft. For brands, these ads erode the trust they’ve spent years building – as Marketing Week recently reported, one industry observer put it bluntly: “It erodes trust.” ...

How to Spot and Avoid Scam Ads: A Practical Guide for Consumers Scam advertisements have become a persistent problem across social media, search engines, and news sites. These ads often mimic well-known brands, offering too-good-to-be-true deals or urgent warnings that prompt you to click. Falling for one can lead to stolen payment data, compromised accounts, or malware infections. ...

How to spot scam ads online and protect your trust (and money) If you’ve scrolled through social media or searched for a deal lately, you’ve almost certainly seen an ad that looked legitimate—until you clicked. A familiar logo, a too-good-to-be-true price, and a sense of urgency. These are the hallmarks of scam ads, and they’re not just an annoyance. They cost consumers real money and do lasting damage to the brands they impersonate. ...

How to Spot Scam Ads: Protect Your Money and Identity Scam ads have become a pervasive problem across social media, search engines, and even reputable websites. They impersonate well-known brands—banks, retailers, airlines, tech companies—to trick consumers into handing over money, personal data, or login credentials. A recent article in Marketing Week described the phenomenon bluntly: “It erodes trust.” And the damage is not just reputational for brands; for consumers, the consequences can be financial ruin and identity theft. ...

Scam Ads Are Everywhere: How to Spot Them and Protect Yourself If you’ve seen an ad on social media offering a 90% discount on a name-brand appliance, or a pop-up warning that your computer is infected and you need to call a “Microsoft technician” immediately, you’ve encountered a scam ad. These fake advertisements appear on legitimate platforms—Facebook, Google, news sites—and they’re becoming more common. They don’t just hurt brands’ reputations; they directly target your wallet and your personal data. ...