Consumer Protection

1 in 3 Americans Have Been Scammed While Shopping Online: How to Avoid Being Next If you’ve ever bought something online that never arrived, or paid for a product that turned out to be counterfeit, you’re not alone. According to a November 2025 survey from the Pew Research Center, roughly one in three U.S. adults say they have experienced an online shopping scam. That’s a large enough number to suggest that virtually everyone who shops on the internet either knows someone affected or has been hit themselves. The question is: what can you do to avoid becoming part of that statistic? ...

400 scam attempts in a single day: What online shoppers need to know to stay safe Intro A recent report out of Belarus paints a stark picture of the current online shopping landscape: in just one day, security systems recorded 400 separate scam attempts targeting consumers. While the number comes from a single country, the pattern is global and accelerating. Fraudsters are getting more aggressive, and everyday shoppers are the ones paying the price. ...

Online Shopping Scams Surge: 400 Attempts in One Day—What You Need to Know A recent report from Belarus offers a stark reminder that online shopping fraud is not just a seasonal nuisance but a persistent, fast-moving threat. On a single day, consumers in the country reported roughly 400 scam attempts, according to Belsat.eu. While that number is specific to one region, it reflects tactics used by scammers everywhere. The question for everyday shoppers is not whether they’ll encounter a fraud attempt, but how well they’ll recognize it before losing money. ...

How to Avoid Online Shopping Scams: What the Data Shows and What You Can Do If you shop online, you are not alone in worrying about getting scammed. A recent survey from the Pew Research Center, published in November 2025, found that roughly one in three Americans say they have experienced an online shopping scam firsthand. That figure is worth pausing over, especially as the holiday shopping season ramps up and scam artists become more active. ...

AI Is Outpacing Data Rules—Here’s What That Means for Your Privacy If you’ve used an AI chatbot, voice assistant, or photo editing app lately, you’re not alone. AI tools are now part of everyday life. But according to a recent article in Computing UK, the rapid adoption of AI has “outpaced the data discipline that should govern it.” That gap matters for anyone who shares personal information with these tools—which is nearly everyone. ...

AI Tools Are Running Ahead of Data Privacy Rules – What You Need to Know What happened A recent report from Computing UK (May 12, 2026) highlights a growing disconnect: the use of AI tools has outpaced the data discipline that should govern it. In plain terms, companies are deploying chatbots, image generators, and writing assistants faster than they are putting safeguards in place for the personal information those tools collect. ...

Your AI Assistant Is Collecting More Data Than You Think—Here’s How to Protect It If you’ve used a chatbot like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, or an image generator like Midjourney, you’ve probably noticed how quickly it can answer questions or create content. What’s less visible is how much of your personal data these tools collect in the process. A recent article in Computing UK highlights a growing problem: AI adoption is racing ahead, while the data governance needed to keep it safe is lagging behind. For everyday users, that gap creates real privacy risks. ...

How to Spot Online Shopping Scams: Practical Safety Tips The convenience of online shopping is hard to beat, but it also attracts scammers looking to separate you from your money and personal information. Government agencies such as the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation regularly issue warnings about common schemes, especially during sales events like Black Friday or the holiday season. While the advice is aimed at everyone, it’s especially relevant for those who may not be as familiar with digital safety. Here’s a rundown of what’s happening, why it matters, and what you can do to protect yourself. ...

1 in 3 Americans Hit by Online Shopping Scams—Protect Yourself Now If you shop online, you’ve probably seen too-good-to-be-true deals or received an email about a package you never ordered. According to a November 2025 survey by Pew Research Center, about a third of Americans say they’ve had an online shopping scam happen to them. That’s not a niche problem—it’s a widespread threat that affects people across age groups and income levels. This article explains what the data shows, why it matters, and what you can do to avoid becoming part of that statistic. ...

How to Spot and Avoid Online Shopping Scams (1 in 3 Americans Have Been Hit) A new survey from the Pew Research Center has put a number on something many shoppers have suspected: online shopping scams are distressingly common. According to the study, about a third of American adults say they have personally had an online shopping scam happen to them. That translates into tens of millions of people who have paid for goods that never arrived, clicked on fraudulent links, or handed over payment information to fake sellers. ...