Consumer Safety

How to Spot Fake Prom Dress Websites: A Scam Alert for Online Shoppers If you’ve started shopping for prom or another formal event, you’ve probably noticed dozens of websites offering dresses at prices that look too good to be true. Recently, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) issued a specific alert about fake prom dress websites targeting shoppers in New York’s Hudson Valley. But this kind of scam isn’t limited to one region. As prom season heats up across the country, fraudulent clothing sites tend to multiply. Here’s what happened, why it matters, and how you can protect yourself—or your money—if you stumble into one of these traps. ...

1 in 3 Americans Have Been Scammed While Shopping Online – How to Stay Safe If you’ve ever clicked “buy” on a deal that seemed too good to be true, you’re not alone, and you may have been one of the unlucky ones. A new study from the Pew Research Center, published in November 2025, found that roughly one in three American adults say they have personally experienced an online shopping scam. That is about 33 percent of the population — a figure that should give any frequent online shopper pause, especially with the holiday buying season in full swing. ...

Shopping Scams Are Surging: How to Spot and Stop Them Before You Lose Money Online shopping has never been more convenient—or more dangerous for your wallet. A recent report from Belarus showed that in a single day, authorities logged 400 scam attempts targeting online shoppers. While that number may seem far away, the tactics used there are the same ones hitting marketplaces like eBay, Facebook Marketplace, and Amazon every day. Here’s what happened, why it matters for you, and how to keep your money safe. ...

1 in 3 Americans Has Been Hit by an Online Shopping Scam: How to Stay Safe If you’ve ever clicked a too-good-to-be-true deal on social media, only to receive nothing—or a cheap knockoff—you’re far from alone. According to a 2025 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 who have personally experienced a fraudulent purchase, fake website, or phishing attempt while shopping online. ...

Fake Prom Dress Websites: How to Spot a Scam and Protect Your Money Prom season is a busy time for online shopping, and unfortunately, it’s also a prime opportunity for scammers. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) recently issued an alert warning shoppers in the Hudson Valley about fake prom dress websites that are designed to steal money and personal information. While the alert focused on that region, the threat is nationwide. Any parent or teen searching for that perfect dress at a bargain price could stumble into a trap. Here’s what you need to know to shop safely. ...

400 Scam Attempts in One Day? Here’s How to Outsmart Online Shopping Fraud If you shop online with any regularity, you’ve probably seen the usual warnings about sketchy sellers and phishing emails. But a recent report from Belarus puts the scale of the threat into sharp focus: on a single day in May 2026, over 400 shopping-related scam attempts were reported. That is not a slow month or a regional curiosity—it is a snapshot of how aggressive and well-organized online fraud has become. ...

1 in 3 Americans Have Been Scammed While Shopping Online: How to Avoid the Latest Tricks If you’ve been the victim of an online shopping scam, you’re far from alone. New data from Pew Research Center, released in November 2025, finds that 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 should give any regular shopper pause. ...

One in Three Shoppers Has Been Scammed Online: Here’s How to Avoid Being Next If you’ve ever bought something online and never received it, or clicked a promising deal only to find your credit card charged for something you didn’t order, you’re not alone. According to a recent Pew Research Center survey, roughly one in three Americans say they’ve had an online shopping scam happen to them. That figure is a stark reminder that fraudulent sellers and bogus offers are not rare edge cases — they’re a regular part of the modern shopping landscape. ...

1 in 3 Americans Have Been Hit by an Online Shopping Scam: How to Protect Yourself If you’ve ever bought something online that never arrived, or clicked a link in a too-good-to-be-true deal and ended up with a drained bank account, you are not alone. New data from the Pew Research Center, published in November 2025, shows that about a third of American adults say they have personally experienced an online shopping scam. That is roughly 85 million people—and the number is likely higher because many incidents go unreported. ...

1 in 3 Americans have fallen for an online shopping scam – here’s how to avoid being next If you’ve ever clicked a too-good-to-be-true deal on social media or received an email that looked like it came from a major retailer, you’re not alone. New research from the Pew Research Center shows that roughly one in three U.S. adults say they have experienced an online shopping scam. That number is a reminder that scammers are getting better at what they do—and that most of us are not as careful as we think. ...