Digital Safety

Online Shopping Scams: How to Spot Them and Protect Yourself The convenience of buying everything from groceries to electronics online has made shopping easier than ever. But that same convenience also opens the door for scammers. A recent article from VA News (.gov) reminds us that online shopping scams remain a persistent threat, and the advice applies to everyone, not just the military community. Knowing what to look for can mean the difference between a good deal and a costly mistake. ...

Your privacy tools aren’t safe from AI yet. Here’s how to update them. If you’ve been relying on the same password manager, VPN, or browser extension for the past few years, it might be time to take a fresh look. Artificial intelligence is changing how attackers operate, and the privacy tools that worked reasonably well in 2021 aren’t necessarily enough today. A recent article from the World Economic Forum (June 2026) outlines concrete ways individuals can update their digital privacy tools to reduce risk in the AI era. Here’s a practical breakdown of what’s changed and what you can do about it. ...

How to Spot and Avoid Online Shopping Scams The convenience of buying anything from a phone or laptop has made online shopping second nature for most of us. But as more transactions move to the web, scammers are getting better at pretending to be legitimate sellers, shippers, and payment services. The FBI’s 2025 Internet Crime Report found that consumers lost hundreds of millions of dollars to online shopping fraud last year alone, and the numbers keep climbing. The good news is that many of these scams are avoidable if you know what to look for. This guide walks through the most common tricks, how to spot them, and what to do if you get caught. ...

1 in 3 Americans Have Been Scammed Online Shopping: How to Protect Yourself If you shop online, you have probably seen deals that seem too good to pass up or received an email about an order you don’t remember placing. You are not alone in wondering whether these are scams. According to a 2025 Pew Research Center survey, roughly one in three Americans say they have personally experienced an online shopping scam. That number is high enough that it should give any regular online shopper pause. ...

Your Privacy Tools Are Outdated: How to Protect Against AI-Powered Cyber Threats The World Economic Forum’s latest Global Cybersecurity Outlook warns that artificial intelligence is fundamentally changing how cybercriminals operate. AI tools are now used to craft more convincing phishing emails, generate deepfake audio and video for impersonation, and automate the discovery of software vulnerabilities. For the average person, this means the privacy habits and security tools that worked a few years ago may no longer be enough. ...

AI Health Bots Are Collecting Your Data — Here’s How to Check Their Privacy Promises The past year has seen a surge in AI-powered health chatbots and wellness tools. From apps that check your symptoms to bots that offer mental health support, these services promise convenience and personalized advice. But experts are growing concerned that the privacy policies behind these tools are often vague, buried in legalese, or missing key details about how user data is handled. ...

1 in 3 Americans Hit by Online Shopping Scams — Here’s How to Protect Yourself If you shop online, the odds that you or someone you know has been caught by a scam are higher than you might expect. According to a November 2025 survey from Pew Research Center, about one-third of Americans say they’ve had an online shopping scam happen to them. That’s a large number, and with the holiday shopping season ramping up, it’s worth understanding what these scams look like and how to avoid them. ...

How to Spot Online Shopping Scams Before You Lose Money Intro Every year, millions of people buy something online without a second thought. Most transactions go smoothly. But scammers have gotten better at making fake stores, phishing messages, and fraudulent payment requests look real. The FBI’s 2025 Internet Crime Report noted that Americans lost over $10 billion to cybercrime, and online shopping scams accounted for a large share of those losses. The good news: most of these scams follow predictable patterns, and you can learn to spot them before you hand over your money. ...

How to Spot Online Shopping Scams and Stay Safe This Season Online shopping has become a routine part of life, but the convenience comes with risks that change every year. Scammers are getting better at impersonating trusted retailers, banks, and even government agencies. Recent warnings from the VA, FTC, and FBI show that shopping fraud is not limited to the holidays — it happens year-round, and it targets everyone, including veterans and military families. ...

A Third of Americans Have Been Scammed Shopping Online: Here’s How to Avoid It New data from the Pew Research Center, published in late 2025, found that roughly one in three U.S. adults say they have experienced an online shopping scam. That figure is not just a headline: it reflects a problem that touches millions of households, and one that continues to evolve as scammers adapt to new platforms and payment methods. ...