How to Spot Online Shopping Scams: Tips to Protect Your Money and Personal Info
How to Spot Online Shopping Scams and Protect Your Finances The convenience of buying almost anything online has made e-commerce a part of daily life for most Americans. But that same convenience has also made online shoppers a prime target for fraud. Government agencies, including the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), have reported a steady increase in online shopping scams over the past several years. In 2024 alone, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center received more than 880,000 complaints, with total losses exceeding $12.5 billion—a record high. A significant portion of those complaints involved online shopping fraud. ...