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. ...

June 19, 2026 · 5 min · BriefArc Desk

Prime Day Shopping? Avoid These 9 Scams That Could Drain Your Wallet

Don’t Let Prime Day Scams Empty Your Wallet: Nine Tips to Shop Safely Prime Day—Amazon’s annual sale event—draws millions of shoppers looking for bargains. It also draws scammers. Fraud reports and phishing attempts consistently spike during high-volume sales periods, and this year is no different. According to a recent PCMag guide, the surge in fake deals, fraudulent sellers, and look-alike emails makes it essential to take extra precautions before you click “buy.” ...

June 12, 2026 · 4 min · BriefArc Desk

1 in 3 Americans Has Been Scammed While Shopping Online: What to Know

1 in 3 Americans Has Been Scammed While Shopping Online: What to Know If you’ve ever bought something online that never arrived, or clicked a link in an email that led to a fake storefront, you’re not alone. According to a recent Pew Research Center survey, about a third of Americans say they’ve had an online shopping scam happen to them. That figure—roughly 33% of U.S. adults—gives a sense of just how widespread these schemes have become. ...

May 15, 2026 · 4 min · BriefArc Desk