Fraud Prevention

Prom Dress Scams Are Real: How to Spot Fake Websites and Shop Safely Prom season brings excitement — and, unfortunately, an uptick in scam websites designed to look like legitimate dress retailers. The Better Business Bureau recently issued an alert warning shoppers in the Hudson Valley about fake prom dress sites, but this problem isn’t limited to one region. Scammers nationwide are setting up storefronts that take your money and deliver nothing — or a knockoff that looks nothing like the photo. ...

Chrome Quietly Removes Privacy Promise About On-Device AI — Here’s What to Do If you’ve been using Chrome’s newer AI features under the assumption that everything stays on your device, a recent change might give you pause. Around the start of May 2026, Google removed a key statement from Chrome’s settings page that had explicitly promised on-device AI does not send data to Google servers. At the same time, separate reports indicate that Chrome is installing a large AI model (roughly 4 GB) that reappears even after you delete it. ...

BBB Warns Hudson Valley Shoppers About Fake Prom Dress Websites: How to Stay Safe Prom season is a busy time for high school students and their families, and scammers know it. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) recently issued an alert for shoppers in the Hudson Valley region, warning about fake prom dress websites popping up just as demand peaks. These sites look legitimate at first glance—professional photos, enticing discounts—but they are designed to take your money and deliver nothing. ...

Fake Prom Dress Websites Are Tricking Shoppers — Here’s How to Avoid Them Prom season is just around the corner, and for many families in the Hudson Valley and beyond, that means hunting for the perfect dress online. Unfortunately, scammers are exploiting the rush. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) has issued an alert warning about fraudulent websites that pose as prom dress retailers, only to disappear after taking your money — and sometimes your personal information. ...

New Pew Data: One in Three Americans Has Been Scammed While Shopping Online. Here’s What to Know. The numbers are striking. 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 about 32% of the population — a figure that should give any regular online shopper reason to pause. ...

1 in 3 Americans Have Fallen for an Online Shopping Scam: Here’s How to Protect Yourself Online shopping has become routine for most people, but it also comes with risks that are more common than many realize. New data from the Pew Research Center shows that about a third of Americans say they’ve personally experienced an online shopping scam. That figure is a reminder that fraud is not rare, and that basic precautions can make a real difference. ...

BBB Warns: Fake Prom Dress Websites Are Scamming Shoppers – Here’s How to Avoid Them The Better Business Bureau has issued a fresh alert about fraudulent websites that target shoppers looking for prom dresses. According to a report by 101.5 WPDH, the BBB specifically warned consumers in the Hudson Valley, but the scams are widespread and tend to peak during prom season (April through May). These sites look legitimate at first glance, but they are designed to take your payment and never deliver the dress. ...

Nearly a Third of Americans Have Been Scammed While Shopping Online – Here’s What to Know If you’ve ever bought something online that never arrived, paid for a “deal” that turned out to be a fake listing, or handed over your card details to a site that looked legitimate but wasn’t, you aren’t alone. According to a November 2025 Pew Research Center survey, about one in three U.S. adults say they have experienced an online shopping scam. That’s roughly 33 percent of American consumers. ...

How to Spot Fake Prom Dress Websites This Season: BBB Warning As prom season approaches, the Better Business Bureau has issued an alert for shoppers in the Hudson Valley and beyond. Scammers are setting up fake prom dress websites designed to look legitimate, often with stolen photos and deep discounts, to trick people into handing over money and personal information. ...

1 in 3 Americans Has Fallen for an Online Shopping Scam: Here’s How to Protect Yourself If you shop online—and these days almost everyone does—you’ve likely seen deals that seem too good to be true, messages from unfamiliar sellers, or ads on social media promising steep discounts. A new survey from the Pew Research Center, published in November 2025, puts a number on the risk: about a third of U.S. adults say they have personally experienced an online shopping scam. ...