AI Chatbots Are Sending Shoppers to Scam Sites – Here’s How to Stay Safe Introduction If you’ve asked an AI chatbot for product recommendations lately, you’re not alone. More people now use tools like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, or Microsoft Copilot to decide what to buy. But recent warnings from consumer groups suggest those recommendations may sometimes lead to fraudulent websites instead of legitimate stores. ...
AI Chatbots and Shopping Searches: How to Spot the Scam Websites Creeping Into Results If you’ve asked ChatGPT, Gemini, or Copilot to find a good deal on a specific product, you are not alone. More shoppers now use AI chatbots as a starting point for product research and price comparisons. But consumer groups are warning that these tools increasingly return links to fraudulent websites designed to steal your money or personal data. ...
One in Three Americans Has Fallen for an Online Shopping Scam: How to Protect Yourself If you shop online regularly, you’ve probably heard the warnings: don’t click suspicious links, avoid deals that seem too good to be true, use a credit card instead of a debit card. But despite those caveats, the problem persists—and recent data shows just how many people are affected. ...
New Pew Data Shows 1 in 3 Americans Hit by Online Shopping Scams: Here’s How to Stay Safe If you shop online—and most of us do—you’ve probably wondered whether that too-good-to-be-true deal is legitimate. According to a November 2025 Pew Research Center study, about a third of American adults say they have personally experienced an online shopping scam. That’s not a small fringe problem; it’s a widespread risk that touches millions of households. ...
Spot Online Shopping Scams Before They Cost You Money Online shopping has become second nature for most of us. A few clicks, a payment, and a package arrives days later. But that convenience also attracts scammers. Fake stores, phishing emails, and social media ads that look legitimate are circulating more than ever. In January 2026, the VA News published a government-backed reminder that shoppers need to stay alert. Their article, titled “Watch out for scams and stay safe while online shopping,” underscores that these threats aren’t rare—they’re persistent and evolving. Knowing what to look for can save you money and personal information. ...
1 in 3 Americans Has Been Scammed Shopping Online – Here’s How to Protect Yourself Introduction If you shop online — and most of us do — you’ve probably seen deals that seem too good to be true, or sellers who ask you to pay outside the usual checkout process. New data from Pew Research Center confirms that this isn’t just a minor annoyance: about a third of Americans say they’ve had an online shopping scam happen to them. That number comes from a November 2025 survey, and it underscores how widespread these schemes have become. ...
How to Spot and Avoid Online Shopping Scams: Tips from the VA and FTC Online shopping is convenient, but it also attracts fraudsters. Every year, especially during tax season and the holidays, reports of scams spike. The Department of Veterans Affairs and the Federal Trade Commission regularly update their guidance to help people—particularly veterans and military families—protect themselves. Knowing what to watch for can save you money and personal information. ...
How to Spot Online Shopping Scams: A Practical Guide The convenience of buying almost anything online has made shopping scams increasingly common. Fraudsters have grown more sophisticated, creating fake storefronts that look legitimate, sending convincing phishing emails, and using pressure tactics to rush you into a purchase. Recently, the Department of Veterans Affairs published an advisory reminding shoppers—especially veterans and military families—to stay alert. But the advice applies to anyone buying online. ...
A Third of Americans Have Been Scammed While Shopping Online. Here’s How to Stay Safe If you’ve ever clicked “Buy Now” on a deal that seemed too good to be true—and later realized you paid for nothing—you are far from alone. A 2025 Pew Research Center survey found that about one in three U.S. adults have experienced an online shopping scam. That’s roughly 33 percent of the country. The number is a stark reminder that digital convenience comes with a real, and growing, risk. ...
1 in 3 Americans Has Been Scammed While Shopping Online: How to Avoid Being Next Nearly a third of U.S. adults say an online shopping scam has happened to them, according to a new report from the Pew Research Center. With holiday shopping already underway and major sales events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday approaching, the timing of this data is a good reminder to slow down before you click “buy.” ...