Fraud Prevention

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. ...

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. ...

How to Avoid Fake Prom Dress Websites: A Guide Based on the Latest BBB Warning Intro Prom season is upon us, and for many families that means hunting for the perfect dress online. But the Better Business Bureau (BBB) recently issued an alert for shoppers in the Hudson Valley region—and the warning applies well beyond New York. Scammers are setting up fake websites that look like legitimate prom dress retailers, complete with stolen photos and too-good-to-be-true prices. If you or your teen are shopping for a prom dress online this spring, it’s worth knowing what to watch for before you hand over your payment details. ...

One in Three Americans Has Been Scammed Shopping Online. Here’s How to Avoid It. If you’ve ever bought something online that never arrived, or clicked a link from a social media ad and ended up on a site that looked real but wasn’t, you’re not alone. New data from the Pew Research Center shows that about a third of Americans say they’ve experienced an online shopping scam. That’s roughly 33 percent of U.S. adults—and the number may be higher since many scams go unreported. ...

1 in 3 Americans Have Been Scammed Online Shopping: Here’s How to Avoid It If you’ve ever bought something online that never arrived, or paid for a product that turned out to be counterfeit, you’re not alone. According to a 2025 Pew Research Center survey, roughly one in three American adults (35 percent) say they have experienced an online shopping scam. That number is high enough that most of us either know someone affected or have been affected ourselves. And with more people buying through social media ads, unfamiliar websites, and peer‑to‑peer marketplaces, the risk isn’t going away. This article explains the most common scams and what you can do to avoid them. ...