Fraud Prevention

Online Shopping Scams: What the VA and FDIC Want You to Know Online shopping has become a routine part of life for most Americans, including many who use VA benefits to purchase goods or services. But as more people shop from home, scammers have gotten better at creating fake websites, phishing emails, and fraudulent ads that look nearly identical to the real thing. In January 2026, VA News published a detailed warning urging shoppers to stay alert. Around the same time, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) released its own alert about scammers posing as legitimate banks. These aren’t isolated warnings—they reflect a broader pattern that affects anyone who buys online. ...

1 in 3 Americans Have Been Scammed Shopping Online – Here’s How to Stay Safe According to a November 2025 report from the Pew Research Center, about one in three U.S. adults say they have personally experienced an online shopping scam. That figure is a reminder that as convenient as digital shopping is, it also carries real risks – especially during peak seasons when scammers become more active. ...

1 in 3 Americans Has Been Hit by an Online Shopping Scam – Here’s How to Avoid It If you shop online, you are not alone in worrying about scams. New data from the Pew Research Center, published in November 2025, confirms that roughly one in three U.S. adults has fallen victim to an online shopping scam. That number is high enough to deserve attention, especially as the holiday shopping season picks up and fraudsters become more active. ...

How to Spot Online Shopping Scams and Shop Safely: Practical Advice from Government Sources Every shopping season, reports of online scams spike. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) consistently warns that fraudsters follow the calendar—ramping up fake listings, phishing emails, and counterfeit sites when people are most likely to click. Recent alerts from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA News), the FDIC, and the FTC reinforce that these threats aren’t limited to the holidays. They evolve year-round, taking advantage of anything from health insurance enrollment to identity verification services like ID.me. ...

1 in 3 Americans Has Been Scammed While Shopping Online – Here’s How to Stay Safe What Happened The Pew Research Center recently released data showing that about a third of Americans say they’ve had an online shopping scam happen to them. That is not a small, isolated problem—it means that for every three people you know, at least one has likely lost money or had their personal information stolen while trying to buy something online. ...

1 in 3 Americans Has Been Scammed Shopping Online — Here’s How to Avoid Being Next If you’ve ever bought something online that never arrived, or paid for a product that turned out to be a counterfeit, you’re not alone. According to a 2025 Pew Research Center report, about a third of Americans say they’ve had an online shopping scam happen to them. With holiday shopping season in full swing and deal-hunting at its peak, the risk is higher than usual. This article explains the latest data, why it matters, and—most importantly—how to protect yourself. ...

Online Shopping Scams: How to Spot and Avoid Them Online shopping scams remain one of the most persistent threats for consumers. Law enforcement and consumer protection agencies—including the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation—regularly issue alerts about new variations of these frauds. Whether you are a frequent online shopper or only buy occasionally during sale periods, understanding how these scams work and what to watch for can save you money and protect your personal information. ...

1 in 3 Americans Has Been Scammed While Shopping Online – What to Watch For If you’ve ever clicked a tempting ad for a deal that seemed too good to be true—and later realized the item never arrived or the website was fake—you’re far from alone. According to a recent Pew Research Center report, about a third of Americans say they’ve had an online shopping scam happen to them. That’s roughly one out of every three adults who regularly shop online. ...

How to Outsmart Online Shopping Scams and Stay Safe Online shopping scams are on the rise. The Federal Trade Commission reported that consumers lost nearly $8.8 billion to fraud in 2022, and shopping scams are a major piece of that. These days, phony websites, phishing emails, and fake social media ads are craftier than ever—AI-generated content makes them harder to spot. But you don’t need to be a cybersecurity expert to protect yourself. Here’s what you should 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. ...