Fraud Prevention

1 in 3 Americans Say They’ve Been Scammed While Shopping Online — Here’s How to Stay Safe New research from the Pew Research Center shows that online shopping scams are far more common than many people realize. According to a study released in November 2025, 33% of U.S. adults — roughly one in three — say they have personally experienced an online shopping scam. That number alone should make any regular shopper pause, especially with the holiday season approaching when deals and discounts flood your inbox and social media feeds. ...

One in Three Americans Has Fallen for an Online Shopping Scam — Here’s How to Stay Safe If you’ve ever clicked on a too-good-to-be-true deal and ended up with an empty mailbox and a drained bank account, you’re far from alone. According to a new Pew Research Center survey released in November 2025, about a third of Americans say they’ve had an online shopping scam happen to them. That’s a sizable number — and with holiday shopping already underway, it’s worth understanding what these scams look like and how to avoid becoming part of that statistic. ...

BBB Warns of Fake Prom Dress Websites: How to Avoid Getting Scammed Prom season is here, and along with the rush for the perfect dress comes a wave of fraudulent websites designed to take your money and disappear. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) recently issued an alert for shoppers in the Hudson Valley, but this kind of scam happens everywhere. If you or your teen are shopping for formal wear online, knowing the warning signs can save you frustration and financial loss. ...

BBB Alert: Fake Prom Dress Websites Are on the Rise – Here’s How to Avoid Them Prom season is here, and both teens and parents are looking for the perfect dress at a good price. That urgency and pressure to find a bargain makes this an ideal time for scammers to set up fake online stores. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) recently issued an alert for shoppers in the Hudson Valley, New York, warning about websites that advertise prom dresses at deep discounts but never deliver the goods. While the alert targeted a specific region, the same scam tactics are used nationwide. ...

How to Avoid Mother’s Day Shopping Scams This Year Mother’s Day is one of the biggest spending occasions of the year, and 2026 is expected to be no exception. According to recent reports, total spending could top $35 billion. That kind of money attracts scammers as much as it attracts shoppers. If you’re buying gifts online this week, a few minutes of caution could save you from losing both your money and your peace of mind. ...

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. ...