Fraud Prevention

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. ...

How to Avoid Online Shopping Scams: 1 in 3 Americans Have Been Hit If you’ve ever bought something online that never arrived—or worse, handed over your card details to a site that turned out to be fake—you’re not alone. ...

1 in 3 Americans Has Been Scammed Online Shopping — Here’s How to Avoid It If you’ve ever bought something online that never arrived, or paid for a “deal” that turned out to be fake, you’re far from alone. New data from Pew Research Center, published in November 2025, found that about a third of Americans (34%) say they have experienced an online shopping scam. As holiday shopping ramps up, that number is likely to climb. Understanding the most common tricks—and knowing a few simple precautions—can make the difference between a successful purchase and a costly mistake. ...

How to Avoid Mother’s Day Shopping Scams: BBB Alert and Safety Tips With Mother’s Day just days away, many of us are still hunting for the perfect gift online. Scammers know this, and the Better Business Bureau has issued a fresh alert warning shoppers about a spike in cons targeting last-minute buyers. The alert, reported this week by the Daily Herald, highlights fake storefronts, phishing emails, and social media ads that look like legitimate deals but are designed to steal your money or personal information. Here is what you need to know to shop safely. ...

How to Spot Online Shopping Scams: What Government Alerts Can Teach Us Online shopping has become routine for most of us, but scammers have become just as routine in trying to steal your money and personal information. Government agencies, including the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), regularly issue warnings about the latest tactics. Their advice is practical, tested against real threats, and often the same across multiple agencies—which means it’s worth paying attention to. ...