Fraud Prevention

How to Spot a Fake Auction Website: BBB Warns of Scam Using Phony South Dakota Address If you shop for secondhand goods or collectibles online, auction websites can be a convenient way to find deals. But not every site that looks legitimate actually is. The Better Business Bureau recently issued a warning about an auction website that used a fake South Dakota address to appear credible. The case is a reminder that scammers often borrow real-world details to make their operations look believable—and that a listed address alone is no guarantee of trustworthiness. ...

1 in 3 Americans Have Been Hit by an Online Shopping Scam — How to Protect Yourself If you’ve ever clicked a too-good-to-be-true deal on social media, only to receive nothing or a counterfeit product, you’re far from alone. According to a new survey from the Pew Research Center, about a third of Americans say they’ve had an online shopping scam happen to them. That’s roughly 33% of U.S. adults — a figure that underscores just how widespread fraud has become in the digital marketplace. ...

How to Spot Scam Ads and Protect Your Trust (and Money) Scam ads have become a routine hazard of browsing the web. They impersonate trusted brands, use fake celebrity endorsements, and promise deals that are too good to be true. For consumers, the consequences range from wasted money to identity theft. For brands, these ads erode the trust they’ve spent years building – as Marketing Week recently reported, one industry observer put it bluntly: “It erodes trust.” ...

Title: How to Spot Online Shopping Scams and Stay Safe While Buying Online What’s behind the rise in online shopping scams Online shopping scams have become more common and more convincing. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Department of Veterans Affairs recently issued warnings about new tactics—such as fake websites mimicking official portals like ID.me or the Claim Assist Portal, and phishing messages that use QR codes to steal payment information. Scammers are targeting veterans, older adults, and anyone who regularly buys goods or services online. ...

How to Spot and Avoid Scam Ads: A Practical Guide for Consumers Scam advertisements have become a persistent problem across social media, search engines, and news sites. These ads often mimic well-known brands, offering too-good-to-be-true deals or urgent warnings that prompt you to click. Falling for one can lead to stolen payment data, compromised accounts, or malware infections. ...

How to Spot Scam Ads: Protect Your Money and Identity Scam ads have become a pervasive problem across social media, search engines, and even reputable websites. They impersonate well-known brands—banks, retailers, airlines, tech companies—to trick consumers into handing over money, personal data, or login credentials. A recent article in Marketing Week described the phenomenon bluntly: “It erodes trust.” And the damage is not just reputational for brands; for consumers, the consequences can be financial ruin and identity theft. ...

How to Spot and Avoid Scam Ads: A Practical Guide for Online Shoppers If you’ve been online lately, you’ve probably seen an ad that looks just like a real product from a trusted brand, but something feels off. Maybe the price is impossibly low, or the site seems a little rough around the edges. You’re not imagining it—scam ads have become a persistent problem for both consumers and legitimate businesses. ...

Scam Ads Are Everywhere: How to Spot and Avoid Them If you’ve spent any time on social media or using a search engine lately, you’ve probably seen them: posts advertising a “one-time” deal on a popular brand’s product, promising huge discounts that seem too good to be true. Often, they are. Scam ads have become a pervasive problem online, costing consumers money and eroding trust in legitimate brands. A recent report in Marketing Week highlights how these fraudulent advertisements create a growing crisis for companies whose names and images are stolen to trick people. ...

1 in 3 Americans Has Been Hit by an Online Shopping Scam: How to Protect Yourself If you’ve ever bought something online that never arrived, or paid for a “deal” on social media only to get nothing in return, you’re far from alone. According to a November 2025 survey from the Pew Research Center, roughly one in three U.S. adults (32%) say they have experienced an online shopping scam. That figure is a reminder that fraud isn’t a fringe problem—it’s something a large share of shoppers have dealt with firsthand. ...

How to spot scam ads online before they steal your money or data If you’ve seen an ad for a designer handbag at 90% off or a message claiming “your account has been suspended – click here to verify,” you’ve already encountered a scam ad. They are everywhere: social media feeds, search results, even on reputable websites. And they are getting harder to tell apart from legitimate ads. ...