Identity Theft

Nearly one in three Americans has faced an online shopping scam – here’s how to stay safe If you’ve ever clicked a link for a deal that seemed too good to be true, or sent money through a payment app only to never receive the item, you’re not alone. According to a recent Pew Research Center survey, about one in three U.S. adults (32%) say they have experienced an online shopping scam. That figure is a reminder that fraud is not an edge case — it’s a routine risk for anyone who buys goods or services online. ...

1 in 3 Americans Have Fallen for an Online Shopping Scam – Here’s How to Stay Safe A new study from the Pew Research Center published in November 2025 puts a number on a problem many of us have suspected: about one in three U.S. adults say they have experienced an online shopping scam. With the holiday shopping season underway, that figure is a reminder that scams are not rare exceptions—they are a routine risk of buying online. Fortunately, most can be avoided with a few straightforward habits. ...

How to Spot Online Shopping Scams This Prime Day: BBB Tips Amazon Prime Day draws millions of shoppers looking for deals, but the Better Business Bureau warns that scammers are equally busy during the event. Every year, fake websites, phishing emails, and deceptive social media ads pop up to trick people into handing over their payment information or buying counterfeit goods. The good news is that most of these scams follow recognizable patterns. Knowing what to look for can keep your money and personal data safe. ...

1 in 3 Americans Hit by Online Shopping Scams – How to Protect Yourself Intro If you’ve ever clicked “Buy Now” on a deal that seemed too good to be true, only to receive nothing (or a knockoff that looks nothing like the listing), you’re far from alone. According to new data from the Pew Research Center, about a third of U.S. adults say they have experienced an online shopping scam. That’s a startling number—roughly 80 million people—and it means that many of us know someone who’s been burned, or have been burned ourselves. ...

Online Shopping Scams Hit 1 in 3 Americans: How to Protect Yourself If you’ve ever clicked a link for a great deal and ended up with nothing but an empty bank account, you’re far from alone. According to a recent survey by the Pew Research Center, about a third of Americans say they’ve had an online shopping scam happen to them. That’s roughly one in three adults. As holiday shopping season approaches, the risk is especially high. Here’s what the data shows and what you can do to avoid becoming a statistic. ...

1 in 3 Americans Has Been Scammed While Shopping Online: How to Protect Yourself If you’ve ever paid for 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 Pew Research Center survey from November 2025, about a third of Americans say they’ve had an online shopping scam happen to them. That’s a large enough number that it’s worth stepping back and looking at what’s actually going on, and what you can do about it. ...

How to Protect Your Privacy from Instagram’s New AI Image Generator What Happened: Instagram’s AI Image Generator and the Privacy Backlash In early July 2026, Instagram rolled out an AI image generator that can create new pictures based on your existing photos. The feature uses images you’ve uploaded—primarily public ones—to train its model and produce synthetic visuals. Within days, privacy experts raised alarms, noting that users hadn’t been clearly informed about how their data would be used. The Guardian was among the first to report the backlash, highlighting concerns over consent, data retention, and the potential for misuse. ...

Meta’s new AI image tool scrapes your public Instagram photos — here’s how to stop it Meta launched its “Muse” AI image generator this week, integrated directly into Instagram and WhatsApp. The tool lets anyone create AI-generated images — selfies, avatars, or other illustrations — based on public Instagram profile photos. Within days, a BBC report triggered widespread privacy outcry, as users discovered their images could be used without their explicit consent. ...

1 in 3 Americans Have Been Scammed While Shopping Online – Here’s How to Avoid It If you’ve ever bought something online that never arrived, or clicked a link that looked like a trusted store but turned out to be a fake, you’re far from alone. According to a November 2025 Pew Research Center survey, about one-third of U.S. adults say they have experienced an online shopping scam. That figure is striking, but not surprising to anyone who follows consumer fraud trends. ...

Online Shopping Scams Are More Common Than You Think – Here’s How to Protect Yourself If you’ve ever bought something online that never arrived, or paid for a deal that turned out to be fake, you’re not alone. According to a 2025 Pew Research Center survey, about a third of Americans say they have experienced an online shopping scam. That’s a large share of the population, and the problem touches every age group and income level. ...