Identity Theft

Watch Out for These Online Shopping Scams — and How to Stay Safe Online shopping has become a routine part of life for most of us. It’s fast, convenient, and often the best way to find deals. But that same convenience also attracts scammers who are constantly looking for new ways to trick shoppers out of their money and personal information. Whether you’re a seasoned online buyer or just starting out, knowing how to spot a scam can save you time, money, and a lot of frustration. ...

How to Spot and Avoid Online Shopping Scams: Advice from the VA Online shopping has become routine for most of us, but the convenience comes with a persistent risk: scams. Every year, fraudsters invent new ways to separate shoppers from their money and personal information. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has published several recent articles warning about these threats, focusing on how veterans and the general public can stay safe. This guide distills that advice into a straightforward set of practices you can use right now. ...

How to Spot and Avoid Online Shopping Scams This Year Online shopping scams are becoming more sophisticated each year, and they often target veterans and military families who use VA benefits. The Department of Veterans Affairs has published several alerts in recent months warning about fake websites, phishing emails, and impostor calls designed to steal personal information and benefit payments. Knowing what to look for and how to respond can save you money and protect your identity. ...

5 Online Shopping Scams to Watch Out for in 2026 (and How to Avoid Them) Introduction Online shopping scams are not new, but they are getting harder to spot. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has repeatedly warned about fraudulent websites, phishing messages, and payment fraud targeting shoppers, especially around peak shopping seasons. In January 2026, VA News published a reminder to “watch out for scams and stay safe while online shopping,” highlighting how scammers are using more convincing tactics — including AI-generated content — to trick consumers. For anyone buying goods online, knowing the current threats and how to respond can mean the difference between a lost payment and a safe transaction. ...

How to Outsmart Online Shopping Scams This Season and All Year Online shopping has become second nature for most of us, but so have the risks that come with it. Scammers continuously refine their tactics, using fake websites, phishing emails, and too-good-to-be-true social media ads to trick shoppers out of money and personal data. Recent warnings from government agencies and news outlets underscore that these threats aren’t going away—and that a few simple habits can make a real difference. ...

Online Shopping Scams Are Rampant: How to Spot and Avoid Them If you’ve bought something online that never arrived, or paid through a peer-to-peer app for a product that turned out to be fake, you’re far from alone. A November 2025 survey by the Pew Research Center found that about a third of Americans — 33% — say they have personally experienced an online shopping scam. That’s a large enough share to make fraud prevention a basic skill for anyone who shops on the internet. ...

Nearly 1 in 3 Americans Have Been Scammed While Shopping Online – Here’s How to Stay Safe If you shop online frequently, you may have wondered how common scams really are. A new study from the Pew Research Center provides a clear answer: about a third of U.S. adults say they have personally experienced an online shopping scam. That figure, released in November 2025, underscores a threat that touches millions of households. The good news is that most of these scams follow predictable patterns, and once you know what to look for, you can avoid them. ...

1 in 3 Americans Has Faced an Online Shopping Scam: Here’s How to Protect Yourself The convenience of buying everything from groceries to electronics with a few clicks has made online shopping a daily habit for millions. But that convenience comes with a real risk. According to a Pew Research Center survey published in November 2025, about a third of Americans say they have experienced an online shopping scam. That is not a small fraction of unlucky people—it is a widespread problem that touches nearly every demographic. ...

About a Third of Americans Say They’ve Had an Online Shopping Scam Happen to Them – How to Avoid Becoming a Statistic If you’ve ever clicked “Buy Now” on a deal that seemed too good to be true, you’re not alone. A new survey from the Pew Research Center, published in November 2025, found that about a third of Americans say they’ve had an online shopping scam happen to them. That’s roughly 33 percent of U.S. adults – a number that should give any online shopper pause. As holiday shopping and seasonal sales create more opportunities for fraud, understanding how these scams work and how to protect yourself is more important than ever. ...

Warning: Facebook ‘Aldi meat box’ scam steals your payment info – here’s how to stay safe A new phishing scam is making the rounds on Facebook, targeting anyone looking for a deal on groceries. According to a report published by Security Boulevard on May 19, 2026, scammers are running fake ads that promise steep discounts on Aldi meat box bundles. Clicking the ad leads to a convincing-looking phishing site, where victims are asked to enter their credit card details—only to have that information stolen and used for fraudulent charges. ...