Identity Theft

1 in 3 Americans have been scammed while shopping online. Here’s how to spot the traps. According to recent data from the Pew Research Center, about a third of Americans say they’ve had an online shopping scam happen to them. That figure comes from a survey conducted in late 2025, and it underscores a problem that has only grown worse as more of our daily purchases move to screens. The good news is that most of these scams follow predictable patterns. Once you know what to look for, you can spot them before you lose money. ...

Stay Safe While Shopping Online: How to Spot and Avoid Scams Online shopping has become a routine part of life for most people. But with every legitimate transaction, there are scammers trying to intercept your money or personal information. According to the FBI’s 2024 Internet Crime Report, consumers lost billions of dollars last year to various online fraud schemes, with shopping-related scams making up a significant share. The good news is that many of these crimes are preventable once you know what to look for. ...

How to Spot Online Shopping Scams: Tips from Government Agencies Introduction Online shopping has made buying nearly anything simple—but it has also opened the door to fraud that costs consumers billions every year. The FBI’s 2024 Internet Crime Report recorded over $10 billion in reported losses, with shopping scams consistently ranking among the top complaint categories. Veterans, military families, and everyday shoppers are all targets. Recent alerts from the VA, the FTC, and the FBI offer straightforward guidance that can help you avoid becoming a victim. ...

Nearly 1 in 3 Americans Has Been Scammed While Shopping Online – Here’s What to Watch For Intro If you’ve ever clicked a too-good-to-be-true deal on social media or entered payment details on a sketchy website, you’re far from alone. A new survey from the Pew Research Center found that roughly one in three Americans say they have experienced an online shopping scam. The figure underscores how common these schemes have become—and why taking a few extra seconds before hitting “buy” can save you both money and frustration. ...

1 in 3 Americans Have Been Scammed While Shopping Online – Here’s How to Stay Safe If you’ve ever clicked “buy” on a deal that looked too good to be true, then watched the package never arrive, you’re far from alone. A recent Pew Research Center survey found that about a third of American adults say they have experienced an online shopping scam. That’s roughly 80 million people, and the number has been climbing steadily as more of our spending shifts to digital storefronts. ...

AI-Powered Fake Online Shops: How to Spot Them and Protect Your Payment Data Scammers are using generative AI to create fake e-commerce sites that look disturbingly real. In a recent warning, Thailand’s Anti-Online Scam Center (AOC) reported a surge in these stores, which are designed to steal credit card numbers and personal data. If you shop online—especially with a debit or credit card—knowing how these scams work is the best defense. ...

AI-Powered Fake Online Shops: How to Spot and Avoid Payment Data Theft In recent weeks, authorities in Thailand have issued fresh warnings about a surge in fake e-commerce sites that use artificial intelligence to appear legitimate. The Anti Online Crime Center (AOC) has noted that these shops are becoming harder to distinguish from real stores, and they are designed specifically to steal credit card information. If you shop online—especially through social media ads or search results for deals—this is a scam trend worth understanding. ...

AI-Powered Fake Online Shops Are Stealing Payment Data: How to Spot Them If you’ve shopped online recently, you’ve probably noticed how polished even small e‑commerce sites can look. That’s partly thanks to AI tools that generate product photos, write descriptions, and even produce believable customer reviews. Unfortunately, scammers now use the same technology to create fake storefronts that look almost identical to legitimate retailers. Their goal is to get you to enter payment details—and then disappear with your data. ...

Prime Day Scams Are Exploding: 9 Ways to Keep Your Money Safe Every major online shopping event brings a surge in deals—and a matching surge in scams. Prime Day is no exception. As retailers prepare their promotions, scammers are also ramping up fake websites, phishing emails, and counterfeit listings designed to separate shoppers from their money and personal information. ...

Prime Day Shopping? Here’s How to Spot Fake Deals and Stay Safe Intro Prime Day has become one of the biggest online shopping events of the year, but that surge in traffic also draws a predictable crowd: scammers. Every major sales period—Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Prime Day—sees a spike in phishing emails, fake websites, and fraudulent sellers. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) consistently warns that these high-traffic windows are when criminals are most active. ...