Online Safety

Cutting Through AI Hype: A Practical Guide for Consumers Every week brings another product claiming to be “AI-powered.” Smart toothbrushes, AI-driven toasters, virtual assistants that promise to run your life. Amid this relentless marketing, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has launched a campaign to help consumers see past the buzzwords and make informed choices. The message is simple: just because something has “AI” on the box doesn’t mean it’s better, safer, or worth your money. ...

Cutting Through AI Hype: A Practical Guide from the EFF It’s hard to go a day without seeing a headline about some new AI tool that will “transform your workflow,” “revolutionize customer service,” or “solve complex problems instantly.” Behind much of that language is marketing, not evidence. The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), a nonprofit digital rights organization, has been tracking these exaggerated claims for years. They recently launched a campaign called “Help EFF Cut the AI Hype,” urging consumers to take a more skeptical look at the technology being sold to them. ...

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.” ...

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. ...

Scam Ads Are Everywhere: How to Spot Them and Protect Yourself If you’ve seen an ad on social media offering a 90% discount on a name-brand appliance, or a pop-up warning that your computer is infected and you need to call a “Microsoft technician” immediately, you’ve encountered a scam ad. These fake advertisements appear on legitimate platforms—Facebook, Google, news sites—and they’re becoming more common. They don’t just hurt brands’ reputations; they directly target your wallet and your personal data. ...

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 — here’s how to spot them and stay safe If you’ve scrolled through social media or a news site recently, you’ve likely seen an ad that looked slightly off — a too-good-to-be-true deal from a familiar brand, a celebrity endorsement that seems out of character, or a landing page that doesn’t quite match the company’s usual design. These are not just annoying; they are often scam ads designed to steal your money or personal information. ...

Scam ads are everywhere — here’s how to spot them before you click If you’ve been online lately, you’ve probably noticed it: an ad that looks exactly like a message from a trusted brand, promising an unbelievable deal or a prize you never entered. Click it, and you land on a near-perfect copy of a real website—except the URL is slightly off, the checkout asks for your bank details, and the product never arrives. ...

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. ...

How to Spot Scam Ads Before They Steal Your Money or Data Scam ads have become a fixture on social media feeds, search engine results, and even reputable news sites. While much of the press coverage focuses on the damage to brand reputation and ad revenue, the people who actually lose money or sensitive data are the everyday users who click on these ads. This guide will help you recognize the most common tactics, verify whether an ad is legitimate, and take action if you’ve already fallen for one. ...