Online Shopping Scams

AI Chatbots Are Steering Shoppers to Scam Sites? Here’s How to Stay Safe If you’ve asked an AI chatbot for product recommendations lately, you might have been directed to a site that looks legitimate but isn’t. Consumer groups are now warning that AI-powered search tools are unexpectedly steering users toward fraudulent shopping websites. The problem isn’t hypothetical—several recent cases have shown that scammers are actively exploiting how these chatbots find and present information. ...

AI Chatbots Are Sending Shoppers to Scam Sites – Here’s How to Stay Safe Introduction If you’ve asked an AI chatbot for product recommendations lately, you’re not alone. More people now use tools like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, or Microsoft Copilot to decide what to buy. But recent warnings from consumer groups suggest those recommendations may sometimes lead to fraudulent websites instead of legitimate stores. ...

One in Three Americans Has Fallen for an Online Shopping Scam: How to Protect Yourself If you shop online regularly, you’ve probably heard the warnings: don’t click suspicious links, avoid deals that seem too good to be true, use a credit card instead of a debit card. But despite those caveats, the problem persists—and recent data shows just how many people are affected. ...

1 in 3 Americans Have Fallen for an Online Shopping Scam: What to Watch For If you’ve ever clicked a too-good-to-be-true deal on social media, entered your card details on a site that looked slightly off, or paid a “seller” through Venmo for something that never arrived—you’re far from alone. ...

New Pew Data Shows 1 in 3 Americans Hit by Online Shopping Scams: Here’s How to Stay Safe If you shop online—and most of us do—you’ve probably wondered whether that too-good-to-be-true deal is legitimate. According to a November 2025 Pew Research Center study, about a third of American adults say they have personally experienced an online shopping scam. That’s not a small fringe problem; it’s a widespread risk that touches millions of households. ...

Spot Online Shopping Scams Before They Cost You Money Online shopping has become second nature for most of us. A few clicks, a payment, and a package arrives days later. But that convenience also attracts scammers. Fake stores, phishing emails, and social media ads that look legitimate are circulating more than ever. In January 2026, the VA News published a government-backed reminder that shoppers need to stay alert. Their article, titled “Watch out for scams and stay safe while online shopping,” underscores that these threats aren’t rare—they’re persistent and evolving. Knowing what to look for can save you money and personal information. ...

1 in 3 Americans Has Been Scammed Shopping Online – Here’s How to Protect Yourself Introduction If you shop online — and most of us do — you’ve probably seen deals that seem too good to be true, or sellers who ask you to pay outside the usual checkout process. New data from Pew Research Center confirms that this isn’t just a minor annoyance: about a third of Americans say they’ve had an online shopping scam happen to them. That number comes from a November 2025 survey, and it underscores how widespread these schemes have become. ...

1 in 3 Americans Has Been Scammed While Shopping Online – Here’s How to Avoid It If you’ve ever bought something online that never arrived, or handed over payment to a site that turned out to be fake, you are far from alone. A new survey from Pew Research Center, published in November 2025, found that about a third of U.S. adults – roughly 33% – say they have fallen victim to an online shopping scam. That number is large enough to make anyone pause before clicking “buy.” ...

Online shopping scams to watch and simple ways to avoid them If you’ve been shopping online for more than a few years, there’s a decent chance you’ve encountered a scam. New data from the Pew Research Center confirms just how common that experience is. According to a 2025 survey, about a third of U.S. adults say they have had an online shopping scam happen to them. That’s more than just a minor inconvenience—it often means lost money and, in many cases, stolen personal information. ...

How to Spot and Avoid Online Shopping Scams Introduction Online shopping has become a routine part of life for most people. But as more transactions move to the web, scammers have kept pace, inventing new ways to trick buyers out of their money and personal information. Government agencies such as the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regularly issue alerts reminding consumers to watch out for scams and stay safe while online shopping. Whether you are a seasoned online buyer or just starting out, knowing the common tricks and how to respond can save you time, money, and trouble. ...