Payment Fraud

How to Spot an Online Shopping Scam Before You Lose Money Online shopping is convenient, but it also attracts scammers. Fraud reports filed with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) consistently show that online shopping scams are among the top categories of consumer fraud, with losses reaching billions of dollars annually. As scammers adopt AI-generated listings, fake websites, and convincing phishing emails, the need for practical, up-to-date advice is greater than ever. ...

1 in 3 Americans Has Experienced an Online Shopping Scam: Here’s How to Stay Safe If you’ve ever clicked a too-good-to-be-true deal and ended up with nothing to show for it, you’re far from alone. A new Pew Research Center report, published in late November 2025, found that about a third of Americans say they’ve had an online shopping scam happen to them. That’s roughly 33% of U.S. adults – and the numbers are even higher for younger shoppers. ...

Phony Parking Tickets: How to Spot the New NC Scam If you get a text or email saying you owe money for a parking violation in North Carolina, think twice before clicking any link. The state’s Attorney General has issued a warning about a scam that’s circulating right now, and it’s designed to look like an official notice from local parking authorities. ...

Don’t Hang Up Just Yet: What to Do When “The Government” Calls Demanding Money Imagine your phone rings. The caller ID might even look somewhat official, and the person on the other end claims to be from a government agency—perhaps your state’s Public Utilities Commission (PUC), the IRS, or Social Security. They say you owe money, and it must be paid immediately to avoid severe penalties, service disconnection, or even arrest. Your heart races. This sounds serious. But before you reach for your wallet, you need to know this is almost certainly a scam. ...

The Phone Call Threatening Your Power Is a Scam. Here’s What to Do. You’re at home when the phone rings. The caller ID might even look somewhat official. The person on the other end claims to be from your electric, water, or gas company. Their message is urgent and frightening: your payment is overdue, your service will be disconnected within the hour, and you must pay right now to avoid it. ...

That Call About Your Overdue Utility Bill? It’s Almost Certainly a Scam. If your phone rings and the caller claims to be from your electric, gas, or water company demanding immediate payment, be very careful. It’s likely a criminal trying to steal your money. ...