Phishing

How to Spot and Avoid Online Shopping Scams: Advice from VA and Federal Agencies Online shopping offers convenience, but it also attracts scammers looking to steal your money or personal information. The Department of Veterans Affairs has published multiple alerts warning veterans and their families about common shopping scams and how to stay safe. This article draws on those official sources and similar guidance from the FDIC to give you practical, actionable steps. ...

Online Shopping Scams Are Getting Smarter – Here’s How to Stay Safe If you’ve shopped online in the past year, you’ve probably noticed deals that seem too good to be true. Some of them are. According to recent warnings from the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and the Federal Trade Commission, online shopping scams are becoming more sophisticated and harder to spot. Veterans and military families are especially targeted, but anyone with a credit card can be caught off guard. ...

One in Three Americans Has Fallen for an Online Shopping Scam — Here’s How to Stay Safe If you’ve ever clicked on a too-good-to-be-true deal and ended up with an empty mailbox and a drained bank account, you’re far from alone. According to a new Pew Research Center survey released in November 2025, about a third of Americans say they’ve had an online shopping scam happen to them. That’s a sizable number — and with holiday shopping already underway, it’s worth understanding what these scams look like and how to avoid becoming part of that statistic. ...

How to Avoid Mother’s Day Shopping Scams This Year Mother’s Day is one of the biggest spending occasions of the year, and 2026 is expected to be no exception. According to recent reports, total spending could top $35 billion. That kind of money attracts scammers as much as it attracts shoppers. If you’re buying gifts online this week, a few minutes of caution could save you from losing both your money and your peace of mind. ...

When a ‘Productivity Tool’ Turns Against You: The Rise of Chrome Extension Backdoors You’ve probably installed a handful of Chrome extensions to make your day easier—a note taker, a grammar checker, a tab manager, maybe a PDF viewer. They promise speed, convenience, and a cleaner workflow. But there’s a growing problem that few users realize: some of these tools are being quietly turned into backdoors. ...

One in Three Americans Has Been Scammed Shopping Online. Here’s How to Avoid It. If you’ve ever bought something online that never arrived, or clicked a link from a social media ad and ended up on a site that looked real but wasn’t, you’re not alone. New data from the Pew Research Center shows that about a third of Americans say they’ve experienced an online shopping scam. That’s roughly 33 percent of U.S. adults—and the number may be higher since many scams go unreported. ...

1 in 3 Americans Has Been Scammed Online Shopping — Here’s How to Avoid It If you’ve ever bought something online that never arrived, or paid for a “deal” that turned out to be fake, you’re far from alone. New data from Pew Research Center, published in November 2025, found that about a third of Americans (34%) say they have experienced an online shopping scam. As holiday shopping ramps up, that number is likely to climb. Understanding the most common tricks—and knowing a few simple precautions—can make the difference between a successful purchase and a costly mistake. ...

How to Spot Online Shopping Scams: What Government Alerts Can Teach Us Online shopping has become routine for most of us, but scammers have become just as routine in trying to steal your money and personal information. Government agencies, including the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), regularly issue warnings about the latest tactics. Their advice is practical, tested against real threats, and often the same across multiple agencies—which means it’s worth paying attention to. ...

How to Spot Online Shopping Scams: Official Tips from Government Agencies Online shopping scams are not new, but they keep evolving. Fake websites, phishing emails, and bogus banks appear regularly, targeting anyone who shops or manages money online. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) have published recent guidance to help consumers recognize these threats and protect themselves. Below is a practical summary of what they advise, drawn directly from official sources. ...

Mother’s Day Shopping Scams Surge with Record Spending – Here’s How to Stay Safe Mother’s Day is this weekend, and Americans are expected to spend more than ever on gifts, dinners, and experiences. According to a recent report from WREX, record spending projections this May 10 have already caught the attention of scammers. If you’re planning to buy something for Mom—whether flowers, jewelry, or a thoughtful gadget—it’s worth taking a few minutes to understand the common tricks being used right now and how to avoid them. ...