Scam Awareness

Nearly a Third of Americans Have Been Scammed While Shopping Online – Here’s What to Know If you’ve ever bought something online that never arrived, paid for a “deal” that turned out to be a fake listing, or handed over your card details to a site that looked legitimate but wasn’t, you aren’t alone. According to a November 2025 Pew Research Center survey, about one in three U.S. adults say they have experienced an online shopping scam. That’s roughly 33 percent of American consumers. ...

How to Spot Fake Prom Dress Websites This Season: BBB Warning As prom season approaches, the Better Business Bureau has issued an alert for shoppers in the Hudson Valley and beyond. Scammers are setting up fake prom dress websites designed to look legitimate, often with stolen photos and deep discounts, to trick people into handing over money and personal information. ...

1 in 3 Americans Has Experienced an Online Shopping Scam: How to Stay Safe If you’ve ever bought something online that never arrived, or paid for an item through a payment app only to realize the seller was fake, you’re far from alone. New data from the Pew Research Center, published in November 2025, shows that about a third of American adults say they have personally experienced an online shopping scam. That figure is a stark reminder that scam attempts are now a routine part of buying things on the internet. ...

How to Spot and Avoid Online Shopping Scams: Practical Advice With online shopping now a daily habit for millions of people, scammers have become more aggressive and creative. Government agencies, including the Department of Veterans Affairs, have issued repeated warnings about the growing threat. A recent VA News article titled “Watch out for scams and stay safe while online shopping” reminds consumers that fraud doesn’t take a holiday—and that taking a few minutes to verify a deal can save you from losing money or having your identity stolen. ...

One in Three Americans Has Been Scammed While Shopping Online: How to Stay Safe What Happened According to a November 2025 report from the Pew Research Center, about one in three U.S. adults say they have personally experienced an online shopping scam. That’s roughly 33% of Americans—a figure that underscores just how common these scams have become. The same survey found that younger adults, particularly those under 30, were even more likely to report being targeted, though no age group is immune. ...

Social Media Scams Cost Americans Billions: How to Protect Yourself Fraud is moving online, and social media platforms have become a prime hunting ground. In 2024, older Americans alone lost an estimated $2.4 billion to scams, according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The total losses across all age groups are likely much higher. With artificial intelligence making scams more convincing than ever, learning to spot the red flags is no longer optional—it’s essential. ...

1 in 3 Americans Hit by Online Shopping Scams: What to Look For and How to Stay Safe If you’ve bought something online that never arrived, or paid for a “deal” that turned out to be a trap, you’re far from alone. According to a Pew Research Center study published in November 2025, about a third of Americans say they’ve had an online shopping scam happen to them. That number is a stark reminder that fraud has become a routine part of e‑commerce, not an edge case. ...

Don’t Click That ‘Google’ Alert: New Scam Tricks Users – How to Spot It If you get an email or a browser pop-up that looks like it came directly from Google, warning you about a security issue or a locked account, think twice before clicking the link. A new wave of Google impersonation scams is making the rounds, and they’re convincing enough to fool even experienced users. Recent coverage in Reader’s Digest highlights how these attacks work and why they’re so dangerous right now. ...

1 in 3 Americans has been hit by an online shopping scam — are you next? A recent study from the Pew Research Center puts a number on something many of us have suspected: online shopping scams are not rare. According to the data, about a third of Americans say they’ve had an online shopping scam happen to them. That is a large enough share to make the problem feel less like a remote possibility and more like an ordinary risk of buying things on the internet. ...

How to Spot Social Media Scams Before They Cost You Money If you’ve ever scrolled past a Facebook ad for a heavily discounted designer bag or received a direct message from a stranger who seems too charming, you’ve encountered the front lines of one of the fastest-growing fraud channels. Last year alone, social media scams cost Americans billions, and older adults were hit especially hard, losing a reported $2.4 billion, according to the Federal Trade Commission. What’s worse, scammers are now using generative AI to make fake profiles, photos, and even video calls look disturbingly real. ...