Scams

How to Spot Online Shopping Scams This Prime Day: BBB Tips Amazon Prime Day draws millions of shoppers looking for deals, but the Better Business Bureau warns that scammers are equally busy during the event. Every year, fake websites, phishing emails, and deceptive social media ads pop up to trick people into handing over their payment information or buying counterfeit goods. The good news is that most of these scams follow recognizable patterns. Knowing what to look for can keep your money and personal data safe. ...

Why Old Email Filters Can’t Protect You Anymore (And What Will) You get an email from a vendor you use. It mentions the last invoice you paid, references a real employee name, and has a link that looks correct at a glance. Nothing triggers your spam filter. But the email is fake—crafted specifically for you by an AI that studied your company’s public data. ...

How to Cut Through AI Hype: EFF’s Campaign and What It Means for You Intro Walk into any electronics store or scroll through a software ad, and you’ll see “AI” slapped on everything—from toasters to tax software. But not all of that intelligence is real, and a lot of it is misleading. The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), a nonprofit digital rights group founded in 1990, has launched a campaign called “Help EFF Cut the AI Hype.” They want consumers to help identify and call out exaggerated AI claims. This article explains why that matters and what you can actually do to push back. ...

Don’t Believe the AI Hype: How to Spot Empty Marketing and Protect Your Privacy Every month, another app, gadget, or website announces it has “AI” inside. The term is everywhere—on toasters, note‑taking apps, search engines, and customer service chatbots. But much of what gets labeled artificial intelligence is either a minor algorithm upgrade or, in some cases, nothing new at all. The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has been calling for a more skeptical approach to these claims, and their recent work highlights why everyday consumers need to pay attention. The hype isn’t just harmless marketing—it often comes with real privacy risks. ...

How to Spot Summer Sale Scams Before You Buy Summer sales are in full swing. Retailers are offering discounts on everything from electronics to clothing, and shoppers are on the lookout for a good deal. Unfortunately, scammers are also active this time of year, taking advantage of the surge in online shopping to trick people into handing over their money and personal information. ...

Summer Sale Scams Are Everywhere – Here’s How to Spot Them Before You Buy Summer sales season is in full swing, and so are the scammers. Every year, as shoppers hunt for bargains on electronics, clothing, and travel deals, cybercriminals launch fake offers designed to steal money or personal information. A recent report from Bitdefender highlights the growing sophistication of these attacks, with phishing emails, lookalike websites, and social media ads impersonating major retailers like Amazon and travel booking services. The good news is that most of these scams share common warning signs. Learning to recognize them takes only a few minutes and can save you a great deal of trouble. ...

How to Spot and Avoid Online Shopping Scams: Tips for Staying Safe Online shopping has become part of everyday life, but it also attracts scammers who try to steal your money or personal information. Recent warnings from government agencies, including the Department of Veterans Affairs, remind us that these scams are persistent and evolving. This article outlines common tricks used by fraudsters and offers concrete steps to protect yourself. ...

How to Spot Online Shopping Scams and Shop Safely Online shopping is convenient, but it also attracts scammers looking to steal your money or personal information. A recent article from VA News (.gov) warns consumers to watch out for scams and stay safe while online shopping — advice that applies to everyone, not just veterans. Scams are not seasonal; they pop up year-round, often mimicking legitimate retailers or offering deals that seem too good to pass up. ...

New Phishing Service ARToken Makes Business Email Compromise Easier: What You Need to Know If you run a small business or handle email communications at work, you’ve probably heard about phishing attacks. But there’s a more targeted and costly variant called business email compromise (BEC) that scammers have been refining for years. Now, a new phishing-as-a-service platform called ARToken is making these sophisticated attacks available to nearly anyone willing to pay. ...

Online Shopping Scams Are Surging: Here’s How to Stay Safe If you’ve seen a too-good-to-be-true deal on social media lately, you’re not alone. In late June 2026, Hong Kong police announced the arrest of 78 people in connection with an online shopping scam ring that netted more than HK$5 million (about US$640,000). The arrests follow a pattern that shoppers around the world should pay attention to. ...