The Better Business Bureau issued a holiday scam alert for older shoppers, with advice on what to check before you click Buy and pay online.
The Better Business Bureau has issued a holiday shopping scam alert aimed at older adults. It offers advice on what to check before clicking the Buy button. The alert ran in the Quad-City Times on Nov. 8, 2026, as the holiday shopping season gets going.
The alert is meant for older adults who shop online for gifts. It also matters for family members who help them order or shop alongside them. The Better Business Bureau is a nonprofit that tracks scams, so its warnings are worth a look. The same habits can help anyone who buys online this season.
The alert box above this article lists the steps. They come down to checking who you are buying from before you pay, and being careful about how you pay. A minute of checking can save you money and a lot of stress.
The text available for this story does not include the details of the BBB's report. It does not say which scams are most common this year, how many people have been hit, or how much money has been lost. It also does not name any store or website. That means nothing here tells shoppers to avoid a particular retailer. The advice is general, not tied to one known scam.
Before you pay for a holiday gift online, take a minute to check the seller and follow the steps in the alert box.
Police in Southampton say scammers are posing as Amazon and pressing people to share screens or send money. Here is how the trick works and what to watch for.
Read more: Fake Amazon calls and texts are tricking people out of thousandsA real £100 energy bill payment is coming, but applications are not open. Texts and emails offering a way to claim it are scams, a council warns.
Read more: Fake texts offer a £100 energy bill payment that isn't open yetAO3 has been offline since October 29 after a breach, and clone sites are copying stories. Users who reused their password should change it now.
Read more: Fan fiction site AO3 is down after a hack, and copycats are stealing stories
