Consumer experts recommend looking for “verified purchase” reviews, reading both the highest and lowest ratings, and paying attention to repeated complaints in negative reviews.

Temu and other fast-fashion platforms surged in popularity last year, drawing shoppers with steep discounts on clothing, household items and gadgets.

These messages often claim there’s a problem with a delivery, such as an incorrect address or a delayed package.

Look-alike wireless earbuds and tablets often sell for a fraction of the price of name-brand products.

Many websites use pop-up alerts that claim an item is “almost sold out,” “in high demand,” or available for a “limited time.”

Fake retail sites are becoming an epidemic because they advertise on social media and often pop up first in web searches.

Reaching customer service agents can be tough since many companies don't even list phone numbers anymore.