Q: What new scams should I be watching for this holiday shopping season?

A: Scammers never take holidays — in fact, they treat the shopping season like their Super Bowl. While fake shipping notices and phony giveaways aren’t new, the way scams are being delivered has evolved in ways that are catching even careful consumers off guard. Here are some of the latest tricks gaining traction and how to protect yourself.

Criminals are using AI to create “perfect” knockoff shopping websites. They steal product photos, generate realistic reviews and even copy customer-support pages from real retailers. The sites may look flawless, but the URL gives it away — an extra dash, an added word or an unusual domain, such as “.shop” instead of “.com” is often the only clue.

Fake deals are being pushed thr

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