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Photronics Appoints New Board MemberFounded in 2010, the nonprofit runs a nine-week school program that encourages teens to work together as they meet their personal challenges.
Cyber Monday shoppers expected to set a record on biggest day for online shopping
Cyber Monday is now behind us, but there are still plenty of worthy deals on perfect holiday gifts across all categories if you know where to look. We've spotted Breville kitchen appliances discounted at Target , which means you have gifting options for any foodies in your life. But there's more: Amazon is also offering discounts on Breville gear, and you can acquire quality coffee, espresso makers and other kitchen tools for less just in time for the holidays if you order soon. Prices at both Target and Amazon tend to change quickly, and stocks tend to run out quickly this time of year, so act fast if you're interested in saving hundreds on these popular items. Why these Breville deals matter Breville is known for making smart kitchen appliances that bring a more professional touch into your home. From toaster ovens to juicers to coffee makers, the brand's wares are perfect for tech enthusiasts who love good food. Some of these devices typically run hundreds of dollars but these deals at both Amazon and Target mean you can save up to $325, making it a bit more affordable. These savings are on par with recent Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals. Hey, did you know? CNET Deals texts are free, easy and save you money If you need a space-saving toaster oven, the Breville 1800W smart toaster is now on sale for $150 at Target , saving you $40. It has 8 cooking functions and can fit a whole chicken or even a 12-inch pizza. After you're done cooking, you can clean some of its parts in the dishwasher for less fuss. Coffee and espresso lovers will also enjoy the $150 discount on the Breville Barista Express, a 15-bar espresso maker that can grinds coffee beans and lets you make professional-grade espresso at home for just $550 at both Target and Amazon . For folks who love to host gatherings and want to truly recreate a café experience at home, the Breville Barista is a full $325 off right now at Amazon , costing $675 for this stainless steel, fully-equipped espresso maker. The entire selection of Breville deals is worth perusing, and some of these discounts amount to hundreds off excellent kitchen appliances. If you're looking for more stocking-stuffers but aren't sure if these deals are for you, check out our list of the best remaining Amazon Cyber Monday deals . CNET is always covering a wide array of deals on tech products and much more. Start with the hottest sales and discounts on the CNET Deals page , and sign up for the CNET Deals Text to get daily deals sent straight to your phone. Add the free CNET Shopping extension to your browser for real-time price comparisons and cash-back offers. And peruse our gift guide , which includes a full range of ideas for birthdays, anniversaries and more.Michael Dell’s net worth (and how much he makes as CEO)
Meet the Press NOW — December 4Is the solution to teen despair teachable? Ambassadors of Compassion reaches into schools to try
By Leah Douglas and Ed White WASHINGTON/REGINA, Saskatchewan (Reuters) -U.S. prices may rise next year for avocados, strawberries and other fresh produce, and consumers could face shortages, if President-elect Donald Trump follows through on plans to slap tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada, agricultural economists and industry executives said. Mexico and Canada are by far the top two suppliers of farm products to the United States, with imports of agricultural goods valued at nearly $86 billion last year, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Customs data. Duties on their food shipments could cause jarring financial and operational ripple effects on U.S. supplies and highlight how reliant the nation has become on its neighbors for feeding its population, economists said. Trump said Monday he would sign an executive order on his first day in office in January that would impose a 25% tariff on all products coming into the United States from Canada and Mexico to curb the flow of illegal drugs and migrants into the U.S. U.S. consumers would feel impacts at grocery stores and restaurants, with items being out of stock, Lance Jungmeyer, president of the Fresh Produce Association of the Americas, said on Tuesday. "We would see fewer items in general in the produce section," Jungmeyer said. "Restaurants would have to reconfigure their menus, maybe putting in less fruits and vegetables or decreasing portions." About two-thirds of all U.S. vegetable imports and half of fruit and nut imports come from Mexico, according to the USDA: nearly 90% of its avocados, as much as 35% of its orange juice, and 20% of its strawberries. Avocado exports to the United States have soared 48% since 2019, according to U.S. trade data, as consumers have increasingly put them in salads and on sandwiches. The U.S. market accounts for about 80% of Mexico's total avocado exports, data by the USDA shows, a trade worth $3 billion last year. "It would generate an inflationary spiral," said Alfredo Ramírez, governor of Michoacan, Mexico's main avocado producing state. "Demand would not fall," he said. "What would increase are costs and prices. This would bring us an increase in inflation and direct repercussions for consumers." Margarita supplies could be hit, too. Imports of beer and tequila together make up nearly a quarter of Mexican imports of agricultural goods into the U.S. last year. U.S. imports of Mexican tequila and mezcal - both used for making cocktails, such as margaritas - totaled $4.66 billion in 2023, up 160% since 2019. The tariffs could also push prices higher for fertilizer imported from Canada at a time when farmers are paying nearly 50% more for fertilizer than in 2020, said Sam Kieffer, vice president of public policy for the American Farm Bureau Federation, a farmer trade group. "Now is not the time to send shock waves through the agricultural economy," Kieffer said. PIGS, CATTLE MIGRATION Trump's plan could also slow the migration of more than 1 million cows exported by Mexico across the border each year, to become part of the U.S. beef supply. U.S. producers have slashed their cattle herds in recent years, pushing up beef prices. They could benefit if tariffs lead to fewer cattle and beef imports, said Bill Bullard, chief executive officer of the Ranchers Cattlemen Action Legal Fund United Stockgrowers of America. Tariffs could also further increase meat prices for U.S. consumers, though Bullard said importers and meat processors may be able to absorb some extra costs. "We look forward to tariffs," he said. "It will help to level the playing field for our domestic producers." To the north, tariffs also could disrupt shipments of beef and dairy cattle and hogs between the U.S. and Canada, and potentially affect producers in both countries. Manitoba alone sends about 3 million piglets each year to producers in Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota and Nebraska, where feed corn can be sourced more cheaply, according to the Canada Pork Council and Manitoba Pork Council Midwestern farmers then raise and fatten up the animals in their feeder barns, before sending them to slaughter - and the pork flows both to buyers in the U.S. and Canada after processing. TRUMP TRADE WARS 2.0 The latest USDA projections show that the U.S. in 2025 will likely run a deficit in agricultural trade of more than $42 billion, driven in part by consumer interest in off-season produce and imported alcohol from Mexico. The threat of tariffs could be a way of attaining leverage over Mexico and Canada in the lead-up to renegotiation of the USMCA trade deal, set to be reviewed in 2026, said Peter Tabor, an attorney and senior policy advisor at Holland & Knight and a former USDA trade official. But implementation of steep tariffs over time could mean the U.S. may be seen as an unreliable trading partner and that importers of U.S. goods would look elsewhere to fill the void, Tabor said. (Reporting by Leah Douglas in Washington, Ed White in Regina, Saskatchewan, Tom Polansek and Karl Plume in Chicago, Emma Rumney in London, and Cassandra Garrison and Adriana Barrera in Mexico City; Writing By P.J. Huffstutter in Chicago; Editing by Jonathan Oatis)Tumor Resection at American Hospital Dubai Using Novarad's VisAR Navigation System a brain tumor was successfully resected. The VisAR system, known for its cutting-edge image placement, continuous registration, and instrument tracking capabilities, played a pivotal role in the successful resection of this complex tumor. By providing real-time 3D visualization of the tumor and surrounding blood vessels, the system allowed Dr. Dolati and his team to achieve precise navigation and ensure the highest level of safety throughout the procedure. Dr. Dolati shared his experience, stating, "I compared this amazing navigation system with Medtronic and I reached the same accuracy with a significantly higher number of options in terms of real-time window leveling, 3D visualization of the tumor, and blood vessels." He further praised the VisAR system's ability to enhance decision-making, particularly when dealing with such a delicate and complex surgery. This collaboration between Novarad and American Hospital Dubai highlights the hospital's commitment to pioneering new technologies and improving patient outcomes. By embracing the VisAR system, surgeons have access to real-time, highly detailed visualizations, improving precision and reducing the risks associated with challenging surgeries. The successful procedure continues to advance healthcare for both Novarad and American Hospital Dubai, demonstrating the potential of augmented reality in surgical navigation. The hospital continues to lead in adopting cutting-edge technologies to provide state-of-the-art care to its patients. About Novarad Novarad is a leading provider of innovative medical imaging solutions, committed to improving patient care and advancing healthcare technologies worldwide. With a focus on augmented reality and cutting-edge visualization tools, Novarad continues to set new standards in surgical navigation and medical imaging. Attachment Tumor Resection at American Hospital Dubai CONTACT: Novarad Corporation [email protected]
LONDON: BlackRock Inc is nearing a deal to buy HPS Investment Partners, a purchase that would vault the firm into the top ranks of private credit as it seeks to become a major force in alternative assets. An agreement could be announced as early as the coming week and value HPS at US$12bil or more, according to people with knowledge of the matter. BlackRock will pay for HPS with a mix of cash and stock, they said. Bloomberg News reported in October that BlackRock was interested in acquiring HPS and later that talks about a purchase were advancing and both sides were seeking a deal by end of the year. The Financial Times reported in November that a transaction was close. The deal would leave BlackRock, which manages US$11.5 trillion, with more than US$500bil of alternative assets. While discussions are in the final stages, they could still be delayed or falter, the people said, asking not to be identified because the information is private. A representative for BlackRock declined to comment, while spokespeople for HPS didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment. BlackRock chief executive officer Larry Fink has moved aggressively to expand in private markets, and buying HPS would mean BlackRock has clinched the two largest-ever acquisitions of alternative asset managers in less than a year. BlackRock, already the biggest manager of public equity and bond portfolios, is seeking to replicate that scale in the private assets increasingly sought by pensions, insurers, sovereign wealth funds and rich individuals. In October, the company completed a US$12.5bil acquisition of Global Infrastructure Partners, making BlackRock the second-largest manager of infrastructure assets with about US$170bil. It’s already in the final stages of completing a £2.55bil (US$3.25bil) deal for private markets data provider Preqin, which Fink has vowed will help the firm “index the private markets” and lay the groundwork to tie exchange-traded funds to alternative assets. HPS would turbocharge BlackRock’s ability to compete in one of finance’s hottest and most lucrative areas: private credit. HPS manages US$123bil in private credit, making it one of the largest independent managers in that surging US$1.6 trillion market. It oversees an additional US$22bil in public credit and has more than 760 employees. Founded in 2007 by Scott Kapnick, Scot French and Mike Patterson, the firm bought itself out of JPMorgan Chase & Co in 2016 in a deal that valued it at almost US$1bil. With HPS, BlackRock’s alternative investments business would be larger than that of Carlyle Group Inc and begin to rival, at least in size, private-asset leaders such as KKR & Co and Apollo Global Management Inc. Blackstone Inc is still considerably larger, with about US$1.1 trillion of assets at the end of the third quarter. BlackRock’s expansion into private markets would add considerable revenue and profit to the firm, as investors shifted aggressively over the past decade to low-cost index funds and exchange-traded funds, and away from higher-fee active mutual funds. — Bloomberg
Houston's Al-Shaair apologizes for hit on Jacksonville's Lawrence that led to concussion HOUSTON (AP) — Houston’s Azeez Al-Shaair took to X to apologize to Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence after his violent blow to the quarterback’s facemask led to him being carted off the field with a concussion. Back in the starting lineup after missing two games with a sprained left shoulder, Lawrence scrambled left on a second-and-7 play in the second quarter of Houston’s 23-20 win on Sunday. He initiated a slide before Al-Shaair raised his forearm and unleashed on the defenseless quarterback. In the long post, Al-Shaair says "To Trevor I genuinely apologize to you for what ended up happening.” Jets are sticking with struggling Aaron Rodgers as their starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers will remain the New York Jets’ starting quarterback despite speculation the team could bench him in what has been a disappointing season. Interim coach Jeff Ulbrich said during a video call that he still believes Rodgers, who turned 41 on Monday, gives the Jets their best chance to win. Rodgers was 21 of 39 for 185 yards and touchdown passes to Davante Adams and Isaiah Davis but also had an interception returned 92 yards for a touchdown by Leonard Williams in the Jets’ 26-21 loss to Seattle on Sunday. Hall of Famer Randy Moss reveals he's 'battling something' internal and asks for prayers Hall of Fame wide receiver Randy Moss revealed he’s dealing with a health issue and asked fans to pray for him and his family. The 47-year-old ESPN football analyst made the announcement on Instagram from the set of the network’s “Sunday NFL Countdown” show. He directed his message to men and urged them to get checkups and bloodwork done, without specifying for any particular illness. Moss explained why he’s been wearing tinted sunglasses, saying, “I’m battling something, man, and it’s something internal, your boy is going to get through it.” College playoff bracket offers last dress rehearsal and one more chance to see where the SEC stands The next set of College Football Playoff rankings will be released Tuesday night under heavy scrutiny before the final bracket is set on Sunday. It will be one last chance to see just how much the selection committee loves the Southeastern Conference. The best gauge will be whether Miami, which suffered its second loss over the weekend, is placed behind any or all three SEC teams with three losses — Alabama, Mississippi and South Carolina, all of which are coming off wins. Whatever happens, the SEC is likely to have at least five teams in the 12-team field when the final bracket comes out. Mollie Marcoux Samaan stepping down as LPGA commissioner after 3 1/2 years of record prize money Mollie Marcoux Samaan is leaving after more than three years as LPGA commissioner. In a surprise announcement Monday, Marcoux Samaan says she will step down in January, just three weeks before the LPGA starts its 75th season. Liz Moore is the chief legal and technology officer. She'll be serving as interim commissioner until a search committee can find a permanent replacement. Marcoux Samaan was the athletic director at Princeton when she took over the LPGA in May 2021. Prize money has soared during her tenure. She also has faced criticism for the LPGA not gaining in popularity during a rise in women's sports. Kansas holds off Auburn for No. 1 in AP Top 25 as SEC grabs 3 of top 4 spots; UConn slides to No. 25 Kansas continues to hold the No. 1 ranking in The Associated Press Top 25 men’s college basketball poll. Auburn is pushing the Jayhawks in the latest poll after winning the Maui Invitational and checked in at No. 2. Two-time reigning national champion UConn nearly fell out entirely after an 0-3 week at Maui, falling from No. 2 to 25th. The Southeastern Conference had three of the top four teams with No. 3 Tennessee and No. 4 Kentucky behind the Tigers. The poll featured six new teams, headlined by No. 13 Oregon, No. 16 Memphis and No. 18 Pittsburgh. TCU, Duke climb into top 10, Notre Dame drops in women's AP Top 25; UCLA and UConn remain 1-2 TCU has its best ranking ever in The Associated Press Top 25 women’s basketball poll after a convincing win over Notre Dame. The Horned Frogs jumped eight spots to No. 9, the first time the school has ever been in the top 10. The Fighting Irish, who were third last week, fell seven spots to 10th after losses to TCU and Utah. UCLA remained No. 1, followed by UConn, South Carolina, Texas and LSU. USC, Maryland and Duke are next. USC QB Miller Moss enters transfer portal after losing starting job to Jayden Maiava LOS ANGELES (AP) — Southern California quarterback Miller Moss is entering the transfer portal after losing the Trojans’ starting job last month. Moss started the Trojans’ bowl victory last season and their first nine games this season before coach Lincoln Riley replaced him with Jayden Maiava in early November. Moss signed with USC before Riley arrived at the school. Moss also stayed after Caleb Williams transferred from Oklahoma to rejoin Riley, and he served as Williams’ backup for two seasons before getting his chance to play with six touchdown passes in last year’s Holiday Bowl. Michael Andretti's Formula 1 dream comes to bittersweet fruition without his involvement Michael Andretti has been sidelined from his namesake motorsports organization and won’t have any role with the Formula 1 program he spent the last four years desperately trying to launch. His effort to get a program partnered with General Motors into F1 was approved last week, a month after he stepped aside from his teams. F1’s decision to expand its grid for Cadillac F1 came amidst a federal antitrust investigation into why Liberty Media refused to admit Andretti Global and after Andretti partners Dan Towriss and Mark Walter claimed controlling interest of the fledgling effort. Ryan Poles to remain Bears general manager and lead search for new head coach LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — Chicago Bears president Kevin Warren said Ryan Poles will remain the general manager and serve as the point person in the search for a head coach to replace the fired Matt Eberflus. He says Poles will have the “final say” if the two have differing opinions on who should get the job. Chicago had never fired a coach during a season. But a six-game losing streak marked by questionable coaching decisions spurred the founding NFL franchise to change course. The Bears let Eberflus go Friday and replaced him on an interim basis with offensive coordinator Thomas Brown.
Alex Berenguer prodded the hosts ahead after 53 minutes before Mbappe – who failed to convert a Champions League penalty against Liverpool last week – sent his kick too close to Bilbao goalkeeper Julen Agirrezabala. Jude Bellingham appeared to have rescued a point for Real after scoring for the fourth successive league game 12 minutes from time. 📸 PORTERAZO. JULEN, JULEN! JULEN JULEN! #AthleticRealMadrid #AthleticClub 🦁 pic.twitter.com/w260s6xo79 — Athletic Club (@AthleticClub) December 4, 2024 But Federico Valverde’s mistake two minutes later gifted Gorka Guruzeta the winner in front of a delirious San Mames crowd. On a busy night of second-round Copa del Rey action, Villarreal suffered a shock 1-0 defeat at Pontevedra while there were wins for Real Betis, Rayo Vallecano and Valencia. Fiorentina went out of the Coppa Italia to Empoli on penalties on an emotional night at Stadio Artemio Franchi. Viola were back in action after Edoardo Bove’s health scare forced their weekend league fixture with Inter Milan to be abandoned during the first half. Midfielder Bove collapsed on the pitch and required emergency medical treatment. He was taken to hospital but regained consciousness in intensive care. Esposito's penalty books Empoli's place in the next round 💪 #FiorentinaEmpoli pic.twitter.com/UUxghH9l6b — Lega Serie A (@SerieA_EN) December 4, 2024 Empoli led at half-time through Emmanuel Ekong’s fourth-minute opener before Moise Kean and Riccardo Sottil put Fiorentina ahead. Sebastiano Esposito struck 15 minutes from time to make it 2-2 and take the last-16 tie into extra time, Empoli eventually winning 4-3 on penalties. Benjamin Sesko opened the scoring and Luis Openda struck twice as RB Leipzig brushed aside Eintracht Frankfurt 3-0 in the German DFB Pokal. Second-half goals from Denis Vavro, Jonas Wind and Yannick Gerhardt saw Wolfsburg beat Hoffenheim 3-0. Cologne knocked out Hertha Berlin 2-1 after extra time with Dejan Ljubicic converting a penalty in the final seconds, while Augsburg prevailed 5-4 on penalties against Karlsruhe after a 2-2 draw.
Unity residents concerned as search for woman continues in abandoned mineNone
We’ve got our Chelsea back – Enzo Maresca loving chants from fans after winKylian Mbappe’s spot-kick woe goes on as Real Madrid lose at Athletic Bilbao
BEIRUT — Hezbollah fired about 250 rockets and other projectiles into Israel on Sunday, wounding seven people in one of the militant group's heaviest barrages in months, in response to deadly Israeli strikes in Beirut while negotiators pressed on with cease-fire efforts to halt the all-out war. An Israeli bomb squad policeman carries the remains of a rocket that was fired from Lebanon on Sunday in Kibbutz Kfar Blum, northern Israel. Some of the rockets reached the Tel Aviv area in the heart of Israel. Meanwhile, an Israeli strike on an army center killed a Lebanese soldier and wounded 18 others in the southwest between Tyre and Naqoura, Lebanon's military said. The Israeli military expressed regret, saying that the strike occurred in an area of combat against Hezbollah and that the military's operations are directed solely against the militants. Israeli strikes have killed over 40 Lebanese troops since the start of the war between Israel and Hezbollah, even as Lebanon's military has largely kept to the sidelines. Lebanon's caretaker prime minister, Najib Mikati, condemned the latest strike as an assault on U.S.-led cease-fire efforts, calling it a “direct, bloody message rejecting all efforts and ongoing contacts” to end the war. Hezbollah began firing rockets, missiles and drones into Israel after Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack out of the Gaza Strip ignited the war there. Hezbollah has portrayed the attacks as an act of solidarity with the Palestinians and Hamas. Iran supports both armed groups. The Israeli police bomb squad inspects the site after a missile fired from Lebanon hit the area Sunday in Petah Tikva, outskirts of Tel Aviv, Israel. Israel launched retaliatory airstrikes at Hezbollah, and in September the low-level conflict erupted into all-out war as Israel launched airstrikes across large parts of Lebanon and killed Hezbollah's top leader, Hassan Nasrallah. The Israeli military said about 250 projectiles were fired Sunday, with some intercepted. Israel’s Magen David Adom rescue service said it treated seven people, including a 60-year old man in severe condition from rocket fire on northern Israel, a 23-year-old man who was lightly wounded by a blast in the central city of Petah Tikva, near Tel Aviv, and a 70-year-old woman who suffered smoke inhalation from a car that caught fire there. In Haifa, a rocket hit a residential building that police said was in danger of collapsing. The Palestine Red Crescent reported 13 injuries it said were caused by an interceptor missile that struck several homes in Tulkarem in the West Bank. It was unclear whether injuries and damage were caused by rockets or interceptors. Sirens wailed again in central and northern Israel hours later. Israeli airstrikes without warning on Saturday pounded central Beirut, killing at least 29 people and wounding 67, according to Lebanon's Health Ministry. A flock of birds flies above the smoke from Israeli airstrikes Sunday in Dahiyeh, Beirut. Smoke billowed above Beirut again Sunday with new strikes. Israel's military said it targeted command centers for Hezbollah and its intelligence unit in the southern suburbs of Dahiyeh, where the militants have a strong presence. Israeli attacks have killed more than 3,700 people in Lebanon, according to the Health Ministry. The fighting has displaced about 1.2 million people, or a quarter of Lebanon’s population. On the Israeli side, about 90 soldiers and nearly 50 civilians have been killed by bombardment in northern Israel and in battle following Israel's ground invasion in early October. Around 60,000 Israelis have been displaced from the country's north. The EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell called for an "immediate ceasefire" in the Israel-Hezbollah war while on a visit to the Lebanese c... The European Union’s top diplomat called Sunday for more pressure on Israel and Hezbollah to reach a deal, saying one was "pending with a final agreement from the Israeli government.” U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein was in the region last week. Josep Borrell spoke after meeting with Mikati and Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, a Hezbollah ally who has been mediating with the group. Borrell said the EU is ready to allocate $208 million to assist the Lebanese military. But Borrell later said that he did not “see the Israeli government interested clearly in reaching an agreement for a cease-fire" and that it seemed Israel was seeking new conditions. He pointed to Israel’s refusal to accept France as a member of the international committee that would oversee the cease-fire's implementation. The emerging agreement would pave the way for the withdrawal of Hezbollah militants and Israeli troops from southern Lebanon below the Litani River in accordance with the U.N. Security Council resolution that ended the monthlong 2006 war. Lebanese troops would patrol with the presence of U.N. peacekeepers. With talks for a cease-fire and hostage release deal in Gaza stalled, freed hostages and families of those held marked a year since the war's only hostage-release deal. “It’s hard to hold on to hope, certainly after so long and as another winter is about to begin," said Yifat Zailer, cousin of Shiri Bibas, who is held along with her husband and two young sons. Around 100 hostages are still in Gaza, at least a third believed to be dead. Most of the rest of the 250 who were abducted in the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack were released in last year's cease-fire. Talks for another deal recently had several setbacks, including the firing of Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who pushed for a deal, and Qatar’s decision to suspend its mediation. Hamas wants Israel to end the war and withdraw all troops from Gaza. Israel has offered only to pause its offensive. The Palestinian death toll from the war surpassed 44,000 this week, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count. On Sunday, six people were killed in strikes in central Gaza, according to AP journalists at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah. How often do you buy something online ? A couple of times a month? A couple of times a week? A couple of times a day? Everybody's answer will be different, but collectively, it's done a lot: Online retail accounted for over $1 trillion of purchases in the U.S. in 2022 and a record $277.6 billion in the second quarter of 2023 alone. Retailers ranging from titans like Amazon and Walmart, down to local small-town shops work very hard to land their share of that business. Sadly and inevitably—so do criminals and scammers. At any given moment, they operate millions of bogus sites. So how can you spot those fake online shopping sites? Spokeo provides a guide. In the early days of the internet , it took some genuine skills to set up a website, but those days are gone. A quick search will show that there are lots of apps and services offering websites on a prefabricated "fill in the blanks" basis, and most web hosts provide those tools as part of the service when someone signs up with them. It's even easier on social media . If you were opening a "side hustle" business tomorrow from your home, you could set up your own Facebook page tonight in under an hour, with exactly zero knowledge of websites. Once that page is set up, you just need to throw a few dollars in the direction of Facebook's advertising department, and they'll start advertising your page to users. It's no harder to promote a website, except in that case, you'd give your advertising dollars to Google. This is a simplified overview, but the main point holds: Establishing a presence online has become a very democratized process, open to anyone with minimal skills and even the smallest budget for advertising. That's been a boon for legitimate entrepreneurs, but it also makes life very easy indeed for scammers. There are multiple types of bogus websites . Some are imposters, created to look very much like a legitimate commercial or government site that you're familiar with, such as Amazon or Netflix. Others don't imitate a specific site, but instead attempt to capture the look and feel of those sites in general (whether that be a retail site, a government or bank page, or even something relatively shady like a gambling or porn site). Next, scammers find ways to drive traffic to their site. Often that's through phishing texts or emails, but deceptive ads on social media or search engines like Google and Bing work just as well. Once a browser arrives at the criminals' site (or, in some cases, downloads their app), any number of bad things can happen. One is that they'll download malware onto your devices, which can capture passwords or steal personal information. A more straightforward risk is that the browser will cheerfully enter their personal and banking/credit card information, thinking they're making a legitimate purchase. That's largely why fake online shopping sites are so dangerous, and so useful to scammers and identity thieves. Most bogus sites share some or all of those characteristics, but shopping sites are a very specific type of bogus site with some quirks of their own. One characteristic to count on—whether the website directly impersonates a major retailer like Amazon, a niche retailer like MEC, or just positions itself as an anonymously general retail site—is that it will offer unusually low pricing on high-demand products. That might be a mass-market item like the latest gaming console, a suddenly in-demand item that's unavailable through normal channels (remember trying to get masks and sanitizing wipes during COVID-19?), or something as mundane as disposable diapers or high-capacity computer drives. Whatever the product, the advertised price will be low enough to get attention. The bogus site will have any number of ways to transfer a browser's money to its coffers, depending on the scammers' intentions and skillset. A few of the most common include: These are all aside from the potential to infect devices or steal payment information . Sites focused on identity theft might consider a faux purchase to be just the added gravy. How common is online shopping fraud? Well, the news is pretty bad. The FTC's 2022 Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book recorded over 327,000 online shopping complaints, the fourth-highest category for overall complaints and second among fraud categories. You would expect these sites to be more prevalent during the final quarter of the year, corresponding to the holiday gift-giving season—Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Christmas itself—and they are, but that doesn't mean you can relax during the other nine months of the year. The Anti-Phishing Working Group, or APWG, identified nearly a million fake or phishing websites during the first quarter of 2022 alone (not a busy time of year for shopping), for example. To be clear, only 14.6% of those were eCommerce sites, but that still translates to well over 140,000 bogus shopping sites. The true number is almost certainly higher because the APWG only tracks the ones that use a phishing approach. Many opt to simply buy advertising instead (or as well), and those won't be captured in the APWG's statistics. However you slice it, there's a definite risk of encountering these sites when you shop. The good news is that bogus shopping sites aren't hard to spot, once you're aware of the risk. They aren't built for permanence; scammers pull them together quickly and cheaply and then abandon them once they stop producing.That "just good enough" approach leaves plenty of visible signs you can detect. Below, here's what to look for when recognizing fake online shopping sites. Bad images Bogus sites don't have direct access to the real products' manufacturing images, so they resort to copying and pasting from legitimate sites. \That means bogus sites' product images (and often their fake logos, if they impersonate a legitimate site) are fuzzy and low-res. A URL that's slightly "off" Imposter sites obviously can't have the same URL as the legitimate site, so they'll usually have a URL that looks right, but isn't quite. They might have a typo in the name, or incorporate the real company's name into their URL in a non-standard way ("myfakesite.amazon.com.123xyz.com"), or—sneakiest of all—use a letter from a different language's character set , which looks the same to the eye, but not to the computer. Broken links The scammers may have simply copied and pasted user interface elements from a legitimate site, in which case many links on the site may be broken (or simply not clickable). Lots of missing elements A legitimate retail website will have several pages of legalese, often starting with a pop-up about its cookie policy or privacy policy. You should certainly expect to see a detailed document spelling out shipping policies, return and refund policies, and similar details. If those are missing or brief and vapid, it's probably a fake site. Limited options for payment Sites that plan to take your money and run will often show oddly specific payment options, from wire transfers to gift cards to cryptocurrency. The thing those payment methods have in common is that it's very difficult to get money back once it's spent. Sites geared around capturing your personal or payment information, on the other hand, may insist on getting your credit card. Typos, grammar, and linguistic errors Simple, silly language errors are often a red flag. Scammers may not be native English speakers, and it shows up in awkward or sometimes inappropriate phrasing. Errors in actual product listings aren't necessarily a smoking gun—you'll see them frequently on real Amazon pages—because they come from the manufacturers, who are often not English speakers. Language errors on the rest of the site are more of a concern. HTTP vs. HTTPS In the address bar of your browser, a legitimate retail site's URL will start with HTTPS, rather than HTTP, and will show a closed lock symbol. The majority of fake sites now also have an HTTPS URL and will show the lock (so this isn't as helpful as it used to be), but less-sophisticated scammers may miss that detail. You can automatically rule those ones out. And, of course, the biggest red flag of all is an unrealistically low price on the product you're looking for. We all want to get a really good deal, but that impulse will often lead you astray. If a shopping site fails those basic "eyeball" tests, the smart thing to do is just close that browser tab and walk away. If you want to dig deeper, or if you aren't sure, there are a few quick and easy ways to verify a site's legitimacy. Use a URL/website checker Remember those really sneaky fake URLs that use a letter from another alphabet? The best way to check those (and other problematic elements in a URL) is through a URL verifier/website reputation service, like the ones from URLVoid and Google . Just copy (don't click!) the link, and paste it into the checker. If the site is sketchy, they'll tell you. Look up the site on a registry Domain names all need to be registered and there are several lookup tools to check this, like ICANN's registration lookup (think of it as Spokeo for websites). If a site claims to be Amazon but was registered just a few weeks ago, that's a really big red flag. Similarly, if the site isn't located where it should be, or if the ownership data is obscured, that's grounds for concern. Turn to Google If you have a bad feeling about a particular site, do a quick Google or Bing (or whatever) search that pairs the site's name with keywords like "scam," "fraud," "bogus" or "ripoff" and see what comes up. If you get a lot of hits, that's definitely grounds for concern. Go Forth and Shop (Safely) If a given site fails any or all of those tests, then keeping your wallet in your pocket is definitely the smart choice. Instead of making the purchase, report the site instead to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center and the FTC's Report Fraud website. That will get the investigative wheels turning and may help protect someone less wary from falling victim to the scammers. As always, wariness and skepticism are your friends when it comes to avoiding scams. Don't click on links in emails, texts , or social media messages; instead, go to the company's site by typing the URL directly. If you search a company's page on Google, scroll down through the actual search results until you find it instead of clicking on the sponsored results or advertisements at the top. Most of all, remember the golden rule of scam avoidance: If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Keeping those principles in mind, and using the tips given here to screen out dubious sites means you'll be able to shop 'til you drop (safely), despite the vast number of scammers out there. And that—as the credit card ads like to say—is priceless. This story was produced by Spokeo and reviewed and distributed by Stacker. Get local news delivered to your inbox!
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