Consumer News: Chegg to refund millions after FTC says it trapped consumers in subscriptions

From fake delivery alerts to phony charity pleas, experts warn scammers are ramping up calls just as Americans get busiest

• Holiday scam robocalls and robotexts are surging nationwide, with scammers posing as charities, delivery services, and trusted organizations to take advantage of peak shopping stress.

• Fraudsters are using more sophisticated, multi-channel tactics, combining phone calls, texts, and urgent messages to pressure consumers into sharing personal or financial information.

• Experts warn scam tactics will keep evolving through the holidays, shifting from charity appeals now to loan, return, gift card, and tax in the weeks ahead.

If your phone has been ringing more than usual this holiday season, youre not imagining it and theres a good chance at least some of those calls arent legitimate.

As Americans rush to order gifts, track packages, and manage tight budgets, scammers are doing what they do best: taking advantage of the chaos. As holiday scam robocalls and robotexts surge nationwide, fraudsters are using increasingly convincing tactics to steal money and personal information.

ConsumerAffairs spoke with John Haraburda, Director of Product Management at Transaction Network Services (TNS) to learn about the most common robocall making the rounds now and how to avoid them and protect yourself during the busiest shopping season of the year.

Common

Haraburda shared two of the most common circulating this holiday season that consumers should be looking out for:

• Charity : These have increased dramatically in the past month, as bad actors seek to exploit the giving nature of the holiday season. Bad actors create organizations that operate under names that sound legitimate and claim to be raising much-needed funds. If you are looking into donating money to a charity, make sure to double check the legitimacy of the organization and how they solicit donations. Many legitimate organizations will not do this over the phone or make robocalls, and indicate that on their website.

• Multimodal : Bad actors also seem to be increasing the frequency of multi-modal , where text and voice calls as well as other integrated tactics are used in order to create a greater sense of urgency and legitimacy of the attacks.

How to protect yourself

With AI making easier than ever, its important for consumers to know how to spot them and how to protect themselves and their personal data.

Haraburda broke down four best practices for consumers to protect themselves from falling victim to these :

• Never share personal or financial details through unverified links:These scam attacks often prompt users to donate, directing them to malicious websites that request bank account details, credit card numbers, or other sensitive personal information. Dont click on links from any unknown senders.

• Verify with official sources: Before clicking on suspicious links, confirm the legitimacy of any charitable cause through official websites or verified phone numbers. Always double check with legitimate sources before donating.

• Look for red flags: Even convincing robocalls and robotexts may contain small errors such as misspelled names, incorrect organization titles, or unofficial web addresses.

• Report and block: Block any number that sends a suspicious call or text, and report the scam to the FTC or your State Attorney General.

What to look for in the coming weeks

As we creep closer to the holidays, the scam tactics are likely to change. Haraburda gave some insight into how these efforts are evolving over the next few weeks.

We anticipate a shift from charity collections to hardship or loan solutions as we get closer to Christmas as consumers try to prepare for the holiday, he said. After the holidays, we typically see return elevate as gifts are returned and gift card as well.

Then, by the middle of January we move right into tax becoming the dominant attack once again.

The vintage vibe is cute until it hits your cart total

• Nostalgia = a viral tax. Its not just cute, its designed to make you rebuy the whole vibe

• Whos spending: Millennials are driving it, and TikTok is basically the checkout lane

• Dont overpay: Buy one anchor item, wait 24 hours on TikTok finds, and thrift/resale the rest

Nostalgia isnt just about clever holiday gifts anymore, its an actual sales strategy. Youve probably seen them all over your social media feeds. The new toys made to look vintage, the retro sweaters, and the cozy throwback Christmas dcor. RetailMeNots latest survey shows exactly how and who is being pulled into the nostalgia trend.

What RetailMeNot found about holiday shopping in 2025

Nostalgia and viral trends are influencing purchases. RetailMeNot surveyed 1,169 U.S. adults and found that 40% of shoppers say nostalgic or viral holiday trends are helping to shape their buying decisions this year.

This change in shopping behavior shows this is more than just some clever inspiration on your feeds, consumers are actually starting to buy this stuff in record numbers.

Millennials are driving the throwback spending. RetailMeNot reports 58% of Millennials have purchased (or plan to purchase) based on these cozy nostalgic trends. Think things like Ralph Lauren Christmas, classic plaid, 90s holiday nostalgia, and retro gaming systems from the 80s.

Gen Z is split: buying some, saving a lot. Among Gen Z, RetailMeNot found 37% are buying based on these trends, while 35% are simply saving ideas and building dream dcor boards. Even when Gen Z isnt buying, theyre still feeding the trend because saving stuff and ideas still helps to boosts what goes viral.

Nostalgic dcor is beating modern/minimal. When it comes to decorating style, RetailMeNot found:

• 29% choosing classic & nostalgic dcor
• 21% choosing modern & minimal
• 19% choosing fun & festive

Translation: shoppers are clearly after into more traditional and classic styles, and retailers are taking notice of this trend and stocking up.

TikTok has become a shopping funnel. RetailMeNot found that a whopping 49% of consumers say TikTok influences at least some of their holiday purchases these days.

Gen Z leads the pack with almost half saying 25% of their buys come from TikTok, and 31% say half or more of their shopping lists start there.

Millennials arent far behind this trend, with 21% saying most of their holiday purchases come from TikTok trends. Its clear that the TikTok Shop has become a checkout lane this holiday season.

Some traditions are getting cut. RetailMeNot also found shoppers are ready to ditch a few overdone holiday staples:

• Matching family pajamas (42%)
• White Elephant exchanges (41%)
• Fruitcakes (39%)
• Work Secret Santa (36%)
• Elf on the Shelf (24%)

Translation: people still want those cozy and meaningful dcor and gift ideas, but they seem to be cutting what feels expensive, forced, or slightly annoying.

Tips to get the same vibe without paying the viral tax

Use the One Anchor Rule. Pick one nostalgic item that does the heavy lifting. Everything else is optional.

Smart anchors include a statement wreath, one set of retro ornaments, a plaid throw, or one movie Christmas sweater youll re-wear next year.

Remember that the algorithm wants you to redecorate your entire house with this stuff. But keep in mind that one anchor gets you 80% of the look you want for 20% of the cost.

Treat TikTok products like a recommendation only.Before you buy, try this simple strategy:

• Save it (dont add it your cart)
• Wait 24 hours
• Re-shop it in three places: resale, a non-viral dupe, or the brands site with a better promo

If you still want it tomorrow, fine. If you dont, you just avoided an emotional checkout.

Shop nostalgic categories where old is the point: Vintage-inspired dcor is one of the easiest things to buy secondhand, because its supposed to look classic.

To this end, always check resale spots first:

Best spots: Facebook Marketplace for bundles/lots, thrift stores for one-offs, and resale apps for branded throwbacks.

Clever trick: try searching by vibe words like plaid Christmas, retro ornaments, Christmas village, or 90s toys, not just something simple like decor.

Bottom line: Nostalgia is fun, but its also a shortcut retailers use to turn your warm and fuzzy feelings into spending. If you love the throwback look, keep it simple and buy one anchor item, try to buy the rest from the resale market, and take a 24-hour pause for TikTok finds.

Allegations of deceptive sign-ups and hidden charges

• New York Attorney General Letitia James has joined a multistate lawsuit accusing Uber of trapping consumers in hard-to-cancel subscriptions.

• The suit targets Uber One, a paid service that promises savings on rides and food delivery but allegedly enrolls users without clear consent.

• State and federal officials are seeking refunds for consumers and a permanent ban on the companys alleged deceptive practices.

A bipartisan coalition of 20 attorneys general in a lawsuit against Uber Technologies, LLC and Uber USA, LLC, accusing the company of misleading consumers and trapping them in recurring subscriptions to its Uber One service.

The lawsuit, originally filed by the Federal Trade Commission, alleges that Uber violated state and federal consumer protection laws by deceptively marketing Uber One and making it unreasonably difficult for users to cancel once enrolled.

According to the lawsuit, Uber aggressively promotes Uber One through pop-ups and in-app notifications in the Uber and Uber Eats apps, encouraging users to sign up for promised savings on rides and food delivery. The attorneys general allege that many consumers were enrolled without realizing they had signed up for a paid subscription.

Once enrolled, users were automatically charged $9.99 per month or $96 annually and faced what the lawsuit describes as a confusing and burdensome process to cancel, requiring them to navigate multiple menus and screens.

Unwanted subscriptions that are seemingly impossible to cancel are driving up costs for everyday New Yorkers, said New York Attorney General Letitia James. Companies should not be able to profit by tricking consumers into recurring charges that can require hours of difficult work to stop.

Claims about savings challenged

The lawsuit also challenges Ubers marketing claims about the financial benefits of Uber One. State officials allege that Uber falsely promised consumers they would save $25 every month with the subscription, without adequately disclosing that the claimed savings did not account for the monthly subscription fee.

Attorneys general argue that these representations misled consumers about the true cost and value of the service, particularly when combined with the automatic, recurring charges.

What the states are seeking

James and the coalition are asking the court to order restitution for consumers who were charged for unwanted Uber One subscriptions. The lawsuit also seeks a permanent injunction to stop Uber from engaging in what the states describe as deceptive subscription and cancellation practices.

If successful, the case could force changes to how Uber markets and manages paid subscriptions nationwide, particularly those promoted through mobile apps with recurring billing.

Theft surge tied to viral social media trend

Amazon is bringing fresh foods and everyday essentials to more than 2,300 cities with convenience thats changing the way we shop

• Same-day perishable grocery delivery now covers 2,300+ U.S. cities and towns.

• Fresh foods are skyrocketing in popularity dominating the top seller list.

• Prime members get free same-day delivery on most orders over $25.

If theres one thing Americans love, its convenience.

Now, Amazon is delivering it in more ways than ever. The e-commerce giant recently expanded its Same-Day Delivery service to include perishable groceries in more than 2,300 cities and towns across the U.S. meaning fresh produce, dairy, meat, baked goods and other fridge-friendly staples can arrive at your doorstep in just hours alongside your usual orders.

This expansion represents one of Amazons biggest efforts yet to merge online grocery shopping with its signature fast delivery network. What began as a limited rollout in select metros this year has quickly grown into a broad nationwide service covering everything from major cities like Dallas and Chicago to smaller communities in Idaho, Georgia, and beyond.

"The selection, value, and convenience of Same-Day Delivery from Amazon makes grocery shopping that much easier for families across the country," Doug Herrington, CEO of Worldwide Amazon Stores, said in a news release.

"We're seeing customers combine their fresh grocery orders with their regular Amazon purchases, like electronics, gifts, clothes, and household essentials, in ways that make their lives easier and save them valuable time."

Heres what you need to know

• Wider access to fresh foods. Amazons latest rollout means that people in thousands of places can now order fresh groceries just like they would order a book or a gadget and have them delivered the same day. Produce, berries, dairy, and even seafood are all available through the program, making it easier to skip a trip to the grocery store without waiting days for delivery.
• Fresh foods are flying off the virtual shelves. In the markets where this service is live, perishable foods now dominate the most-ordered items. In fact, nine of the top ten bestselling products on Amazons same-day platform are fresh foods like bananas, avocados, and blueberries. Shoppers are combining groceries with everyday Amazon purchases from electronics to paper towels in a single cart more often than ever.
• How delivery works (and what it costs). Prime members in most areas can enjoy free same-day delivery on grocery orders over a certain amount (typically $25). For orders that dont hit that threshold, a small fee applies, while non-Prime customers can still access the service for a higher flat fee. This approach keeps quick delivery affordable for frequent grocery buyers and casual shoppers alike.

Why it matters to you

This expansion isnt just about speed its about reshaping how we do everyday shopping. Instead of planning a dedicated grocery run, more people can now fit essentials into their regular online purchases and have them arrive when they need them. Whether youre juggling a busy schedule, prepping for a holiday meal, or just craving fresh fruit before dinner, Amazons same-day grocery service is designed to make life easier.

And with even more cities expected to be added in 2026, this could be just the beginning of a new era in convenient, fresh food delivery.