1 in 3 Americans Has Been Hit by an Online Shopping Scam — How to Avoid Being Next

A recent report from Pew Research Center found that about a third of Americans say they’ve had an online shopping scam happen to them. The data, released in November 2025, covers a range of fraudulent experiences — from fake store websites to phishing emails that impersonate well-known retailers. With holiday shopping in full swing and online transactions becoming routine, understanding how these scams work is more than a privacy concern; it’s a practical necessity.

What Happened?

Pew surveyed U.S. adults and asked whether they had personally experienced an online shopping scam. About 34% said yes. The research also highlighted the types of scams people encounter most often. These include:

  • Fake store websites that look legitimate but never ship the product.
  • Lookalike URLs — websites that copy a trusted brand’s domain with a slight misspelling or different top-level domain (.net instead of .com).
  • Phishing emails and texts that appear to come from companies like Amazon or Walmart, asking you to click a link to confirm an order or update payment details.
  • Social media ads promoting heavily discounted goods from unknown sellers. Many of these ads lead to sites that steal credit card information or sell counterfeit items.
  • Payment app scams on services like Venmo, Cash App, or Zelle, where a seller asks for payment through these apps and then disappears.

The Pew study is not the only one tracking this. The Federal Trade Commission reported that consumers lost more than $8.8 billion to fraud in 2023, with online shopping scams being a major category. The scale is large enough that nearly every frequent shopper knows someone who has been burned.

Why It Matters

Online shopping scams aren’t just a minor annoyance. They can result in direct financial loss, identity theft, and credit damage. And because many sellers operate from overseas, recovering money after paying through unprotected methods is difficult. The Pew data shows this is a widespread problem, not a rare edge case. With about a third of Americans reporting personal experience, the odds that a shopper will encounter a scam at some point are not negligible.

During peak shopping seasons — like the holidays or major sales events — scammers ramp up their efforts. They know people are looking for deals, pressed for time, and more likely to click without double-checking. The risk is especially high for younger adults, who Pew also found are more likely to use payment apps and buy through social media influencers.

What Readers Can Do

There is no single trick that makes you immune, but a few habits cut the risk significantly.

Stick to reputable retailers. If you’ve never heard of the store, search for reviews from multiple sources. Beware of sites that only have glowing five-star reviews posted in the same week. Use tools like Google’s “About this result” or check the Better Business Bureau.

Examine the URL carefully. Scammers register domains that look identical to real ones at a glance, such as “amaz0n.com” or “walmart-shop.net.” Hover over links before clicking, and if the URL looks off, don’t proceed.

Pay with a credit card. Under U.S. law, credit card issuers are required to investigate disputed charges and can often reverse them. Debit cards offer weaker protections, and payment apps like Venmo and Cash App are not designed for purchasing goods from strangers. If a seller insists on payment through these apps, it’s a red flag.

Avoid public Wi-Fi for shopping. Unsecured networks allow attackers to intercept data, including credit card numbers. Use your phone’s cellular data or a VPN when shopping on the go.

Enable purchase alerts. Most banks and credit card companies let you set up real-time notifications for any transaction. If you get an alert for a purchase you didn’t make, you can act quickly.

Be skeptical of too-good-to-be-true prices. An $80 designer coat from a site that launched two days ago is almost certainly a scam. Scammers rely on the lure of deep discounts to bypass caution.

If you do fall victim, act fast:

  1. Contact your bank or credit card issuer immediately to report the fraudulent charge. They may be able to stop payment or reverse it.
  2. Change your passwords for any accounts that might be compromised.
  3. File a report with the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Even if you can’t recover your money, reporting helps the FTC track patterns and go after scammers.
  4. Consider placing a fraud alert on your credit report with one of the three major bureaus (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion). This makes it harder for someone to open new accounts in your name.

Sources

  • Pew Research Center. “About a third of Americans say they’ve had an online shopping scam happen to them.” November 2025.
  • Federal Trade Commission. “ReportFraud.ftc.gov” and “Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book 2023.”
  • Pew Research Center. “Payment apps like Venmo and Cash App bring convenience – and security concerns – to some users.” September 2022.