1 in 3 Americans Has Been Scammed Online Shopping: How to Protect Yourself
Online shopping is convenient, but it also carries risk. According to a 2025 survey from the Pew Research Center, about a third of Americans say they have experienced an online shopping scam. That’s a large enough share that most of us either know someone affected or have been targeted ourselves.
The good news is that many of these scams follow recognizable patterns. Knowing what to look for can make a real difference.
What happened
Pew Research Center’s report, “Online Scams and Attacks in America Today,” found that roughly one in three U.S. adults have fallen victim to some form of online shopping fraud. The study, based on a nationally representative survey conducted in early 2025, covers a range of digital threats, but shopping scams were among the most commonly reported.
These scams take many forms: fake online stores that collect payment and never ship goods, phishing emails pretending to be from trusted retailers, and fraudulent listings on legitimate marketplaces. Payment app scams, where a seller asks for money through Venmo or Zelle and then disappears, are another variation that Pew’s earlier research had already flagged as a growing concern.
Why it matters
Beyond the direct financial loss, shopping scams erode trust in e‑commerce. Victims often feel embarrassed, and many don’t report the incident. That helps scammers stay in business. With more Americans relying on online shopping — and increasingly using mobile phones and social media for product discovery — the surface area for fraud only grows.
Scammers also adapt quickly. They exploit urgency, offer deals that seem too good to pass up, and copy legitimate websites down to the smallest details. The stakes are especially high around holidays or major sales events, when people are more likely to let their guard down.
What readers can do
There is no foolproof defense, but you can reduce your risk significantly by following a few habits.
Verify the seller and site
Before entering payment information, check the website’s URL carefully. Scammers often use addresses that are close to the real thing — for example, “amaz0n‑deals.com” instead of “amazon.com.” Look for “https://” and a padlock icon in the address bar, though note that a padlock alone is not a guarantee of legitimacy.
Search for the store name along with the word “scam” or “complaint.” Read reviews from independent sources, not just testimonials on the site itself. If a company has no online presence outside its own website, that is a red flag.
Pay with a credit card
Credit cards generally offer stronger fraud protection than debit cards. If you pay by credit card and the item never arrives or turns out to be counterfeit, you can dispute the charge with your card issuer. Payment apps like Venmo, Cash App, or Zelle are riskier for online shopping because they often lack purchase protection. Many scams specifically ask for payment through these apps because transactions are hard to reverse.
Watch for phishing attempts
A common scam starts with an email or text that looks like it came from a major retailer, claiming there is a problem with your order or a limited‑time discount. Resist the urge to click links. Instead, go directly to the retailer’s website by typing the address yourself. Legitimate companies rarely ask for personal information via email.
Be skeptical of extreme discounts
If a deal is much lower than anywhere else, ask why. Scammers rely on the emotional pull of a bargain. Luxury goods, electronics, and popular sneakers are frequent bait. It sometimes helps to compare the price on a few trusted sites before deciding.
What to do if you’ve been scammed
If you do become a victim, act quickly. First, contact your bank or credit card company and report the unauthorized charge. You may be able to stop payment. Next, change the passwords for your email, online shopping accounts, and any other sites where you used the same login credentials.
Report the scam to the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Your report helps law enforcement track patterns. If you used a payment app, report the transaction to the app’s support team. Finally, monitor your bank and credit card statements for any other suspicious activity. Consider placing a fraud alert on your credit file if you provided personal information.
Shopping online will always carry some risk, but you do not have to be part of the next Pew survey statistic. A cautious approach — verifying sellers, using safe payment methods, and knowing what to do if something goes wrong — goes a long way.
Sources
- Pew Research Center, “Online Scams and Attacks in America Today” (2025). The full report is available at pewresearch.org.
- Federal Trade Commission, “ReportFraud.ftc.gov.”