1 in 3 Americans Has Been Scammed While Shopping Online — Are You Next?

A new survey from the Pew Research Center, released in November 2025, puts a number on something many of us have suspected: online shopping scams are not rare. According to the data, about 31 percent of U.S. adults say they have personally experienced an online shopping scam. That’s nearly one in three people.

The figure stands out because it’s based on self-reported experience, meaning it only captures scams that people recognized and remembered. The actual number could be higher. And the problem is particularly acute for younger shoppers: 46 percent of adults aged 18–29 say they’ve been hit by one.

With holiday shopping in full swing, this is a good time to understand what these scams look like and how to reduce your chances of becoming a statistic.

What happened

Pew’s findings come from a nationally representative survey conducted in late 2025. Researchers asked Americans whether they had ever encountered an online shopping scam—which the survey defined broadly to include things like buying an item that never arrived, being tricked by fake product reviews, or clicking a phishing link disguised as a purchase confirmation.

Younger adults, who tend to shop more frequently online and often rely on social media for product discovery, reported the highest rates of victimization. The survey also noted that scams can take many forms: fraudulent websites that mimic legitimate stores, sellers on platforms like Instagram or TikTok who disappear after taking payment, and emails or texts that appear to be from a retailer but are actually phishing attempts.

Importantly, these numbers are consistent with earlier Pew research on fraud. A related study from July 2025 found that 35 percent of Americans had experienced some type of online scam or hack in the previous year, with shopping scams being a major contributor.

Why it matters

Online shopping is now a routine activity for most people. According to Pew, about six in ten U.S. adults shop online at least monthly, and nearly a third shop weekly. The convenience is real, but so is the risk.

The scams that showed up in the survey are not exotic. They are the kind that target everyday transactions: a too-good-to-be-true deal on a popular gadget, a seller with suspiciously glowing reviews, a link in an email that looks like it came from Amazon but actually leads to a credential-harvesting page. In many cases, the money is gone and the consumer has little recourse, especially if they paid by wire transfer, gift card, or peer-to-peer payment app.

Young adults are more vulnerable partly because they are more likely to use social media for shopping. Pew research from 2024 found that a majority of TikTok users are on the platform for product reviews and recommendations, and that “influencer” marketing is a growing factor in purchase decisions. Unfortunately, that ecosystem is also fertile ground for scammers who can easily fake social proof.

What readers can do

There’s no silver bullet, but a few practical steps can significantly lower the chance of being scammed.

Verify the seller. If you’re buying from a site you don’t know, search for “[site name] scam” or “[site name] review” before entering payment info. Look for contact information, a physical address, and a return policy that isn’t vague. Real businesses usually have a clear, easy-to-find customer service line.

Check the URL. Phishing sites often use slight misspellings of well-known brands (e.g., “amaz0n.com” or “paypa1.com”). Look for “https://” at the start of the address, and a padlock icon. That’s not a guarantee—scammers can get SSL certificates too—but it’s a basic hygiene check.

Pay with a credit card. Credit cards generally offer strong fraud protection under federal law (the Fair Credit Billing Act). Debit cards have less protection, and gift cards or wire transfers are essentially unrecoverable once sent. Payment apps like Venmo or Cash App are meant for friends, not merchants; if you must use one, make sure the account is marked as a business account with purchase protection.

Watch the red flags. If a deal seems unrealistic—like 80% off a new smartphone—it probably is. Scammers exploit urgency with phrases like “limited stock” or “flash sale.” Also be suspicious of reviews that are all five-star with identical wording. Services like Fakespot can help analyze review authenticity.

Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) on your email and payment accounts. It won’t prevent a shopping scam directly, but it will make it harder for a scammer to access your accounts if they get your password.

If you do get scammed: Act quickly. Contact your bank or credit card issuer to dispute the charge. File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. And consider freezing your credit at the three major bureaus—Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion—if you shared any personal information.

Sources

• Pew Research Center (November 2025). “About a third of Americans say they’ve had an online shopping scam happen to them.”
• Pew Research Center (July 2025). “Online Scams and Attacks in America Today.”
• Pew Research Center (November 2024). “A majority of U.S. TikTok users are there for product reviews and recommendations.”