1 in 3 Americans Has Been Scammed While Shopping Online: How to Protect Yourself

It’s a statistic that should give any online shopper pause: according to a November 2025 report from the Pew Research Center, about a third of Americans say they’ve had an online shopping scam happen to them. That means millions of people have paid for goods that never arrived, handed over credit card details to fake sites, or lost money through payment apps to sellers who vanished.

The headline number is sobering, but the real value lies in understanding how these scams work and what you can do to avoid becoming the next victim. Below, we break down the most common scams, red flags to watch for, and practical steps you can take before and after a purchase.

What Happened: The Scope of the Problem

Pew’s survey, part of a broader study on online scams and attacks, found that online shopping fraud is one of the most widespread types of digital crime in the United States. The same report noted that payment app users—those who use services like Venmo, Cash App, or Zelle—express heightened security concerns, and for good reason: many scams explicitly target these platforms because they offer limited buyer protection compared to credit cards.

The data aligns with what federal agencies have been tracking. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) consistently lists online shopping scams among the top categories of fraud reports. In recent years, consumers have lost hundreds of millions of dollars to schemes ranging from fake websites to social media marketplace fraud.

Why It Matters for Every Online Shopper

Online shopping continues to grow. Pew data from prior years shows that e‑commerce has steadily increased, even though most retail sales still happen in stores. That growth, combined with the convenience of mobile shopping and the rise of social media recommendations, creates fertile ground for scammers.

Scams are not limited to shady sites on the dark corners of the web. They appear on legitimate platforms: Facebook Marketplace, Instagram ads, TikTok shop links, and even seemingly reputable retailers that turn out to be sophisticated knock‑offs. Because the schemes evolve quickly, relying on intuition alone is no longer enough.

The consequences go beyond losing money. When a scam succeeds, the scammer may also obtain your email, address, and payment credentials, which can be used for identity theft or sold on the dark web.

What Readers Can Do: A Practical Prevention Guide

Here are concrete measures you can take to reduce your risk. They don’t guarantee perfect safety, but they significantly raise the bar for scammers.

Before you buy

Use a credit card, not a debit card or payment app. Credit cards offer stronger fraud protection under federal law (the Fair Credit Billing Act). If something goes wrong, you can dispute the charge and often get a refund while the card issuer investigates. Debit cards and peer‑to‑peer payment apps like Venmo or Cash App do not offer the same consumer protections—once the money is sent, it’s nearly impossible to recover.
Verify the seller and the site. If you’re buying from a seller you don’t know, search for independent reviews. Look at sites like the Better Business Bureau or Trustpilot. Be wary of sellers with only a handful of glowing reviews—they may be fake. Check the website URL carefully: misspellings or unusual domain endings (like .design instead of .com) are common red flags.
Watch for prices that are too good to be true. A new iPhone for $200? A designer handbag at 90% off? Scammers hook victims by listing items far below market value. Compare prices across multiple stores. If a deal looks extraordinary, it probably is.
Be suspicious of urgency tactics. “Only 2 left!”, “Sale ends in 10 minutes!”, “Limited supply—act now!” are designed to bypass your rational thinking. Scammers know that when you feel rushed, you’re less likely to double‑check details.

During the checkout process

Check the payment page for HTTPS. The URL should begin with https:// and show a padlock icon in the browser bar. That indicates the connection is encrypted. It’s not a guarantee of legitimacy, but its absence is a strong warning sign.
Avoid wire transfers or gift card payments. Legitimate sellers rarely ask for payment via wire transfer, money order, or gift cards (such as Apple or Google Play gift cards). These methods are essentially untraceable and irreversible.
Enable two‑factor authentication (2FA) on your accounts. For the shopping sites themselves (Amazon, eBay, etc.) and your email account, turn on 2FA if available. This adds an extra step when logging in, making it harder for scammers to hijack your account even if they steal your password.

If you think you’ve been scammed

Act quickly. Contact your bank or credit card issuer immediately. Report the fraud and ask them to reverse the charge or block further transactions. The sooner you call, the better your chances of recovery.
Change your passwords. Start with the compromised account, then update any other accounts that use the same or similar password. Use a password manager to generate strong, unique passwords.
Report the scam to the FTC. File a complaint at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. The FTC uses these reports to track trends and may pursue enforcement actions.
Monitor your accounts and credit. Check your bank and credit card statements for unauthorized charges over the next few months. You can also request a free credit report from AnnualCreditReport.com to see if any new accounts were opened in your name.

To make it easier, here’s a quick checklist you can save for future purchases:

Is the price realistic compared to other sellers?
Does the website have contact info and a physical address?
Are there independent reviews from multiple sources?
Does the site use HTTPS and a secure payment method?
Are you paying with a credit card (or a service with buyer protection)?
Have you taken a moment to step back from any urgency pressure?

Staying Informed, Staying Safe

No approach will make you immune to every scam, especially as criminals refine their techniques. But being aware of the baseline risk—that one in three Americans has already been hit—is a reminder that caution is warranted. Trust your instincts. If something feels off, walk away.

The Pew data also shows that knowledge itself is a protective factor. People who understand how scams typically unfold are less likely to fall for them. Sharing what you’ve learned with friends and family (especially those who may be less tech‑savvy) can multiply that protection.

For the latest trends, you can follow the FTC’s scam alerts and keep an eye on Pew’s ongoing research into digital fraud. The numbers will change, but the core advice remains the same: verify before you pay, use strong payment methods, and act fast if something goes wrong.

Sources

Pew Research Center, “About a third of Americans say they’ve had an online shopping scam happen to them,” November 2025.
Pew Research Center, “Online Scams and Attacks in America Today,” July 2025.
Federal Trade Commission, “Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book,” 2024 and 2025.