New Pew Data Shows 1 in 3 Americans Hit by Online Shopping Scams – Here’s How to Stay Safe

If you’ve bought something online in the past few years, you may have wondered how common shopping scams really are. A Pew Research Center study released in November 2025 now puts a number on it: about a third of Americans say they’ve had an online shopping scam happen to them. That’s roughly 33% of U.S. adults – and given how fast these scams change, the figure may already be higher for some groups.

This article walks through what the research tells us, why it matters for everyday shoppers, and – most importantly – what you can do to protect yourself.

What happened

The Pew study surveyed American adults about their experiences with online scams. The headline finding: 33% of respondents reported that they had been the victim of at least one online shopping scam. The report also points to related risks that have been documented in Pew’s earlier work – including the prevalence of payment app scams (Venmo, Cash App), the growing role of social media influencers in driving purchases, and the challenges of spotting fake product reviews.

This isn’t just a niche problem. It reaches across age groups and income levels, though younger adults who use social media for shopping may be at greater risk.

Why it matters

An online shopping scam isn’t always a stolen credit card number. It can be a phishing email that looks like an order confirmation, a fake website that vanishes after taking your payment, or a social media seller who never ships the item. The consequences range from losing $50 on a fraudulent listing to having your identity stolen.

The financial losses add up, but there’s also a less obvious cost: erosion of trust. When one in three shoppers has been burned, it makes people hesitate to buy from legitimate small businesses, or to try new payment methods that could be more secure. That hesitancy has real economic impact.

Scammers constantly refine their tactics, but the core principles of protection haven’t changed much. Understanding them can reduce your chance of becoming the next statistic.

What readers can do

Recognize the common scam types

  • Phishing messages – Emails or texts that appear to be from a retailer, asking you to click a link or verify account details. The link leads to a fake login page that steals your credentials.
  • Fake online stores – Websites that look professional, offer deep discounts on popular items, and then disappear after payment. Often they’re created in hours and taken down within weeks.
  • Social media marketplace fraud – Scammers on Facebook Marketplace, Instagram, or TikTok who list products at low prices, then pressure you to pay through peer-to-peer apps (Zelle, Venmo, Cash App) where buyer protection is limited.
  • Fake delivery notifications – Texts or emails claiming a package can’t be delivered and asking for a small fee or personal information to reschedule.

Look for red flags

  • Prices that seem unrealistically low – if it’s 70% off a popular item from an unknown seller, it’s likely a scam.
  • Urgency tactics (“Only 2 left – pay now before it’s gone”) that push you to act without thinking.
  • No clear return policy, contact information, or physical address on the website.
  • Payment methods that lack dispute protection – especially wire transfers, gift cards, or direct peer-to-peer app transfers.

Protect yourself before buying

  • Verify the seller. Search for reviews from independent sources. Check the website’s domain age (you can do a quick “whois” lookup for free). Be skeptical of sites that are only a few months old.
  • Use a credit card when possible. Credit cards offer the strongest fraud protections under federal law. Debit cards, gift cards, and payment apps generally offer less recourse.
  • Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) on your payment accounts and email. This adds a layer of protection even if your password is stolen.
  • Don’t click links in unsolicited messages. Instead, go directly to the retailer’s website by typing the URL yourself.

If you’ve been scammed

Act quickly, even if the amount is small:

  1. Contact your bank or card issuer immediately. They can block transactions, freeze accounts, and start a chargeback or dispute.
  2. Report the scam to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Your report helps them track patterns and may lead to enforcement.
  3. Change your passwords – especially for your email, payment accounts, and any site where you reused the compromised password.
  4. Monitor your accounts for unusual activity over the next few weeks. Set up alerts for transactions above a small threshold.

The odds of recovering money from a scam are low, but reporting it and protecting your accounts reduces the chance of further damage.

Bottom line

The new Pew data confirms what many already suspected: online shopping scams are widespread and affect a significant share of Americans. There is no single foolproof method to avoid them, but a combination of skepticism, careful payment habits, and quick response when something goes wrong can dramatically lower your risk. Scams will keep evolving, but the basics – verifying sellers, using protected payments, and not rushing – remain effective.

Sources: Pew Research Center (November 2025): “About a third of Americans say they’ve had an online shopping scam happen to them”; related Pew reports on payment app scams (2022), social media shopping influence (2022), and product reviews on TikTok (2024). Federal Trade Commission (FTC) guidance on online shopping scams.