One in Three Americans Has Been Scammed While Shopping Online – Here’s How to Avoid It
If you’ve ever clicked a too‑good‑to‑be‑true deal, only to receive nothing or a counterfeit, you’re far from alone. New research from Pew Research Center, released in November 2025, found that about a third of Americans say they’ve had an online shopping scam happen to them. That works out to roughly 33% of U.S. adults – a number that has grown as e‑commerce and social media shopping have become routine. Understanding how these scams work and how to spot them is the best defense, especially as holiday shopping ramps up.
What Happened
Pew surveyed a representative sample of U.S. adults in the fall of 2025 and asked whether they had personally experienced an online shopping scam. The result: one in three said yes. The scams reported include fake websites designed to look like legitimate stores, phishing emails that appear to be from retailers, social‑media ads that lead to fraudulent sellers, and outright non‑delivery of items after payment. Pew’s data does not break down the exact dollar amounts lost, but other consumer protection reports (such as from the Federal Trade Commission) consistently put annual losses from these frauds in the hundreds of millions of dollars.
Why It Matters
Online shopping scams are not just a minor annoyance. They can drain bank accounts, expose credit card numbers, and leave consumers without the products they paid for. The problem is especially acute during peak shopping periods – like the winter holidays – when people are looking for bargains and may let their guard down. Moreover, scams are evolving: scammers now use artificial intelligence to create realistic product photos, write convincing product descriptions, and even mimic customer reviews. The Pew finding underscores that this is a widespread, mainstream risk, not something that happens only to the careless.
What Readers Can Do
Protecting yourself doesn’t require advanced technical skills. A few straightforward habits can reduce your risk significantly:
- Stick to reputable websites. If you’re trying a new store, search for it alongside words like “scam” or “review.” Check for a physical address and customer‑service phone number.
- Pay by credit card. Credit cards offer stronger fraud protection than debit cards, wire transfers, or payment apps like Zelle or Cash App. If you don’t receive the item, you can dispute the charge.
- Watch for red flags. Prices that are 50–70% below normal, poorly written product descriptions, generic domain names (e.g., “deals-here.shop”), and demands for payment in gift cards or cryptocurrency are all warning signs.
- Enable two‑factor authentication on your shopping accounts. It adds an extra layer of security even if your password is stolen.
- Keep your browser and device updated – security patches fix vulnerabilities that scammers exploit.
- Be skeptical of ads on social media. A 2022 Pew report noted that influencers have become a factor in online shopping, especially for young adults. That trend can be exploited by scammers who impersonate trusted creators.
If you do get scammed:
- Contact your bank or credit card issuer immediately to dispute the charge.
- File a report with the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
- Change the password for any account where you reused the same login.
- Monitor your bank and credit card statements for suspicious activity in the following weeks.
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 (annual reports).
- Pew Research Center, “For shopping, phones are common and influencers have become a factor,” November 2022.
Staying safe while shopping online is less about paranoia and more about forming simple habits. The next time you see a flash sale that seems impossibly low, pause – it just might be the trap that catches one in three.