1 in 3 Americans have been scammed while shopping online. Here’s how to spot the traps.

According to recent data from the Pew Research Center, about a third of Americans say they’ve had an online shopping scam happen to them. That figure comes from a survey conducted in late 2025, and it underscores a problem that has only grown worse as more of our daily purchases move to screens. The good news is that most of these scams follow predictable patterns. Once you know what to look for, you can spot them before you lose money.

What happened

Pew’s survey asked U.S. adults whether they had personally experienced an online shopping scam—something like paying for an item that never arrived, receiving a counterfeit product, or being tricked by a fake website or phishing email that appeared to be from a legitimate retailer. About one in three respondents said yes. The study also found that about one in five Americans have used cryptocurrency, a payment method often tied to irreversible scam transactions.

Online shopping scams aren’t limited to a single age group or platform. They happen on social media marketplaces, through ads on search engines, and via emails that look like order confirmations from Amazon or FedEx. The Federal Trade Commission estimates that consumers lost over $8.8 billion to fraud in 2022, with online shopping scams representing one of the top categories.

Why it matters

Having that many people affected means the risk is real, not just something that happens to the unusually trusting. Scams chip away at confidence in online shopping and can cost victims hundreds or thousands of dollars. Worse, recovering lost money is difficult: many scams rely on payment methods like wire transfers, gift cards, or peer-to-peer payment apps that offer little to no buyer protection.

For everyday shoppers, the takeaway isn’t to stop buying online—it’s to build habits that make scams easier to catch. The patterns used by scammers change slowly because they still work.

What you can do about it

Know the most common scams

The vast majority of online shopping scams fall into a few categories:

• Non-delivery scams: You pay for an item that never arrives. The seller may disappear or send a fake tracking number.
• Counterfeit goods: The product you receive is a knockoff, often sold on a website that looks like a well-known brand’s official store.
• Fake websites: Scammers copy the design of a legitimate retailer (like Nike, Best Buy, or a local store) and lure you in through ads or search results.
• Phishing emails: You get an email that appears to be from a shipping company or retailer, asking you to “confirm your order” or “update payment info.” Clicking the link takes you to a fake login page that steals your credentials.
• Social media marketplace scams: Buyers or sellers on platforms like Facebook Marketplace or Instagram use fake profiles to arrange payments without delivering goods.

Red flags to watch for

Some warning signs apply across all these scenarios:

• Prices that seem too good to be true – brand-new electronics or designer items sold for 80% off retail.
• Urgency – messages that pressure you to act now, saying “only two left” or “sale ends in an hour.”
• Payment methods that have no buyer protection – requests for payment via gift cards, wire transfer, cryptocurrency, or peer-to-peer apps like Venmo or Cash App. Legitimate businesses almost never ask for these.
• Poor website quality – typos in the URL (amazn.com instead of amazon.com), missing contact information, no return policy, or broken English on the site.
• No physical address or phone number – a store that only has an email address or a contact form, with no way to reach a human.

Practical steps to protect yourself

• Use a credit card instead of a debit card. Credit cards offer chargeback rights if you don’t receive what you paid for. Debit cards do not have the same level of protection.
• Verify the URL carefully. Before entering payment details, double-check that the address is correct and uses HTTPS (the padlock icon in your browser). Scammers often register domains that are one letter off from the real site.
• Check seller reviews, but with skepticism. Look at reviews on independent sites like Trustpilot or the Better Business Bureau, not just on the store’s own website. Be suspicious if every review is glowing and generic.
• Consider using a virtual card number. Many credit card issuers offer temporary card numbers that can only be used with one merchant. If a scammer gets that number, they can’t use it anywhere else.
• Enable two-factor authentication on your payment accounts and email. This makes it harder for a scammer to hijack your accounts even if they get your password.
• Be cautious with payment apps. Only use PayPal Goods and Services (not Friends and Family) for purchases, because it includes buyer protection. Venmo and Cash App are not designed for transactions with strangers.

If you’ve already been scammed

Act quickly. Every hour matters.

1. Contact your bank or credit card issuer. Report the transaction as fraudulent. Ask them to reverse it if possible.
2. Change your passwords for the accounts you used on the site, as well as your email and any payment accounts.
3. Report the scam to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. This helps them track emerging scams.
4. File a complaint with the Better Business Bureau and, if you know the scammer’s website, report it to the hosting provider.
5. Monitor your bank and credit card statements for several months. Scammers sometimes sell your information to other fraudsters.

Sources

• Pew Research Center, “About a third of Americans say they’ve had an online shopping scam happen to them” (2025)
• Pew Research Center, “About 1 in 5 Americans have used crypto; Republicans’ use has ticked up” (2025)
• Federal Trade Commission, “Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book 2022”

This article is based on publicly available data and general consumer protection guidance. Individual situations may vary; if you suspect you’ve been the victim of fraud, contact your financial institution directly.