1 in 3 Americans Have Fallen for an Online Shopping Scam – Here’s How to Stay Safe
A new study from the Pew Research Center published in November 2025 puts a number on a problem many of us have suspected: about one in three U.S. adults say they have experienced an online shopping scam. With the holiday shopping season underway, that figure is a reminder that scams are not rare exceptions—they are a routine risk of buying online. Fortunately, most can be avoided with a few straightforward habits.
What happened
Pew surveyed American adults and found that roughly 33 percent reported having an online shopping scam happen to them. The study did not break down how much money was lost or specify which scams were most common, but it aligns with earlier Federal Trade Commission data showing that online shopping fraud is one of the top consumer complaint categories. The research also noted that younger adults—those under 50—were somewhat more likely to report being scammed, though older adults who fell victim tended to lose more money.
Why it matters
Online shopping scams spike during peak seasons like the holidays, when people are under time pressure and looking for bargains. Scammers know this and flood the internet with fake websites, phishing emails, and too-good-to-be-true deals. The Pew data suggests that the problem is widespread enough that nearly every regular online shopper either has been scammed or knows someone who has. The financial and emotional cost can be significant, especially when the scam involves identity theft or draining a bank account.
What readers can do
While no one can guarantee complete safety, the following steps significantly reduce your chances of being caught.
Check before you click. Before you buy from an unfamiliar website, verify the URL. Scammers often use addresses that look like a real store’s but with a subtle typo—think “amaz0n.com” instead of “amazon.com.” Look for the padlock icon and “https” in the address bar, but remember that a padlock alone does not mean a site is legitimate; it only means the connection is encrypted.
Read reviews—carefully. A product page with dozens of five-star reviews that all sound similar or use the same phrasing may be faked. Use third-party review aggregators or search for the store’s name plus “scam” to see if other buyers have reported problems.
Pay with a credit card or reputable payment app. Credit cards typically offer the strongest chargeback rights if a purchase goes wrong. Debit cards and bank transfers are riskier because the money leaves your account immediately. Avoid paying with wire transfers, gift cards, or cryptocurrency—those are almost impossible to recover.
Treat unsolicited emails and ads with suspicion. Scammers send phishing emails that mimic order confirmations or deal alerts. Never click a link in an email that seems off; instead, go directly to the retailer’s website. The same goes for social media ads promoting huge discounts from unknown brands—many are fake.
If you do get scammed, act quickly. Contact your bank or credit card issuer to dispute the charge and ask about freezing your accounts. Change your passwords for any accounts you used on the fraudulent site. Report the scam to the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. While you may not get your money back, filing a report helps authorities track patterns and warn others.
Sources
Pew Research Center. “About a third of Americans say they’ve had an online shopping scam happen to them.” November 19, 2025. (Study referenced in the article; full report available at pewresearch.org.)
Federal Trade Commission. “Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book 2024.” (Background context on online shopping fraud statistics.)