1 in 3 Americans Hit by Online Shopping Scams: Here’s How to Avoid Being Next

If you’ve ever clicked a too-good-to-be-true deal on social media and ended up with an empty package—or nothing at all—you’re far from alone. New research from Pew Research Center, released in November 2025, found that roughly one in three U.S. adults say they have experienced an online shopping scam. With the holiday shopping season now in full swing, that number might well climb unless we get better at spotting the traps before we fall in.

What happened

The Pew study surveyed a representative sample of American adults and asked about their encounters with various digital frauds. The finding that 31% of respondents had been scammed while shopping online is consistent with other recent reports showing that scam tactics are evolving faster than most shoppers’ defenses. The survey also highlighted that younger adults and those who shop frequently on social media were especially likely to report an incident.

Why it matters

Scams aren’t just a minor annoyance—they can drain bank accounts, expose personal data, and take weeks or months to resolve. During busy shopping periods like Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and the weeks before Christmas, scammers ramp up their efforts. They know people are looking for bargains and may let their guard down. The Pew data confirms that this is a widespread problem, not a rare one. If a third of Americans have been hit, the odds are good that someone you know—maybe even you—will encounter a scam this season.

What readers can do

The good news is that most online shopping scams follow a few predictable patterns. Learn those patterns, and you can sidestep most of the trouble.

Watch for these red flags

  • Unrealistic discounts. A brand-new gaming console for 70% off from an unknown website? That’s almost certainly a fake.
  • High-pressure tactics. “Only 2 left!” or “Sale ends in 10 minutes!”—scammers create urgency to keep you from thinking critically.
  • Requests for unusual payment. If a seller insists on gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency, stop. Legitimate businesses accept credit cards or well-known payment services.
  • Suspicious URLs and misspellings. Check the address bar. “Amaz0n-deals.com” is not Amazon.
  • Fake social media ads. Many scams originate with sponsored posts that look like they’re from a real company but lead to a copycat site.

How to protect yourself

  • Shop on sites you already know and trust. If you’re trying a new seller, do a quick search for reviews plus the word “scam.”
  • Use a credit card when possible. Credit cards offer stronger fraud protection than debit cards or bank transfers.
  • Enable two-factor authentication on your payment accounts. It adds an extra step, but it can block thieves from using your stored card details.
  • Be cautious with links in emails, texts, or social DMs—even if they appear to come from a store you use. Go directly to the store’s website instead.
  • Keep your devices and browsers updated. Security patches fix vulnerabilities that scam sites sometimes exploit.

What to do if you get scammed

Even careful shoppers can be caught off guard. If it happens, act quickly:

  1. Contact your bank or credit card issuer immediately. Report the transaction and ask to reverse it if possible.
  2. Change the passwords on the account you used and any others that share the same password.
  3. Report the scam to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Your report helps them track patterns and warn others.
  4. Monitor your accounts for unusual activity over the next several weeks.

The bottom line

The Pew data is a reminder that online shopping scams are not rare anomalies—they’re a routine risk. But risk can be managed. By staying skeptical of deals that look too good, paying with secure methods, and knowing what to do if something goes wrong, you can shop this holiday season without becoming part of the next statistic.

Sources:

  • Pew Research Center, “About 1 in 3 Americans say they experienced an online shopping scam,” November 2025.
  • Federal Trade Commission, “How to Recognize and Avoid a Scam.”
  • Tech Transparency Project, “Meta Awash in Deepfake Scam Ads,” October 2025.