1 in 3 Americans Hit by Online Shopping Scams: Here’s How to Stay Safe

If you’ve ever bought something online that never arrived, or landed on a site that looked legitimate but turned out to be a fake, you’re not alone. A recent Pew Research Center study found that about a third of Americans say they’ve had an online shopping scam happen to them. That’s a significant share of consumers, and the problem shows no sign of slowing.

The good news is that most scams follow predictable patterns. Learn to spot them, and you can shop online with much less risk.

What happened? The Pew data

Pew’s survey, published in November 2025, asked Americans about their encounters with online shopping scams. Roughly one in three reported that they had personally experienced such a scam. The study also found that users of payment apps like Venmo and Cash App are especially concerned about security — and for good reason, because those apps often lack the fraud protections that credit cards offer.

The numbers confirm what many consumer protection groups have been saying: online shopping fraud is now a mainstream risk, not a rare event.

Why it matters for you as a shopper

When you shop online, you’re trusting a seller you may never meet, often on a website you’ve never used before. Scammers take advantage of that trust by creating convincing storefronts, using stolen product photos, and offering deals that seem too good to pass up. Once you pay, the item never ships, or what arrives is a cheap counterfeit.

The financial loss can be small — a few dollars for a bargain — or much larger, depending on what you buy. Beyond the money, a scam can compromise your personal information, leading to further fraud or identity theft.

What you can do: practical steps to avoid shopping scams

The goal isn’t to stop shopping online. It’s to shop smart. Here are concrete actions you can take, based on consumer safety best practices and the patterns identified in Pew’s research.

1. Stick with credit cards, not debit or payment apps.
Credit cards offer the strongest fraud protection under federal law. If a purchase goes wrong, you can dispute the charge and often get your money back. Debit cards and payment apps like Venmo or Zelle do not give you the same legal protections. Many banks will not recover money sent through a payment app if you authorized the transaction, even if the seller was fraudulent.

2. Check the website carefully before entering payment info.
Look for subtle signs that a site might be fake: misspellings in the URL, poor grammar or odd phrasing on the page, missing contact information, and no physical address. If the site was created only a few weeks ago (you can check with a domain lookup tool), treat it with suspicion.

3. Verify the seller’s reputation.
Don’t rely only on reviews hosted on the seller’s own site — those can be faked. Search for the store name plus “scam” or “review” on independent platforms like Reddit, Trustpilot, or the Better Business Bureau. If you see multiple reports of non-delivery or bad quality, move on.

4. Be wary of prices that are drastically lower than elsewhere.
Scammers lure shoppers with deals that seem impossible. If a brand-new gaming console is listed at 70% off, there is almost certainly a problem. Compare prices across multiple reputable retailers to get a sense of the real market range.

5. Avoid shopping on public Wi-Fi or shared computers.
Unsecured networks make it easier for criminals to intercept your payment information. Use your cellular data or a trusted home network when making purchases, or use a VPN if you must shop on public Wi-Fi.

6. Trust your gut if a site pressures you to act quickly.
Phrases like “only 3 left” or “sale ends in 10 minutes” are common urgency tactics used by scammers. Legitimate sales may use urgency too, but fraudulent sites rely on preventing you from thinking critically. Slow down.

7. Use a single credit card for online shopping.
Dedicate one card to online purchases. That way, if it gets compromised, you only need to cancel one account and you can spot fraudulent charges more easily.

What to do if you’ve been scammed

Even careful shoppers can get caught. If you believe you’ve fallen for an online shopping scam, act quickly.

  • Contact your bank or credit card issuer immediately to dispute the charge and ask for a chargeback. Time limits apply, so don’t wait.
  • Report the scam to the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. This helps them track patterns and warn others.
  • File a complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) if you lost money and believe the scammer is based outside the U.S.
  • Change your passwords if you reused the same password on the scam site. Consider using a password manager for unique, strong passwords.

Staying informed

The consumer landscape changes quickly. New scam techniques appear, but the fundamentals remain the same: verify before you pay, use secure payment methods, and trust your instincts when something feels off. Pew’s study is a good reminder that this isn’t a rare problem — it affects millions of Americans. But with a few simple habits, you can reduce your chances of becoming a statistic.

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, “Payment apps like Venmo and Cash App bring convenience – and security concerns – to some users,” September 2022.
  • Federal Trade Commission, “What to do if you were scammed,” ftc.gov.