1 in 3 Americans Hit by Online Shopping Scams: What You Need to Know to Stay Safe

Introduction

New data from the Pew Research Center shows that online shopping scams are far more common than many people assume. According to a survey released in late 2025, about a third of Americans say they have experienced an online shopping scam. With holiday shopping season in full swing — and more people buying from unfamiliar websites, social media ads, and payment apps — the risk is higher than usual. This article explains what the Pew data tells us, what the most common scams look like, and what you can do to avoid becoming a statistic.

What happened

Pew Research Center surveyed a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults and found that roughly 32% of respondents reported that an online shopping scam had happened to them. The phrasing is broad — it includes everything from paying for an item that never arrived, to receiving a counterfeit product, to having payment information stolen during checkout. The survey did not ask about dollar amounts, but it suggests that tens of millions of Americans have been affected at least once.

The findings align with earlier Pew research on payment apps and social media. In 2022, Pew reported that many users of Venmo and Cash App had concerns about security, and in 2024, they found that a majority of TikTok users rely on the platform for product reviews and recommendations — which can be a vector for scams when reviews are fake or ads are malicious.

Why it matters

Online shopping scams are not a niche problem. One in three adults means that most people either know someone who has been scammed or have been scammed themselves. The financial cost can range from a few dollars lost on a low-quality item to hundreds or thousands of dollars stolen via fraudulent listings or payment apps that offer limited buyer protection.

Beyond money, there is the hassle of disputing charges, changing passwords, and monitoring credit reports. For older adults especially, the emotional toll can be significant — many feel embarrassed or hesitant to report it, which only helps scammers continue.

The timing is important. During the holiday season, people are more likely to click on deals they see on social media, use payment apps to send money for gifts, and let their guard down when a “limited time offer” seems too good to pass up. Scammers know this and ramp up their efforts.

What readers can do

There is no way to eliminate all risk, but you can reduce it significantly by following a few habits.

Before you buy:

  • Check the seller. If you are on a site you have never heard of, look for a physical address, customer service phone number, and reviews from independent sources. Be especially wary of sites that look like a well-known brand but have misspelled URLs or slightly different logos.
  • Avoid paying by wire transfer, gift card, or payment apps like Venmo or Cash App unless you personally know the recipient. Credit cards offer the strongest fraud protection under the Fair Credit Billing Act. If you can, use a dedicated credit card with a low limit for online purchases.
  • Look for too-good-to-be-true prices. If a new iPhone is listed for $200, it is almost certainly a scam. The same goes for electronics, designer goods, or limited-edition items at deep discounts.

While you shop:

  • Use a credit card or a digital wallet service like PayPal that offers purchase protection. Many banks also allow you to create virtual credit card numbers for single-use purchases.
  • Enable transaction alerts on your bank accounts and credit cards. That way, you will know immediately if a charge appears that you did not authorize.
  • Be careful on social media. Ads that appear in your feed — even from friends’ accounts that may have been hacked — can lead to fake stores. Do not click blindly. Instead, search for the retailer separately to verify it is legitimate.

If you are scammed:

  • Contact your bank or credit card issuer immediately. Report the transaction as unauthorized. They may be able to reverse the charge if you act quickly.
  • Change the passwords on any accounts you used during the purchase. Use a strong, unique password for each site. A password manager makes this easier.
  • Report the scam to the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. While they cannot recover your money, they use these reports to track patterns and shut down scams.
  • If you paid via Venmo, Cash App, or a similar app, report it through the app’s help center. Some platforms have dispute processes, but they are less robust than credit card protections.
  • Monitor your bank and credit card statements for the next several weeks. Scammers often try small test charges before making a larger fraudulent purchase.

Sources

  • Pew Research Center. “About a third of Americans say they’ve had an online shopping scam happen to them.” November 19, 2025.
  • Pew Research Center. “Payment apps like Venmo and Cash App bring convenience – and security concerns – to some users.” September 8, 2022.
  • Pew Research Center. “A majority of U.S. TikTok users are there for product reviews and recommendations.” November 21, 2024.
  • Federal Trade Commission. “ReportFraud.ftc.gov.” Accessed November 2025.