1 in 3 Americans Report Online Shopping Scams: Essential Safety Tips

If you shop online—and most of us do—there’s a good chance you’ve encountered a scam. According to a November 2025 study from the Pew Research Center, about 33 percent of Americans say they have personally experienced an online shopping scam. That’s one in three people. The findings are a reminder that fraud is not a rare event; it’s a routine risk in digital commerce.

What the Pew Data Actually Shows

The Pew study, which surveyed U.S. adults, found that younger adults, women, and people who shop online frequently are more likely to report being scammed. The scams take many forms: fake websites that mimic real retailers, fraudulent ads on social media, phishing emails that appear to be from shipping companies, and what researchers call “buyer-in-danger” ploys where a scammer poses as a seller or buyer and pressures you into a rushed transaction.

What’s notable is that these incidents are not isolated to the tech-naive. Even experienced online shoppers can be fooled by well-crafted fake storefronts or targeted ads on platforms like Instagram and Facebook. The sheer volume of e-commerce transactions creates a fertile environment for scammers.

Why This Matters Right Now

Online shopping continues to grow. The same Pew data shows that most retail sales still happen in stores, but e-commerce is climbing steadily. With holiday shopping seasons and major sales events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday approaching, the window for scams widens. Scammers exploit urgency and the sheer number of transactions to slip in undetected.

Beyond the immediate financial loss—which can range from a few dollars to hundreds—falling for a shopping scam can lead to stolen payment card details, identity theft, or unauthorized charges on your accounts. The recovery process is time-consuming and stressful. Knowing the warning signs before you click “buy” is your best defense.

Recognizing Red Flags

Scams share common characteristics. Here are the ones to watch for:

  • Prices that seem too good to be true. A brand-new gaming console at 70 percent off from an unknown store is almost always a scam.
  • Sites with poor design or odd URLs. Look for the padlock icon and check that the domain name matches the brand exactly. “Amaz0n-deals.com” is not Amazon.
  • Requests for unusual payment methods. Legitimate sellers do not ask for wire transfers, gift cards, or cryptocurrency. They take credit cards or linked payment services.
  • Pressure to act fast. “Only 3 left at this price!” combined with a countdown timer is a classic tactic to short-circuit your judgment.
  • Sellers with no verifiable contact information. If the “About Us” page is vague or the only contact is a Gmail address, be skeptical.

Practical Steps to Protect Yourself

You don’t need to stop shopping online. You just need to adopt a few habits.

  • Use a credit card for online purchases. Under U.S. law, credit cards generally offer better fraud protection than debit cards or payment apps. Most issuers will not hold you liable for unauthorized charges if you report them promptly.
  • Stick to well-known marketplaces, but be careful even there. Amazon, eBay, and Etsy have seller ratings and return policies, but scammers can still set up storefronts. Check seller history and read recent negative reviews.
  • Verify independent reviews. Don’t rely solely on reviews hosted on the seller’s site. Look for reviews on third-party sites like Trustpilot, or search the store name plus “scam” or “fraud” to see if others have complained.
  • Enable purchase alerts on your cards. Most banks and apps let you set up real-time notifications for any transaction over a certain amount. That way you catch unauthorized charges quickly.
  • Avoid public Wi-Fi for shopping. If you must shop on your phone while out, use mobile data or a VPN. Public networks can intercept your payment details.

What to Do If You’ve Been Scammed

If you realize you’ve paid for something that never arrives, or you gave your card info to a fake site, act fast.

  1. Contact your bank or card issuer immediately. They can block the transaction, reverse the charge, and issue a new card number.
  2. Change your passwords. Any account where you used the same email and password linked to the purchase should be updated.
  3. Report the scam to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Even if you don’t get your money back, your report helps the agency track patterns and warn others.
  4. Monitor your bank statements for the next few weeks. Some scammers wait before using stolen card details.

The Bottom Line

The Pew data makes one thing clear: online shopping scams are not rare. They are a normal part of the digital marketplace. That doesn’t mean you should stop buying things online—but it does mean you should treat every transaction the way you would cash in hand. Verify the seller, check the price, use the safest payment method available, and pause if something feels off. A few minutes of caution can save you hours of frustration.

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, “Online Scams and Attacks in America Today” (July 2025)
  • Federal Trade Commission, “How to Avoid an Online Shopping Scam” (2025)