A Third of Americans Have Been Scammed Shopping Online: Here’s How to Avoid It
New data from the Pew Research Center, published in late 2025, found that roughly one in three U.S. adults say they have experienced an online shopping scam. That figure is not just a headline: it reflects a problem that touches millions of households, and one that continues to evolve as scammers adapt to new platforms and payment methods.
Understanding how these scams work and what you can do to steer clear of them is worth the few minutes it takes to read this piece. Below is a breakdown of what the data shows, why it matters, and the practical steps you can take now.
What Happened: The Pew Research Findings
Pew’s survey, conducted in October 2025, asked Americans about a range of online threats. The result: about 32% said yes to having encountered an online shopping scam. That is a substantial share, and it aligns with other consumer protection data showing that fraud reports related to online purchases have been rising steadily.
The research also noted that younger adults, those who shop frequently via mobile devices, and people who use social media–based marketplaces reported higher rates of exposure. Scammers are not limiting themselves to fake websites; they are also active on Instagram, Facebook Marketplace, TikTok Shop, and peer-to-peer payment apps.
Why It Matters
An online shopping scam is not just an annoyance. Victims can lose money directly—often several hundred dollars at a time—and may also have their payment card details, addresses, or other personal information stolen. In more elaborate schemes, scammers use that data to commit identity theft or sell it on dark-web forums.
The loss is rarely recovered. According to the Federal Trade Commission, bank reversals and chargebacks are possible in some cases, but scammers increasingly demand payment methods that are difficult to reverse: gift cards, wire transfers, cryptocurrency, or peer-to-peer apps like Venmo and Cash App. Once the money is sent, getting it back is unlikely.
What Readers Can Do
Recognize the Common Scam Patterns
Most online shopping scams fall into a few categories:
- Fake websites that mimic a legitimate retailer, often with a misspelled domain name or a “.shop,” “.store,” or “.top” suffix.
- Too-good-to-be-true listings for popular electronics, designer goods, or concert tickets at a fraction of the normal price.
- Phishing emails or texts that claim there is a problem with an order and ask you to click a link to “confirm” your credit card.
- Social media ads that lead to a one-page checkout site with no reviews, no return policy, and no contact information.
- Advance-fee scams where the seller asks for a deposit or full payment upfront, then vanishes.
Look for Red Flags
Before you enter payment details, check these:
- Price: If it’s 50% or more below the normal retail price for a brand-new item, be skeptical.
- Contact info: Legitimate sellers have a physical address, a customer service phone number, and a clear return policy. If you cannot find any of these, walk away.
- Domain age: You can use a free tool like Whois lookup to see when a website was registered. A site that is only a few weeks old is riskier.
- User reviews: But be careful—scammers often post fake positive reviews. Look for reviews on independent sites like Trustpilot or Better Business Bureau, and check for common complaints about missing items or no refunds.
- Payment method requested: If a seller insists on gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency, stop the transaction. Those are almost never reversible. Credit cards offer the best buyer protection, and PayPal Goods and Services also offers dispute resolution.
Practical Steps to Protect Yourself
Use a credit card for online purchases, not a debit card. Credit cards provide federal fraud liability protections (up to $50 in most cases, and many issuers waive that). Debit cards expose your bank account directly, and recovering money can take weeks.
Turn on two-factor authentication on your email and any shopping accounts you use regularly. This makes it harder for scammers to take over your account if they get your password.
Keep your devices and browsers up to date. Security updates patch vulnerabilities that scammers can exploit.
Avoid shopping on public Wi-Fi or using a public computer for purchases. If you must, use a VPN or your phone’s mobile network instead.
Buy directly from the source. If you see a product on an ad, open a new browser tab and navigate to the retailer’s official website. Do not click the ad link unless you are certain it’s legitimate.
What to Do If You Are Scammed
Time matters. As soon as you realize you have been tricked:
- Contact your bank or credit card issuer to report the transaction. They can start a chargeback and may block further charges.
- Change the password for any accounts you used during the purchase, especially if you reused that password elsewhere.
- Report it to the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. The FTC shares data with law enforcement and can help track scam networks.
- File a complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at ic3.gov, especially if the scam involved significant financial loss.
- Notify the platform where you encountered the scam (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, eBay). They may remove the fraudulent listing or account.
Finally, consider placing a fraud alert or security freeze on your credit reports if you suspect your personal or financial information was compromised. You can do this for free at each of the three major bureaus (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion).
Stay Cautious, Not Paranoid
The Pew numbers make one thing clear: online shopping scams are common enough that pretending they won’t happen to you is not a good strategy. But by knowing the patterns, sticking to reputable sellers and payment methods, and acting quickly if something goes wrong, you can significantly reduce your risk. The goal is to stay informed and cautious without letting fear ruin the convenience of shopping online.
Sources
- Pew Research Center (November 2025). “About a Third of Americans Say They’ve Had an Online Shopping Scam Happen to Them.” Available at pewresearch.org.
- Federal Trade Commission. “Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book 2024.” Produced annually.
- Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). “2024 Internet Crime Report.”