A Third of Americans Have Been Scammed While Shopping Online. Here’s How to Stay Safe

If you’ve ever clicked “Buy Now” on a deal that seemed too good to be true—and later realized you paid for nothing—you are far from alone. A 2025 Pew Research Center survey found that about one in three U.S. adults have experienced an online shopping scam. That’s roughly 33 percent of the country. The number is a stark reminder that digital convenience comes with a real, and growing, risk.

What happened: the data behind the stat

Pew’s report, published in November 2025, asked Americans whether they had ever been the victim of an online shopping scam—meaning they paid for a product or service but never received it, or what they got was clearly fake or different from what was advertised. One third said yes. The survey also found that online scams in general are widespread: a separate Pew study from July 2025 noted that nearly half of Americans have encountered some type of online scam or attack in the past year.

The numbers are worse for certain groups. Younger adults, especially those aged 18–29, reported higher rates of shopping scams. Frequent users of social media and payment apps like Venmo and Cash App were also more likely to have been scammed. That aligns with earlier Pew research: in 2022, the center found that a majority of TikTok users turn to the platform for product reviews and recommendations, and that influencer-driven shopping is especially common among young adults. When recommendations come from unverified sources, the risk of landing on a scam site or paying a fake seller grows.

The most common scams include:

  • Fake e-commerce sites that look like legitimate stores but sell nothing or counterfeit goods.
  • Phishing messages that appear to be from a known retailer, asking you to “verify” your account or payment details.
  • Social media marketplace fraud, where a seller lists an item at a low price, takes payment, and disappears.
  • Payment app scams, where the buyer sends money via Venmo, Cash App, or Zelle with little to no buyer protection.

Why it matters

Online shopping has risen steadily over the past decade, but most sales still happen in stores, according to Pew data from 2023. Yet the shift is real, and so is the scam problem. With payment apps offering limited recourse for fraud, and influencers pushing products with minimal vetting, the chances of getting burned are higher than many shoppers realize.

A single scam can cost anywhere from $50 to several thousand dollars. Beyond the money, there’s the hassle of disputed charges, compromised card details, and the erosion of trust in online marketplaces. For households on tight budgets, even a smaller loss can sting.

What you can do to protect yourself

You don’t need to stop shopping online, but a few habits can cut your risk significantly.

Use a credit card or PayPal. Credit cards offer strong fraud protection under federal law. PayPal’s Purchase Protection also covers many situations where items don’t arrive or are significantly different. Avoid direct bank transfers or payment apps that lack buyer protection, especially when buying from someone you don’t know.

Check the seller before you buy. Look for a verified account with a history of reviews. If the seller is brand new or has no reviews, proceed with caution. For unfamiliar websites, search for reviews on third-party sites. Make sure the URL starts with “https://” and look for any misspellings or strange domain names.

Be skeptical of deals that feel urgent. Scammers often say “limited stock” or “offer ends today” to push you into paying fast. Take a moment to compare prices and search for the same item elsewhere. If a price is 50% lower than every other store, it’s probably a trap.

Enable two-factor authentication on your shopping accounts and payment apps. This adds a second layer of security even if your password is stolen.

Use a separate email for shopping. That way, if a seller sells your email address, your primary inbox isn’t flooded with phishing attempts.

What to do if you’ve been scammed

If you realize you paid for something you never received, act quickly:

  1. Contact your bank or card issuer to dispute the charge. For credit cards, you typically have 60 days from the statement date to file a dispute.
  2. Change your passwords immediately, especially if you used the same password on other accounts.
  3. Report the scam to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. It may not get your money back, but it helps authorities track patterns and shut down scammers.
  4. If you paid via a payment app, report the transaction as unauthorized. Some apps, like PayPal, have formal dispute processes. Others, like Zelle, offer very limited protection, so time is critical.

The bottom line

A third of Americans have already been caught by an online shopping scam. That number is likely to grow as social commerce expands and payment methods evolve. The best defense is simple caution: slow down, verify the seller, and use payment methods that have your back. No deal is worth losing your money or your peace of mind.

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.
  • Pew Research Center, “For shopping, phones are common and influencers have become a factor – especially for young adults,” November 2022.
  • Pew Research Center, “Payment apps like Venmo and Cash App bring convenience – and security concerns – to some users,” September 2022.
  • Pew Research Center, “A majority of U.S. TikTok users are there for product reviews and recommendations,” November 2024.