How to Spot Online Shopping Scams and Stay Safe This Season

Online shopping has become a routine part of life, but the convenience comes with risks that change every year. Scammers are getting better at impersonating trusted retailers, banks, and even government agencies. Recent warnings from the VA, FTC, and FBI show that shopping fraud is not limited to the holidays — it happens year-round, and it targets everyone, including veterans and military families.

This article explains what you need to watch for, how to verify a deal before you click “buy,” and what to do if you think you’ve been scammed.

What’s happening

In January 2026, the VA News published an article urging people to “watch out for scams and stay safe while online shopping.” The warning covers common tactics such as fake websites that mimic legitimate stores, phishing emails pretending to be from delivery services, and payment requests through unusual methods like gift cards or cryptocurrency. The VA specifically noted that veterans and their families are frequent targets, because scammers know they may have stable income or benefits.

A separate alert from the FTC, published as early as 2024, addresses a recurring scam: a call or text claiming there’s a suspicious charge on your Amazon account. The message urges you to call a number or click a link to “verify” the purchase. In reality, there is no suspicious charge — the scammers are after your login credentials or payment details.

And the FBI’s 2025 Internet Crime Report, released in May 2025, confirms the scale of the problem: Americans lost billions of dollars to online shopping fraud in the previous year. The report tracks common schemes, including non-delivery of goods, auction fraud, and payment app scams.

Why it matters

These scams are not just annoying — they can drain bank accounts, compromise credit cards, and lead to identity theft. The methods used are often difficult to distinguish from legitimate communications. A fake order confirmation text can look identical to one from Amazon. A copycat website may use a nearly identical URL with one letter changed.

What makes these scams particularly dangerous is their use of urgency and fear. When someone receives a text saying “Your Amazon account has been charged $499.99 — call this number to cancel,” the natural reaction is to act fast. That urgency is exactly what scammers rely on.

For veterans and older adults, the financial impact can be especially severe. Many rely on fixed incomes, and the time needed to recover from fraud can be months.

What you can do

Here are practical steps to protect yourself, based on official advice from the VA, FTC, and FBI.

Before you buy

  • Check the URL carefully. Scammers register domains that look like real stores (for example, “amaz0n-deals.com” instead of “amazon.com”). Look for misspellings, extra words, or unusual top-level domains like “.shop” or “.xyz” when the real store uses “.com.”
  • Verify the retailer. If you’ve never shopped on a site before, search for reviews from independent sources. Be skeptical of sites that have no contact information or only a web form.
  • Too-good-to-be-true deals usually are. Extreme discounts, especially on popular electronics or designer goods, are a red flag. Scammers use low prices to attract clicks.
  • Use a credit card, not a debit card or wire transfer. Credit cards offer better fraud protection. Avoid paying with gift cards, cryptocurrency, or wire transfers — legitimate retailers never ask for these.

When you get messages about purchases

  • Do not click links in unsolicited texts or emails. If you get a message about a suspicious charge, go directly to the retailer’s website by typing the URL into your browser or using the app you already have. Log in to check your order history.
  • Hang up if someone calls about a purchase you don’t recognize. Let the call go to voicemail. Scammers spoof phone numbers, so even a caller ID showing a real company name is not reliable.
  • Look for generic greetings. Official emails from Amazon or other large retailers usually address you by name. Scammers often use “Dear Customer” or “Dear User.”

If you think you’ve been scammed

  • Contact your bank or credit card company immediately. Report the unauthorized transaction and ask to freeze your card if needed.
  • Change your passwords. If you entered login credentials on a fake site, change your password for that account and any other account that uses the same password.
  • Report it. File a complaint with the FTC at ftc.gov/complaint. You can also report to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at ic3.gov. If the scam involves VA benefits or impersonates the VA, contact the VA’s fraud hotline.
  • Monitor your accounts. Check your bank and credit card statements regularly for any new unauthorized charges.

Sources

  • VA News – “Watch out for scams and stay safe while online shopping” (January 28, 2026)
  • Federal Trade Commission – “Did you get a call or text about a suspicious purchase on Amazon? It’s a scam” (March 7, 2024)
  • Federal Bureau of Investigation – “FBI Releases Annual Internet Crime Report” (May 13, 2025)

These resources are publicly available and provide more detailed information if you want to learn about specific scam tactics in depth.