Online Shopping Scams Hit 1 in 3 Americans: A Practical Guide to Protect Yourself

If you shop online, you’ve probably seen deals that seem too good to be true. According to a November 2025 report from the Pew Research Center, about one in three U.S. adults say they have personally experienced an online shopping scam. That figure is a reminder that fraudulent sellers and fake storefronts are not rare outliers — they are a routine hazard of modern e-commerce.

This article explains the types of scams behind that statistic and, more importantly, what you can do to avoid losing money or personal data.

What Happened

Pew’s survey, published in November 2025, found that roughly a third of Americans report having been scammed while shopping online. The research covers a broad range of incidents, from orders that never arrived to purchases that turned out to be counterfeit goods. Scammers use a variety of tactics, but three categories dominate:

  • Fake websites that mimic legitimate retailers, often with URLs that differ by a single character.
  • Fraudulent social media ads that promote products at unrealistically low prices.
  • Phishing emails or texts that appear to be from a known brand, directing victims to log in or pay on a cloned site.

Although Pew did not break down the demographics in detail for this specific report, earlier research from the same organization shows that younger adults are particularly active in social-commerce environments — and therefore may be at higher risk. However, scammers target all age groups.

Why It Matters

An online shopping scam doesn’t just cost you the amount of the purchase. In many cases, scammers also harvest credit card numbers, addresses, and passwords. That information can be used for identity theft or sold on the dark web. The financial harm can multiply quickly.

Yet many consumers still assume that clicking a link in an email or buying from a sponsored Instagram post is safe. The Pew data suggests otherwise. With e‑commerce continuing to grow — especially through influencers and mobile apps — the number of potential victims is increasing.

The good news is that most scams share common warning signs, and a few straightforward habits can greatly reduce your risk.

What You Can Do

Use a credit card for online purchases. Credit cards offer the strongest fraud protection under federal law. If a charge is fraudulent, you can dispute it and typically have liability limited to $50 — often zero. Debit cards, prepaid cards, and payment apps like Venmo or Cash App provide much less recourse, and wire transfers or gift cards are essentially untraceable.

Check the seller before you buy. If you’re on a site you haven’t used before, search for the business name plus “scam” or “complaint.” Look for independent reviews from sources like the Better Business Bureau or Trustpilot — but be aware that scammers sometimes post fake five‑star reviews. Also examine the URL: misspellings, extra words, or unusual domain extensions (e.g., .store instead of .com) are red flags.

Avoid clicking links in unsolicited messages. Even if an email or text appears to be from Amazon or Walmart, do not click the link. Instead, open your browser and navigate directly to the retailer’s official site. Scammers rely on urgency and convincing graphics to bypass your caution.

Enable two‑factor authentication (2FA) on your shopping accounts and payment apps. This extra step makes it much harder for someone to access your account even if they obtain your password.

Know what to do if you are scammed. Act quickly:

  • Contact your bank or credit card issuer to dispute the charge and freeze the card if needed.
  • Change the password for any account that may have been compromised. Use a strong, unique password.
  • Report the scam to the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
  • Monitor your bank and credit card statements for unauthorized transactions.

Sources

  • Pew Research Center, “About a third of Americans say they’ve had an online shopping scam happen to them,” November 19, 2025.
  • Federal Trade Commission, “How to avoid online shopping scams.”

By staying aware of the most common tricks and following the steps above, you can shop online with more confidence — and significantly lower your chances of becoming another statistic.