One in Three Americans Has Fallen for an Online Shopping Scam: How to Protect Yourself

If you shop online regularly, you’ve probably heard the warnings: don’t click suspicious links, avoid deals that seem too good to be true, use a credit card instead of a debit card. But despite those caveats, the problem persists—and recent data shows just how many people are affected.

According to a Pew Research Center study published in November 2025, about a third of Americans say they’ve had an online shopping scam happen to them. That means roughly one in three adults has lost money, had their payment information stolen, or been tricked into buying something that never arrived. With holiday shopping around the corner, it’s a good time to understand the most common scams and how to avoid them.

What Happened

The Pew survey asked respondents whether they had personally experienced a scam while shopping online. The result: 31% of U.S. adults said yes. The finding comes from a broader report on online scams and attacks, which also found that 63% of Americans say they have encountered at least one type of online fraud, phishing attempt, or harassment in the past year.

Online shopping scams have become a top fraud category for the Federal Trade Commission as well. Consumers reported losing more than $10 billion to online scams in 2024, with shopping-related fraud representing a significant portion of those losses. The Pew data confirms that the problem isn’t limited to one age group or income level—scammers target a wide range of shoppers.

Why It Matters

There are a few reasons this statistic matters beyond the obvious financial harm. First, many shoppers still believe that only “older” or “less tech-savvy” people get scammed. That’s not true. Younger adults are frequent targets too, especially with the rise of mobile shopping and influencer-driven promotions. A separate Pew study from 2022 found that young adults are more likely to rely on their phones for shopping and are influenced by social media personalities—two channels that scammers exploit heavily.

Second, payment methods like Venmo, Cash App, and Zelle have made transactions quick and casual, but they offer almost no purchase protection. If you send money to a scammer using one of these apps, it’s extremely difficult to get it back. The same Pew study noted that many users are aware of the security concerns but continue to use these apps out of convenience.

In short: the threat is real, widespread, and evolving. But knowing how to spot a scam can significantly reduce your risk.

How to Protect Yourself

Here are the most common types of online shopping scams and the red flags to look for:

  • Fake websites that mimic legitimate retailers. Check the URL carefully—scammers often change one letter or use a different domain extension (.shop, .biz instead of .com).
  • Too-good-to-be-true deals on social media ads. If a luxury handbag is 90% off, the odds are high that it’s counterfeit or that you’ll never receive it.
  • Phishing emails and texts claiming a package delivery issue or account problem. Never click links in unsolicited messages. Go directly to the company’s website instead.
  • Payment app fraud. Sellers who insist you pay via Venmo, Cash App, or wire transfer should be a major warning sign. Credit cards offer better dispute protections.
  • Influencer promotions that aren’t clearly marked as ads. Just because someone you follow endorses a product doesn’t mean it’s legitimate.

If you want to verify a seller or website, do a quick search for the company name plus “scam” or “review.” Check the Better Business Bureau. Look for real customer feedback on independent sites like Trustpilot (keeping in mind that fake reviews exist). And if you’re on a marketplace like Facebook or Instagram, be extra cautious when dealing with individuals rather than verified businesses.

What to Do If You’ve Been Scammed

If you realize you’ve fallen for an online shopping scam, act quickly:

  1. Contact your bank or credit card issuer immediately to dispute the charge. The sooner you report it, the better your chances of a refund.
  2. Notify the platform where you found the seller (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, eBay). They may remove the scam account.
  3. Report it to the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Your report helps them track patterns and take action.
  4. Change any compromised passwords, especially if you shared login credentials or payment details.

Don’t be embarrassed. Scammers are professional deceivers, and they adapt their tactics constantly. The important thing is to report what happened so you can warn others and help authorities identify the pattern.

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, “Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book,” 2024 (preliminary figures).
  • 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.