Nearly One in Three Americans Has Been Hit by an Online Shopping Scam — Here’s What to Watch For

If you shop online — and most of us do — there’s a decent chance you’ve run into a scam without realizing it. According to a recent Pew Research Center study, about a third of Americans say they’ve had an online shopping scam happen to them. That’s a striking number, and it suggests that even cautious shoppers are getting caught off guard.

The same report found that online scams more broadly affect a large share of the population: three in five U.S. adults say they’ve experienced some type of online fraud or cyberattack. But shopping scams stand out because they often start in familiar places — social media ads, search results, or even emails from what looks like a trusted retailer.

What Happened: Key Findings from Pew

Pew’s survey, conducted in 2025, asked Americans about nine different types of online scams and attacks. Among the results:

  • 33% of adults reported that an online shopping scam had happened to them. That includes fake product listings, websites that never deliver goods, and sellers who request payment through apps like Venmo or Cash App.
  • Younger adults and those with lower household incomes were more likely to report being targeted.
  • Many scams start with paid ads on social media or search engines, or through phishing emails that mimic well-known companies.

These findings align with earlier Pew research on payment apps and influencer-driven shopping. A 2022 study found that users of apps like Venmo often worry about security but still use them for purchases. Another report noted that a majority of TikTok users in the U.S. rely on the platform for product reviews and recommendations — a space where fake endorsements and scam links thrive.

Why It Matters

Online shopping scams aren’t just a minor annoyance. They can lead to direct financial loss, stolen credit card details, and identity theft. Even when the losses are small, the cumulative effect is significant: the Federal Trade Commission reported that consumers lost $8.8 billion to fraud in 2022, with shopping scams among the top categories.

Beyond the money, there’s the erosion of trust. When people can’t tell a real deal from a trap, they may avoid online shopping altogether or become overly suspicious of legitimate sellers. That hurts both consumers and honest businesses.

The Pew data is a reminder that scams are now a routine part of the online experience — and that staying safe requires more than just common sense.

What Readers Can Do: Practical Steps

You don’t need to become a cybersecurity expert to avoid most shopping scams. A few habits can cut your risk substantially.

1. Verify the seller before you pay.
If you land on a site you’ve never used before, look for basic signs of legitimacy: a working phone number or physical address, clear return policies, and an “https” in the URL. Use sites like the Better Business Bureau or search for the store name plus “scam” to see if others have reported problems.

2. Be skeptical of “too good to be true” prices.
Scammers often lure people with discounts of 70% or more on high-demand items like electronics or designer goods. If the price is far below what you’d expect, it’s probably a fake listing.

3. Use a credit card or a payment app with buyer protection.
Credit cards typically offer chargeback rights if an item never arrives. Some payment apps like PayPal (when set to “goods and services”) also give protections. Avoid paying by wire transfer, gift card, or cryptocurrency — those methods are nearly impossible to reverse.

4. Watch for red flags in emails and ads.
Phishing emails often contain generic greetings, misspellings, or mismatched URLs. Before clicking a link in an email from a retailer, hover over it to preview the actual web address. If it doesn’t match the company’s domain, don’t click.

5. Check reviews — but read them critically.
Fake five-star reviews are common. Look for reviews that mention specific product details and seem balanced. An item with dozens of glowing reviews but no criticism may be a sign of a coordinated scam.

6. If you think you’ve been scammed, act fast.
Contact your bank or credit card issuer to dispute the charge. Then report the scam to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Changing your passwords and enabling two-factor authentication on your shopping accounts also helps prevent further misuse.

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, “Payment apps like Venmo and Cash App bring convenience – and security concerns – to some users” (September 2022)
  • Pew Research Center, “For shopping, phones are common and influencers have become a factor – especially for young adults” (November 2022)
  • Federal Trade Commission, “New FTC Data Show Consumers Reported Losing Nearly $8.8 Billion to Scams in 2022” (February 2023)