Why Online Shoppers Are Tuning Out Scam Warnings (And How to Stay Safe)

Intro

Just about everyone who shops online has seen them: the pop‑up warning that a site is suspicious, a browser flag on a link, an email from a retailer that feels slightly off. Many of us click through anyway. A new report from KnowBe4 finds that during peak shopping seasons, consumers are increasingly ignoring these signals—a phenomenon security researchers call “warning fatigue.” Understanding why we tune out these alerts is the first step to building better shopping habits.

What happened

The KnowBe4 report, released in mid‑2026, surveyed online shoppers about their responses to scam warnings during holiday and sale periods. It found a clear trend: the more warnings a person sees, the less likely they are to take them seriously. Even when a warning explicitly states that a site or message looks like a known phishing attempt, many shoppers proceed because they are in a hurry, because the deal appears too good to pass up, or because the branding looks familiar.

The report also documented an increase in lookalike domains and fake account‑notification emails that mimic major retailers. These scams are designed to exploit the very urgency that causes people to ignore warnings.

Why it matters

When shoppers disregard warnings, they put their payment information, personal data, and sometimes entire identities at risk. The consequences can be immediate—a fraudulent charge on a credit card—or long‑term, such as credentials being sold on dark‑web marketplaces.

Several psychological factors drive this behaviour. Optimism bias makes us believe “it won’t happen to me.” Familiarity with a brand name can override caution even when the URL is a misspelling (like “amaz0n‑deals.com”). Time pressure, common during limited‑time sales, short‑circuits the few seconds needed to verify a site. The KnowBe4 report highlights that these factors combine to create a perfect storm for scammers.

What readers can do

You don’t need to become a security expert to shop more safely. A few concrete habits can drastically reduce your risk.

Pause before you pay. Before entering any payment information, run through a short checklist:

  • Check the URL carefully. Does it match the official site name exactly? Look for subtle typos or extra words.
  • Look for the padlock icon in the address bar and verify the URL starts with “https.” But be aware that a padlock alone is not a guarantee—scammers can get certificates, too.
  • Read reviews of the seller, especially if you’ve never heard of them. Search “[store name] scam” or “[store name] reviews” to see if others have reported problems.
  • Be sceptical of deals that are dramatically lower than other retailers. If it seems too good to be true, it might be.

Use tools that add a layer of protection. Browser extensions like Privacy Badger or uBlock Origin can block known trackers and malicious scripts. Virtual credit cards (offered by many banks and services like Privacy.com) generate one‑time numbers linked to your real account, so even if a merchant is compromised, your actual card number remains safe. Some payment apps, such as Apple Pay or Google Pay, also mask your card details.

If you do fall for a scam, act quickly. Contact your bank or credit card issuer immediately to report the transaction and request a chargeback. Change any passwords you may have entered on the fraudulent site. If you used the same password elsewhere, change those accounts too. File a report with the FTC or your local consumer protection agency.

Sources

The analysis and statistics in this article draw from the KnowBe4 report Online Shoppers Increasingly Ignore Scam Warning Signs, published in June 2026. For further reading, you can find the full report on the KnowBe4 blog.