Consumer Protection

Online Shopping Scams Are on the Rise: How to Spot and Avoid Them If you shop online, the odds are not in your favor. According to a recent Pew Research Center report, about a third of Americans say they’ve had an online shopping scam happen to them. That statistic covers everything from never receiving an item to having their financial information stolen after entering it on a fraudulent website. With another busy shopping season underway, it’s worth understanding how these scams work—and what you can do to avoid becoming a number. ...

1 in 3 Americans Has Been Scammed While Shopping Online: How to Protect Yourself It’s a statistic that should give any online shopper pause: according to a November 2025 report from the Pew Research Center, about a third of Americans say they’ve had an online shopping scam happen to them. That means millions of people have paid for goods that never arrived, handed over credit card details to fake sites, or lost money through payment apps to sellers who vanished. ...

About a Third of Americans Say They’ve Had an Online Shopping Scam Happen to Them – How to Avoid Becoming a Statistic If you’ve ever clicked “Buy Now” on a deal that seemed too good to be true, you’re not alone. A new survey from the Pew Research Center, published in November 2025, found that about a third of Americans say they’ve had an online shopping scam happen to them. That’s roughly 33 percent of U.S. adults – a number that should give any online shopper pause. As holiday shopping and seasonal sales create more opportunities for fraud, understanding how these scams work and how to protect yourself is more important than ever. ...

Scam alerts to watch right now and how to avoid them If you’ve been on Facebook recently, you may have seen an advertisement for a $20 Aldi meat box. With grocery prices climbing, the offer seems like a stroke of luck. But it’s not real. It’s a scam designed to collect your credit card details, and it’s circulating widely right now. ...

How to Spot and Avoid Online Shopping Scams: Essential Tips for Safe Buying Online shopping has become a routine part of life for most people, but scammers are increasingly using fake stores, phishing emails, and social media ads to trick buyers. Recent alerts from government agencies, including a January 2026 advisory from VA News, highlight that these threats are not going away. Here’s what you need to know to shop with confidence and protect your money and personal information. ...

One in Three Americans Have Fallen for an Online Shopping Scam – Here’s How to Avoid It If you’ve ever bought something online that never arrived, or paid for a “deal” that turned out to be fake, you’re far from alone. According to a recent Pew Research Center survey, about a third of Americans say they’ve had an online shopping scam happen to them. That figure is striking—and it underscores just how common these schemes have become. ...

1 in 3 Americans Has Been Hit by an Online Shopping Scam: How to Dodge the Next One If you’ve ever clicked “buy” on a deal that seemed too good to be true only to receive nothing—or a fake product—you’re far from alone. A new survey from the Pew Research Center found that roughly one in three U.S. adults say they have personally experienced an online shopping scam. That’s about 33% of the adult population. And as holiday shopping ramps up, the numbers are worth paying attention to. ...

Online Shopping Scams Are More Common Than You Think — How to Spot and Avoid Them The numbers are sobering: about a third of Americans say they have experienced an online shopping scam, according to a November 2025 Pew Research Center study. If you have not yet encountered one, the odds suggest you probably will – especially as holiday shopping moves online and fraudsters sharpen their tactics. ...

Online Shopping Scams on Meta: How to Protect Yourself If you’ve bought or sold something on Facebook Marketplace or Instagram Shopping, you’re not alone—millions of people use these platforms every day. But recently, Dutch authorities publicly criticized Meta for not doing enough to stop the wave of online shopping scams happening on its services. The criticism from regulators in the Netherlands signals that the problem is serious and persistent. While Meta has put some protections in place, the reality is that the responsibility often still falls on you as the user. Here’s what’s happening and how you can shop more safely. ...

How to Spot Online Shopping Scams and Shop Safely Online shopping is convenient, but it also comes with risks. Scammers constantly look for ways to trick shoppers into handing over money or personal information, often by setting up fake websites, sending fraudulent emails, or posing as legitimate businesses. During peak shopping seasons—like holidays or big sales events—these attempts tend to spike. The good news is that most scams follow predictable patterns. Learning to spot them can save you time, money, and stress. ...