Fraud Prevention

1 in 3 Americans Has Been Hit by an Online Shopping Scam: Here’s How to Stay Safe If you’ve ever bought something online that never arrived, or paid for a product that turned out to be counterfeit, you’re far from alone. According to a November 2025 Pew Research Center survey, about a third of Americans say they’ve had an online shopping scam happen to them. That’s a large enough share to make the problem feel less like a rare misfortune and more like a routine hazard of modern life. The good news is that most of these scams follow recognizable patterns. Once you know what to look for, you can greatly reduce your chances of being the next victim. ...

How to Shop Online Without Getting Scammed: A Practical Guide Online shopping is convenient, but it also attracts scammers. According to a January 2026 article from VA News, fraudulent websites, phishing emails, and too-good-to-be-true deals are becoming more common year-round. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and USA Today have also reported on fake bank schemes and text-message scams targeting consumers. This guide explains what is happening, why you should care, and what you can do to protect yourself. ...

1 in 3 Americans Has Been Hit by an Online Shopping Scam – Here’s How to Protect Yourself New Pew Research Center data shows the problem is widespread. Knowing what to look for can save you money and frustration. ...

How to Spot and Avoid Online Shopping Scams: Tips to Stay Safe Online shopping scams are not new, but they become more frequent and sophisticated during seasonal sales and holidays. Government agencies, including the VA News and the FDIC, have issued repeated warnings in recent years. In January 2026, VA News published an alert titled “Watch out for scams and stay safe while online shopping,” reinforcing a message that remains relevant year-round. Consumers lose billions of dollars annually to fraudulent websites, phishing offers, and payment scams. Understanding the common tactics and knowing how to verify a seller can make the difference between a good deal and a costly mistake. ...

Nearly One in Three Americans Has Experienced an Online Shopping Scam If you’ve ever bought something online that never arrived—or received a knockoff that looked nothing like the photo—you’re far from alone. A new survey from the Pew Research Center, published in November 2025, found that about a third of U.S. adults say they have personally experienced an online shopping scam. ...

How to Spot and Avoid Online Shopping Scams Each year, online shopping scams cost consumers hundreds of millions of dollars. The schemes grow more convincing, and recent alerts from government agencies confirm that fraudsters are finding new ways to target shoppers. Understanding how these scams work and what to do if you encounter one is the best way to protect yourself. ...

1 in 3 Americans Has Been Scammed Shopping Online – How to Protect Yourself If you shop online, the odds that you’ve run into a scam are higher than you might think. According to a July 2025 survey from the Pew Research Center, roughly one in three U.S. adults say they have personally experienced an online shopping scam. That number climbs among younger adults—those aged 18 to 29 report even higher exposure, likely because they spend more time on social media platforms where fraudulent listings and fake storefronts are common. ...

How to Spot Online Shopping Scams and Protect Your Wallet Online shopping saves time and often money, but it also opens the door to scammers who set up fake stores, send phishing messages, or sell counterfeit goods. Recent alerts from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA News), the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), and the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) remind us that these threats are persistent and evolve with seasonal trends. Knowing what to look for and how to respond can make the difference between a good deal and a costly mistake. ...

1 in 3 Americans Hit by an Online Shopping Scam: How to Protect Yourself If you’ve bought something online that never arrived, or paid for a product that turned out to be counterfeit, you’re far from alone. According to new data from the Pew Research Center published in November 2025, about one in three U.S. adults say they have experienced an online shopping scam. ...

How to Spot and Avoid Online Shopping Scams: A Practical Guide Online shopping has become a routine part of life, but scammers are getting better at mimicking legitimate stores, emails, and payment portals. Government agencies—including the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)—have recently issued warnings about the growing number of online shopping scams. This guide distills the key red flags and practical steps you can take to protect yourself, based on official advice from these sources. ...