Fraud Prevention

One in Three Americans Has Fallen for an Online Shopping Scam: What You Need to Know If you’ve ever clicked on a deal that seemed too good to be true, only to end up with nothing but an empty bank account, you’re not alone. A recent study from Pew Research Center, published in November 2025, found that about a third of Americans say they’ve experienced an online shopping scam. That’s roughly 33 percent of online shoppers who have been deceived, lost money, or had their personal information stolen while trying to buy something online. With the holiday shopping season in full swing, understanding how these scams work and how to protect yourself is more important than ever. ...

One in Three Americans Have Been Scammed While Shopping Online – Here’s How to Stay Safe A new survey from the Pew Research Center has quantified what many consumers already suspect: online shopping scams are disturbingly common. According to the November 2025 report, about a third of U.S. adults (33%) say they have personally experienced an online shopping scam. That figure translates into tens of millions of people who have paid for goods that never arrived, handed over payment details to fake storefronts, or clicked on phony order confirmations that led to identity theft. ...

Stay Safe While Shopping Online: How to Spot and Avoid Scams Online shopping has become a routine part of life for most people. But with every legitimate transaction, there are scammers trying to intercept your money or personal information. According to the FBI’s 2024 Internet Crime Report, consumers lost billions of dollars last year to various online fraud schemes, with shopping-related scams making up a significant share. The good news is that many of these crimes are preventable once you know what to look for. ...

One in Three Americans Hit by Online Shopping Scams – Here’s How to Avoid Them If you’ve ever been taken in by a too-good-to-be-true online deal, you’re not alone. According to recent data from the Pew Research Center, about a third of U.S. adults say they have experienced an online shopping scam. That’s a striking number, and it lines up with Federal Trade Commission reports showing that online shopping fraud was the second most reported scam category in 2024. While e‑commerce is convenient, the same tools that let you buy anything from a phone also give scammers a direct line to your wallet. This article breaks down what’s happening, why it matters, and what you can actually do about it. ...

How to Spot Online Shopping Scams: Tips from Government Agencies Introduction Online shopping has made buying nearly anything simple—but it has also opened the door to fraud that costs consumers billions every year. The FBI’s 2024 Internet Crime Report recorded over $10 billion in reported losses, with shopping scams consistently ranking among the top complaint categories. Veterans, military families, and everyday shoppers are all targets. Recent alerts from the VA, the FTC, and the FBI offer straightforward guidance that can help you avoid becoming a victim. ...

Nearly 1 in 3 Americans Has Been Scammed While Shopping Online – Here’s What to Watch For Intro If you’ve ever clicked a too-good-to-be-true deal on social media or entered payment details on a sketchy website, you’re far from alone. A new survey from the Pew Research Center found that roughly one in three Americans say they have experienced an online shopping scam. The figure underscores how common these schemes have become—and why taking a few extra seconds before hitting “buy” can save you both money and frustration. ...

1 in 3 Americans Have Been Scammed While Shopping Online – Here’s How to Stay Safe If you’ve ever clicked “buy” on a deal that looked too good to be true, then watched the package never arrive, you’re far from alone. A recent Pew Research Center survey found that about a third of American adults say they have experienced an online shopping scam. That’s roughly 80 million people, and the number has been climbing steadily as more of our spending shifts to digital storefronts. ...

1 in 3 Americans Got Scammed Shopping Online: Here’s How to Avoid It If you shop online—and most of us do—you’ve probably wondered whether that unbelievable deal or unfamiliar website is legitimate. New data from the Pew Research Center, released in November 2025, suggests that your caution is warranted. According to a national survey conducted in July 2025, about one in three U.S. adults say they have personally experienced an online shopping scam. ...

How AI-Powered Fake Online Shops Trick You Into Handing Over Payment Data Fake e-commerce sites are nothing new, but scammers are now using artificial intelligence to build storefronts that look far more convincing than the crude imitations of the past. Recent warnings from Thailand’s Anti-Online Crime (AOC) center highlight a surge in these AI-generated shops, which are designed to steal payment card details from unsuspecting shoppers. Here’s what’s happening and how you can avoid becoming a victim. ...

How AI Is Powering a New Wave of Fake Online Shops (and How to Spot Them) Intro If you’ve come across an online store that looks polished, has hundreds of glowing reviews, and is selling popular items at deeply discounted prices, you might be looking at a scam that’s increasingly common. Scammers are now using artificial intelligence to build convincing fake e-commerce sites that exist only to steal your credit card information. ...