Identity Theft

One in Three Americans Hit by Online Shopping Scams: How to Stay Safe According to a 2025 Pew Research Center survey, roughly one in three U.S. adults say they have been the victim of an online shopping scam. That number may sound high, but anyone who regularly shops online—especially through social media or unfamiliar websites—knows how easy it is to get burned. As holiday shopping ramps up and social commerce continues to grow, understanding the landscape of these scams and knowing how to defend against them is more important than ever. ...

When 400 Scam Attempts Hit in One Day: What Online Shoppers Need to Know Last month, cybersecurity monitors in Belarus recorded a single day where online shoppers faced roughly 400 scam attempts, according to a report from Belsat.eu. While this spike happened in Eastern Europe, the tactics behind these attempts are not confined to any one region. Online shopping scams follow the same playbook everywhere. Understanding that playbook is the best way to avoid losing money or personal information. ...

400 scam attempts in a single day: What online shoppers need to know to stay safe Intro A recent report out of Belarus paints a stark picture of the current online shopping landscape: in just one day, security systems recorded 400 separate scam attempts targeting consumers. While the number comes from a single country, the pattern is global and accelerating. Fraudsters are getting more aggressive, and everyday shoppers are the ones paying the price. ...

How to Avoid Online Shopping Scams: What the Data Shows and What You Can Do If you shop online, you are not alone in worrying about getting scammed. A recent survey from the Pew Research Center, published in November 2025, found that roughly one in three Americans say they have experienced an online shopping scam firsthand. That figure is worth pausing over, especially as the holiday shopping season ramps up and scam artists become more active. ...

400 Scam Attempts in One Day? Here’s How to Outsmart Online Shopping Fraud If you shop online with any regularity, you’ve probably seen the usual warnings about sketchy sellers and phishing emails. But a recent report from Belarus puts the scale of the threat into sharp focus: on a single day in May 2026, over 400 shopping-related scam attempts were reported. That is not a slow month or a regional curiosity—it is a snapshot of how aggressive and well-organized online fraud has become. ...

One in Three Shoppers Has Been Scammed Online: Here’s How to Avoid Being Next If you’ve ever bought something online and never received it, or clicked a promising deal only to find your credit card charged for something you didn’t order, you’re not alone. According to a recent Pew Research Center survey, roughly one in three Americans say they’ve had an online shopping scam happen to them. That figure is a stark reminder that fraudulent sellers and bogus offers are not rare edge cases — they’re a regular part of the modern shopping landscape. ...

1 in 3 Americans Have Been Hit by an Online Shopping Scam: How to Protect Yourself If you’ve ever bought something online that never arrived, or clicked a link in a too-good-to-be-true deal and ended up with a drained bank account, you are not alone. New data from the Pew Research Center, published in November 2025, shows that about a third of American adults say they have personally experienced an online shopping scam. That is roughly 85 million people—and the number is likely higher because many incidents go unreported. ...

How to Spot Online Shopping Scams and Stay Safe Online shopping has become a daily habit for millions of Americans. But as transaction volumes rise, so do opportunities for scammers. Recent alerts from the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation remind us that fake websites, phishing emails, and too-good-to-be-true deals are still common threats. The good news is that most of these scams follow predictable patterns. Once you know what to look for, you can protect yourself without losing the convenience of buying online. ...

How to Spot Online Shopping Scams: Practical Advice for Safer Buying Every time you click “buy now,” there’s a small chance you’re handing your money to a criminal instead of a legitimate seller. Online shopping scams are nothing new, but they keep evolving. Government agencies like the VA and FDIC regularly issue warnings because the schemes are persistent and often convincing. The advice they give isn’t just for veterans or military families—it applies to anyone who shops online. ...

Online shopping scams hit a third of Americans – here’s what to watch for A recent survey from the Pew Research Center found that about a third of U.S. adults (33%) say they have experienced an online shopping scam. The data, released in November 2025, underscores how widespread these schemes have become. Whether you’re a seasoned online buyer or someone who only shops occasionally, the risk is real—and it’s worth knowing what to look for. ...