Online shopping scams to watch and simple ways to avoid them
Online shopping scams: What the new Pew data means for your wallet If you’ve ever clicked a too-good-to-be-true deal and ended up with nothing but a missing payment, you’re far from alone. According to a November 2025 Pew Research Center report, about 1 in 3 Americans say they have experienced an online shopping scam. That figure covers everything from fake product listings to phishing emails that mimic real stores. With major shopping events like Black Friday and holidays such as Mother’s Day around the corner, understanding how these scams work—and how to sidestep them—is worth a few minutes of your time. ...