Online shopping scams are getting smarter — here’s how to protect yourself Every time you type your credit card number into a shopping site or click a link in a “deal alert” email, you’re making a bet that the person on the other end is legitimate. Most of the time, that bet works out fine. But online shopping scams are becoming more sophisticated, and even cautious shoppers can get tripped up. ...
How to spot and avoid online shopping scams: tips from VA.gov Online shopping has become part of daily life, but it has also opened the door for scammers looking to steal money and personal information. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) regularly publishes warnings and practical advice to help veterans and their families — and really, anyone — stay safe when shopping online. The guidance from VA News covers the most common tricks fraudsters use and how to avoid them. Because scammers constantly adjust their tactics, it’s worth reviewing the basics regularly. ...
How to Spot and Avoid Online Shopping Scams: Advice from the VA Online shopping has become routine for most of us, but the convenience comes with a persistent risk: scams. Every year, fraudsters invent new ways to separate shoppers from their money and personal information. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has published several recent articles warning about these threats, focusing on how veterans and the general public can stay safe. This guide distills that advice into a straightforward set of practices you can use right now. ...
How to Spot and Avoid Online Shopping Scams This Year Online shopping scams are becoming more sophisticated each year, and they often target veterans and military families who use VA benefits. The Department of Veterans Affairs has published several alerts in recent months warning about fake websites, phishing emails, and impostor calls designed to steal personal information and benefit payments. Knowing what to look for and how to respond can save you money and protect your identity. ...
5 Online Shopping Scams to Watch Out for in 2026 (and How to Avoid Them) Introduction Online shopping scams are not new, but they are getting harder to spot. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has repeatedly warned about fraudulent websites, phishing messages, and payment fraud targeting shoppers, especially around peak shopping seasons. In January 2026, VA News published a reminder to “watch out for scams and stay safe while online shopping,” highlighting how scammers are using more convincing tactics — including AI-generated content — to trick consumers. For anyone buying goods online, knowing the current threats and how to respond can mean the difference between a lost payment and a safe transaction. ...
How to Outsmart Online Shopping Scams This Season and All Year Online shopping has become second nature for most of us, but so have the risks that come with it. Scammers continuously refine their tactics, using fake websites, phishing emails, and too-good-to-be-true social media ads to trick shoppers out of money and personal data. Recent warnings from government agencies and news outlets underscore that these threats aren’t going away—and that a few simple habits can make a real difference. ...
Online Shopping Scams Are Rampant: How to Spot and Avoid Them If you’ve bought something online that never arrived, or paid through a peer-to-peer app for a product that turned out to be fake, you’re far from alone. A November 2025 survey by the Pew Research Center found that about a third of Americans — 33% — say they have personally experienced an online shopping scam. That’s a large enough share to make fraud prevention a basic skill for anyone who shops on the internet. ...
1 in 3 Americans Has Been Scammed While Shopping Online. Here’s How to Stay Safe. A new report from the Pew Research Center, published in November 2025, finds that roughly a third of U.S. adults say they have personally experienced an online shopping scam. That figure is a reminder that fraud is not a rare or distant problem — it touches a large share of consumers, and the risk is only rising during peak shopping seasons. ...
Nearly 1 in 3 Americans Hit by an Online Shopping Scam – Here’s How to Protect Yourself If you’ve ever bought something online that never arrived, or clicked a link in an email that turned out to be a phishing trap, you’re not alone. According to a November 2025 survey from the Pew Research Center, about one in three U.S. adults say they’ve personally experienced an online shopping scam. That number climbs even higher among younger adults and people who shop online frequently. ...
1 in 3 Americans Has Been Scammed Online – Here’s How to Avoid It Online shopping is now a daily habit for millions of Americans. But a new survey from Pew Research Center highlights a troubling trend: about one in three U.S. adults say they have been the victim of an online shopping scam. ...