Pew Research Center

1 in 3 Americans Hit by an Online Shopping Scam: How to Protect Yourself Online shopping has become so routine that it’s easy to forget the risks. But a recent survey from the Pew Research Center puts the problem in stark numbers: about a third of U.S. adults say they have personally experienced an online shopping scam. That’s roughly 33% of all American adults who have lost money or had their information stolen while trying to buy something online. ...

One in Three Americans Hit by an Online Shopping Scam: How to Protect Yourself If you’ve ever bought something online that never arrived, or landed on a website that looked legitimate but turned out to be fake, you’re not alone. New data from the Pew Research Center shows that about a third of Americans say they have experienced an online shopping scam. That statistic is a useful reminder that these scams are not rare exceptions—they are a regular risk for anyone who shops online. ...

1 in 3 Americans Have Been Hit by an Online Shopping Scam — How to Protect Yourself If you’ve ever clicked a too-good-to-be-true deal on social media, only to receive nothing or a counterfeit product, you’re far from alone. According to a new survey from the Pew Research Center, about a third of Americans say they’ve had an online shopping scam happen to them. That’s roughly 33% of U.S. adults — a figure that underscores just how widespread fraud has become in the digital marketplace. ...

Nearly 1 in 3 Americans Have Been Scammed While Shopping Online: How to Protect Yourself If you’ve ever clicked “Buy Now” on a deal that felt a little too good to be true, you’re not alone. According to a November 2025 study from the Pew Research Center, about a third of Americans say they’ve experienced an online shopping scam. With holiday shopping in full swing, that number is a reminder to slow down and check before you check out. ...

1 in 3 Americans Report Online Shopping Scams: What You Need to Know to Stay Safe Intro A new survey from the Pew Research Center finds that roughly one in three U.S. adults say they have personally experienced an online shopping scam. The figure, drawn from a nationally representative poll conducted in late 2025, underscores how widespread these incidents have become. While most online purchases go through without trouble, the sheer number of people affected suggests that scammers are getting better at reaching everyday shoppers. Understanding who is most vulnerable and which tactics are most common can help you avoid becoming the next target. ...

Nearly 1 in 3 Americans Have Been Hit by an Online Shopping Scam: What to Watch For If you’ve ever bought something online that never arrived, or clicked a link in an email that looked like it came from a store you trust, you’re not alone. A recent study from the Pew Research Center found that roughly one in three U.S. adults say they have experienced an online shopping scam. That figure, published in November 2025, puts the problem on a scale that most of us would rather ignore, especially as holiday shopping ramps up. ...

1 in 3 Americans Has Fallen for an Online Shopping Scam: How to Protect Yourself According to a 2025 Pew Research Center survey, about a third of Americans say they’ve had an online shopping scam happen to them. That’s 34 percent of U.S. adults who have lost money or personal information through a fraudulent transaction online. If you shop on the internet — and most of us do — the odds are good that you’ve come close to a scam, even if you didn’t fall for it. ...

1 in 3 Americans have been scammed while shopping online. Here’s how to spot the traps. According to recent data from the Pew Research Center, about a third of Americans say they’ve had an online shopping scam happen to them. That figure comes from a survey conducted in late 2025, and it underscores a problem that has only grown worse as more of our daily purchases move to screens. The good news is that most of these scams follow predictable patterns. Once you know what to look for, you can spot them before you lose money. ...

1 in 3 Americans Report Online Shopping Scams: Essential Safety Tips If you shop online—and most of us do—there’s a good chance you’ve encountered a scam. According to a November 2025 study from the Pew Research Center, about 33 percent of Americans say they have personally experienced an online shopping scam. That’s one in three people. The findings are a reminder that fraud is not a rare event; it’s a routine risk in digital commerce. ...

Online Shopping Scams Hit 1 in 3 Americans – Here’s How to Avoid Them If you’ve ever clicked “buy now” on a deal that seemed too good, only to receive nothing or a cheap counterfeit, you’re not alone. A new report from the Pew Research Center found that about a third of U.S. adults say they have personally experienced an online shopping scam. That’s millions of people, and the numbers are likely underreported because many victims never realize they were scammed until it’s too late. ...