Pew Research Center

Online Shopping Scams Hit 1 in 3 Americans: How to Protect Yourself A new survey from the Pew Research Center confirms what many regular online shoppers have suspected: scams are far more common than most people realize. According to the report, about a third of Americans say they’ve had an online shopping scam happen to them. That’s roughly 32% of U.S. adults—a number that may still undercount the problem since many victims never report it. ...

How to Avoid Online Shopping Scams: 1 in 3 Americans Are Victims Intro One in three Americans has experienced an online shopping scam, according to a November 2025 study from the Pew Research Center. The risk is especially high as holiday shopping ramps up, but the patterns are consistent year-round. Most scams follow a few recognizable templates, and knowing them can save you money and frustration. ...

A Third of Americans Have Been Scammed Shopping Online — Here’s How to Protect Yourself If you’ve ever clicked on a deal that seemed too good to be true and later realized you were out money with nothing to show for it, you’re not alone. According to a November 2025 report 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 adults who have lost money or had personal information stolen while trying to buy something online. With holiday shopping, social media marketplaces, and payment apps making transactions faster than ever, the risk is real — but avoidable. ...

1 in 3 Americans Have Experienced an Online Shopping Scam: What to Watch For A new survey from Pew Research Center shows that roughly one in three U.S. adults say they have personally been the victim of an online shopping scam. That figure is a reminder that fraudulent sellers and fake storefronts are not rare anomalies – they are a routine hazard for anyone buying goods or services over the internet. The risk is especially high during busy shopping periods, when people are browsing quickly and may let their guard down. ...

1 in 3 Americans Have Been Hit by an Online Shopping Scam: Here’s How to Stay Safe A new study from the Pew Research Center puts a number on something many of us have suspected: online shopping scams are far from rare. According to the survey, about a third of U.S. adults (34%) say they have personally experienced an online shopping scam. That figure covers everything from paying for items that never arrive to receiving counterfeit goods or having payment credentials stolen through fake retailer sites. ...

One in Three Americans Has Fallen for an Online Shopping Scam: What to Know If you shop online regularly, you may be surprised—or sadly not—by a new statistic from the Pew Research Center: about a third of U.S. adults say they’ve personally experienced an online shopping scam. That revelation, published in November 2025, confirms that fraud isn’t an edge case anymore; it’s a common risk for ordinary consumers. ...

Nearly 1 in 3 Americans Hit by an Online Shopping Scam – How to Protect Yourself If you’ve ever clicked “buy” and later realized the website was fake, or paid for something that never arrived, you’re far from alone. According to a November 2025 study from the Pew Research Center, about one in three Americans say they have personally experienced an online shopping scam. That figure is a stark reminder that fraud is not a rare edge case—it’s a regular risk for anyone who shops online. ...

1 in 3 Americans Has Been Hit by an Online Shopping Scam — Here’s How to Avoid Being Next If you’ve ever clicked a too-good-to-be-true deal, paid a stranger through a money app for an item that never arrived, or received a suspicious email about a package you didn’t order, you’re not alone. According to new data from the Pew Research Center, about a third of U.S. adults say they have experienced an online shopping scam. With holiday shopping ramping up, that number is a reminder that the convenience of buying online comes with real risks. ...

1 in 3 Americans Hit by Online Shopping Scams: How to Protect Yourself This Black Friday A new study from Pew Research Center finds that roughly one in three U.S. adults have fallen victim to an online shopping scam. With Black Friday and Cyber Monday just days away, the timing of this research is a reminder that fraudsters are counting on holiday shoppers to let their guard down. Here’s what the data tells us and what you can do to shop safely. ...