Pew Research

New Pew Data Reveals How Common Online Shopping Scams Are — and How to Avoid Them If you’ve ever clicked a too-good-to-be-true deal, only to realize later that the site was fake or the product never arrived, you’re far from alone. A new study from the Pew Research Center found that about one in three American adults say they have experienced an online shopping scam. With Black Friday and Cyber Monday just around the corner, scammers are stepping up their efforts. Here’s what the data tells us and, more importantly, how you can protect your money. ...

Nearly 1 in 3 Americans Have Been Scammed While Shopping Online – Here’s What to Watch For A new survey from the Pew Research Center puts a number on something many of us have suspected: online shopping scams are alarmingly common. According to the study, published November 19, 2025, about 32% of U.S. adults – roughly one in three – say they have personally experienced an online shopping scam. With the holiday shopping season upon us, that figure is likely to climb. Here’s what the data shows and how you can avoid becoming a statistic. ...

Online Shopping Scams Affect 1 in 3 Americans — Here’s How to Avoid Them Buying things online is convenient, but it comes with risks that are easy to overlook. A November 2025 survey from the Pew Research Center found that about 1 in 3 Americans say they experienced an online shopping scam. The number is a reminder that fraudulent sellers, phishing emails, and fake deals are not rare events. With major shopping occasions like Mother’s Day and Black Friday approaching, the risk typically increases as scammers try to take advantage of people looking for gifts or bargains. ...

1 in 3 Americans Have Been Scammed Online Shopping: Here’s How to Protect Yourself A new report from the Pew Research Center, released in November 2025, confirms what many have suspected: online shopping scams are disturbingly common. Roughly one in three American adults say they have fallen victim to at least one online shopping scam. With holiday shopping already underway, this data is a timely reminder to slow down and check before you click. ...

1 in 3 Americans Were Scammed Online—Here’s How to Protect Yourself If you’ve ever clicked a tempting ad on social media or received an email about a deal that seemed too good to be true, you’re not alone. A new Pew Research Center survey, conducted in July 2025 and published this November, found that about one in three U.S. adults say they’ve experienced an online shopping scam. With holiday shopping ramping up, that number could rise. Here’s a breakdown of what’s happening and practical steps you can take to avoid joining that statistic. ...

1 in 3 Americans Say They’ve Been Scammed Shopping Online — Here’s How to Stay Safe A new Pew Research Center survey published in November 2025 found that roughly one in three Americans report having experienced an online shopping scam. That means if you shop online, there’s a good chance either you or someone you know has been hit. With Mother’s Day, Black Friday, and the broader holiday season on the calendar, scammers are especially active right now. Here’s what the data says and what you can do about it. ...

1 in 3 Americans Have Been Hit by an Online Shopping Scam – Here’s How to Spot One If you’ve ever bought something online that never arrived, or clicked a too-good-to-be-true deal that turned out to be fake, you’re not alone. A new study from the Pew Research Center, released in November 2025, found that about one in three U.S. adults say they have experienced an online shopping scam. That’s a staggering number, and it comes at a time when holiday shopping peaks and scam attempts surge. ...

1 in 3 Americans Hit by Online Shopping Scams, Pew Finds – How to Protect Yourself If you’ve ever clicked a too-good-to-be-true deal and ended up with nothing but an empty bank account, you’re not alone. According to a new Pew Research Center survey published in November 2025, about one in three U.S. adults say they have experienced an online shopping scam. That’s roughly 33% of American shoppers—a number that warrants attention whether you shop every week or only during the holiday rush. ...

1 in 3 Americans Hit by Online Shopping Scams: How to Protect Yourself This Year If you buy things online—and most of us do—the odds that you or someone you know has been caught by a shopping scam are now uncomfortably high. A new report from the Pew Research Center, based on a nationally representative survey of U.S. adults, found that roughly one in three Americans say they have experienced an online shopping scam. That figure, published in November 2025, gives a stark picture of how widespread these schemes have become. ...