Pew Research

Online Shopping Scams Hit One in Three Americans: What You Need to Know A new study from the Pew Research Center reports that roughly one in three U.S. adults say they have fallen victim to an online shopping scam. The research, published in November 2025, draws on a nationally representative survey and offers a clear picture of how widespread the problem has become. Whether you shop frequently or only occasionally, understanding the scope of these scams—and knowing how to avoid them—can save you money and frustration. ...

How to Spot and Avoid Online Shopping Scams: 1 in 3 Americans Have Been Hit If you shop online—and most of us do—there’s a good chance you’ve encountered a scam attempt. A recent survey from the Pew Research Center found that about a third of Americans say they’ve had an online shopping scam happen to them. That’s not a fringe problem; it’s a mainstream risk that touches millions of households. ...

Nearly One in Three Americans Has Experienced an Online Shopping Scam: What to Know If you’ve ever clicked a too-good-to-be-true deal on social media or gotten a suspicious email about a package delivery, you’re not alone. A new study from the Pew Research Center found that roughly a third of U.S. adults say they’ve personally experienced an online shopping scam. That’s a lot of people—and the number is likely still growing as more of us shop from our phones and laptops. While the convenience of buying online isn’t going away, it pays to know how these scams work and how to steer clear. ...

1 in 3 Americans Has Been Hit by an Online Shopping Scam — How to Avoid Being Next A recent report from Pew Research Center found that about a third of Americans say they’ve had an online shopping scam happen to them. The data, released in November 2025, covers a range of fraudulent experiences — from fake store websites to phishing emails that impersonate well-known retailers. With holiday shopping in full swing and online transactions becoming routine, understanding how these scams work is more than a privacy concern; it’s a practical necessity. ...

1 in 3 Americans Has Been Hit by an Online Shopping Scam – Here’s How to Stay Safe If you’ve ever clicked “Buy Now” on a deal that seemed too good to be true, only to receive nothing or a cheap counterfeit, you’re far from alone. According to a 2025 survey by the Pew Research Center, about one-third of U.S. adults say they’ve experienced an online shopping scam. That’s roughly 33% of American consumers who have lost money, had their personal information stolen, or been tricked into buying from a fraudulent seller. ...

Nearly 1 in 3 Americans Have Experienced an Online Shopping Scam: What to Watch For Introduction If you’ve ever clicked a too-good-to-be-true deal on social media or received an email about a package you didn’t order, you’re far from alone. According to a recent survey from the Pew Research Center, about a third of U.S. adults say they’ve had an online shopping scam happen to them. That’s roughly 80 million people. With holiday shopping already underway and more purchases migrating to phones and apps, the risk isn’t going away. This article walks through what the data shows and what you can actually do to avoid becoming the next victim. ...

1 in 3 Americans Have Been Scammed Online Shopping: How to Protect Yourself If you shop online, you have probably seen deals that seem too good to pass up or received an email about an order you don’t remember placing. You are not alone in wondering whether these are scams. According to a 2025 Pew Research Center survey, roughly one in three Americans say they have personally experienced an online shopping scam. That number is high enough that it should give any regular online shopper pause. ...

One in Three Americans Has Been Scammed While Shopping Online—Here’s How to Stay Safe If you shop online, you’ve probably seen the warnings: deals that seem too good to be true, unfamiliar websites with misspelled logos, ads on social media for products that never arrive. But it’s easy to assume it won’t happen to you. The data suggests otherwise. ...

One in Three Americans Hit by an Online Shopping Scam: What You Need to Know to Stay Safe If you shop online, you’ve probably wondered how many people actually fall for those too-good-to-be-true deals or fake storefronts. According to a November 2025 survey from the Pew Research Center, about a third of American adults say they’ve personally experienced an online shopping scam. That’s roughly 33 percent of U.S. adults—a number that should give any regular online buyer pause. ...

How to Spot and Avoid Online Shopping Scams (1 in 3 Americans Hit) According to a November 2025 Pew Research Center survey, about a third of Americans say they have had an online shopping scam happen to them. That is not a niche problem. It affects a broad cross-section of consumers, though younger adults and frequent online shoppers report higher rates. ...