Phishing

One in Three Americans Has Been Scammed While Shopping Online – What to Know If you’ve ever clicked on a too-good-to-be-true deal and ended up losing money or having your card stolen, you’re not alone. According to new research from the Pew Research Center, about a third of Americans say they’ve had an online shopping scam happen to them. The data, released in late 2025, shows that 34% of U.S. adults have personally experienced this type of fraud. ...

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. ...

Don’t Let a Mother’s Day Scam Spoil Your Gift — How to Shop Safely Amid Record Spending Mother’s Day is just days away, and if you haven’t bought a gift yet, you’re part of a large, last-minute crowd. The National Retail Federation is projecting record spending this year — something that fraudsters are already betting on. Scammers know that shoppers under time pressure are more likely to click first and think later. Before you hit “buy” on that perfect bouquet or the discounted electronics deal your mom has been eyeing, take a moment to understand the most common traps. ...

How to Spot and Avoid Online Shopping Scams: A Shopper’s Guide Online shopping offers convenience and often better prices, but it also attracts scammers looking to separate you from your money or personal information. Fraudulent websites, phony deals, and phishing emails are common, and they can target anyone. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has published guidance to help consumers, including veterans, watch out for scams and stay safe while online shopping. The advice applies broadly. Here’s what you need to know. ...

1 in 3 Americans Have Experienced an Online Shopping Scam — Here’s How to Spot One Before You Lose Money The numbers are hard to ignore. In November 2025, the Pew Research Center reported that about a third of Americans say they’ve had an online shopping scam happen to them. For a country where nearly everyone buys something online at least a few times a year, that means millions of people have lost money, had their personal data stolen, or both. ...

Online shopping scams in 2026: What to watch for and how to protect yourself Buying things online has never been more convenient—or more risky. According to a January 2026 warning from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA News), scammers are using increasingly sophisticated tactics to trick shoppers. The FBI’s 2025 Internet Crime Report, released earlier this year, showed that online shopping scams accounted for over $350 million in losses nationally, with the average victim losing $1,200. And those numbers are likely underreported. ...

How to Spot and Avoid Online Shopping Scams: Advice from VA and Federal Agencies Online shopping offers convenience, but it also attracts scammers looking to steal your money or personal information. The Department of Veterans Affairs has published multiple alerts warning veterans and their families about common shopping scams and how to stay safe. This article draws on those official sources and similar guidance from the FDIC to give you practical, actionable steps. ...

Online Shopping Scams Are Getting Smarter – Here’s How to Stay Safe If you’ve shopped online in the past year, you’ve probably noticed deals that seem too good to be true. Some of them are. According to recent warnings from the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and the Federal Trade Commission, online shopping scams are becoming more sophisticated and harder to spot. Veterans and military families are especially targeted, but anyone with a credit card can be caught off guard. ...

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 — Here’s How to Stay Safe If you’ve ever clicked on a too-good-to-be-true deal and ended up with an empty mailbox and a drained bank account, you’re far from alone. According to a new Pew Research Center survey released in November 2025, about a third of Americans say they’ve had an online shopping scam happen to them. That’s a sizable number — and with holiday shopping already underway, it’s worth understanding what these scams look like and how to avoid becoming part of that statistic. ...