Safe Shopping

3 Ways to Spot Online Shopping Scams Before You Lose Money Shopping online is convenient, but it also opens the door to scammers who have grown more sophisticated. In the past year, the FBI, the Federal Trade Commission, and the Department of Veterans Affairs have all issued warnings about the rising tide of online shopping fraud. The FBI’s 2024 Internet Crime Report, released in May 2025, put the total losses from online shopping scams in the billions. The VA, meanwhile, has been reminding veterans and military families to watch out for scams and stay safe while online shopping. ...

1 in 3 Americans Have Been Hit by an Online Shopping Scam — Here’s How to Protect Yourself If you shop online—and most of us do—the odds that you’ve been targeted by a scam are higher than you might think. According to a 2025 Pew Research Center report, about a third of Americans say they have personally experienced an online shopping scam. That’s not just a few people falling for obvious traps. It suggests that deceptive sellers, fake websites, and phishing schemes are now a routine part of the e-commerce landscape. ...

Don’t Get Duped While Shopping Online: Simple Ways to Spot a Scam Online shopping is convenient, but it also attracts fraudsters who set up fake websites, send phishing emails, and advertise deals that don’t exist. According to the Federal Trade Commission, consumers lost more than $300 million to online shopping scams in 2023 alone. A recent alert from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs – “Watch out for scams and stay safe while online shopping” – echoes what many security experts have been saying: scammers are getting better at looking legitimate. ...

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. ...

One in Three Americans Has Fallen for an Online Shopping Scam: How to Protect Yourself If you shop online regularly, you’ve probably heard the warnings: don’t click suspicious links, avoid deals that seem too good to be true, use a credit card instead of a debit card. But despite those caveats, the problem persists—and recent data shows just how many people are affected. ...

Online Shopping Scams Are Everywhere—Here’s How to Stay Safe The convenience of buying almost anything with a click has a downside: scammers have gotten very good at setting up fake storefronts, sending phishing emails, and luring shoppers into handing over payment details or personal information. Official guidance from .gov sources—including a recent VA News article and the Federal Trade Commission—offers practical steps to recognize and avoid these threats. Whether you’re a veteran, a caregiver, or just someone trying to get a good deal, knowing what to look for before you hit “buy” can save you money and headaches. ...

5 Online Shopping Scams to Watch Out for in 2026 (and How to Avoid Them) Introduction Online shopping scams are not new, but they are getting harder to spot. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has repeatedly warned about fraudulent websites, phishing messages, and payment fraud targeting shoppers, especially around peak shopping seasons. In January 2026, VA News published a reminder to “watch out for scams and stay safe while online shopping,” highlighting how scammers are using more convincing tactics — including AI-generated content — to trick consumers. For anyone buying goods online, knowing the current threats and how to respond can mean the difference between a lost payment and a safe transaction. ...

How to Outsmart Online Shopping Scams This Season and All Year Online shopping has become second nature for most of us, but so have the risks that come with it. Scammers continuously refine their tactics, using fake websites, phishing emails, and too-good-to-be-true social media ads to trick shoppers out of money and personal data. Recent warnings from government agencies and news outlets underscore that these threats aren’t going away—and that a few simple habits can make a real difference. ...

Online Shopping Scams Are on the Rise: How to Spot and Avoid Them If you shop online, the odds are not in your favor. According to a recent Pew Research Center report, about a third of Americans say they’ve had an online shopping scam happen to them. That statistic covers everything from never receiving an item to having their financial information stolen after entering it on a fraudulent website. With another busy shopping season underway, it’s worth understanding how these scams work—and what you can do to avoid becoming a number. ...

About a Third of Americans Say They’ve Had an Online Shopping Scam Happen to Them – How to Avoid Becoming a Statistic If you’ve ever clicked “Buy Now” on a deal that seemed too good to be true, you’re not alone. A new survey from the Pew Research Center, published in November 2025, found that about a third of Americans say they’ve had an online shopping scam happen to them. That’s roughly 33 percent of U.S. adults – a number that should give any online shopper pause. As holiday shopping and seasonal sales create more opportunities for fraud, understanding how these scams work and how to protect yourself is more important than ever. ...