Common Online Shopping Scams and How to Shop Safely

Last updated: October 10, 2026

Shopping cart beside a checklist for spotting online shopping scams before you pay

Online shopping is convenient, and scammers know it. A great price on a popular gadget, a "delivery problem" text or a seller who wants payment outside the platform can all be the start of a lost payment or a stolen password. Scam offers are designed to look normal at first glance.

This guide explains the most common online shopping scams, gives you a practical checklist to use before you pay, shows how much protection each payment method gives you under US federal law, and walks you through what to do if something goes wrong. It draws on advice from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).

Why Shopping Scams Are Worth Taking Seriously

The FBI groups the most common shopping fraud into two types. In a non-delivery scam, you pay for something that never arrives. In a non-payment scam, a seller ships an item and never gets paid. In a 2023 warning, the FBI said that during the 2022 holiday shopping season alone, IC3 received reports from almost 12,000 victims of these scams, with losses of more than $73 million. Those figures only count people who reported to the FBI, and the same tricks run all year, not just in December.

Common Online Shopping Scams

1. Fake or copycat online stores

Scammers build shop sites, or copy real brands, and advertise them on social media or in search results. The store takes your money and sends nothing, a poor imitation or something unrelated. It may also capture your card details and address. Signs include a brand-new site with no history, a name that closely resembles a well-known store, missing contact details and a very thin returns policy. The FBI adds two more warning signs: an online retailer that uses a free email service instead of a company email address, and a polished website on its own, because "flashy websites can be set up and taken down quickly."

2. Prices that are too good to be true

The FTC warns that if expensive brand-name items are offered at bargain prices, they could be counterfeit or stolen. The FBI specifically mentions social media ads and untrusted websites promoting unrealistic discounts on brand-name items, and emails advertising hard-to-find items such as event tickets or gaming systems. A huge discount is often bait to get you to act before you think.

3. Fake reviews and endorsements

The FTC notes that some reviews and ratings are fake or misleading, and that fake reviews can be positive or negative. Not every fake positive review is five stars, and some dishonest competitors post fake negative reviews. It also is not always clear when a reviewer got something, such as a free product, in exchange for a review. Star ratings alone should not decide a purchase. Check where a review is posted, who wrote it and the reviewer's history.

4. Payment requests that are hard to reverse

The FTC says never to buy from online sellers who insist that you can only pay with gift cards, wire transfers through companies like Western Union or MoneyGram, a payment app or cryptocurrency. Scammers choose these methods because it is hard to get the money back. The FBI also flags sellers who post under one name but ask you to send money to another person, or who claim to be in the US but want money sent to another country.

5. Fake delivery and order messages

You may receive an email or text about a package, a failed delivery or a payment issue with an order you never made. The link leads to a fake page that asks for your card or login details. The FTC says legitimate companies won't email or text you a link to update your payment information. Our guide on fake text messages and delivery scams covers this in more detail.

6. Marketplace and second-hand scams

Buyers can be tricked by sellers who disappear after payment. Sellers are targeted too. The FBI lists buyers who overpay and ask for the difference to be sent to someone else, fake emails that claim a payment company has sent the money when nothing has arrived in your account, and buyers who want the item shipped before they pay. The FTC is blunt about overpayment: "Don't accept a check for more than the selling price. You can bet it's a scam." Fake checks can look real even to bank staff, and the FTC explains that it can take weeks for a bank to discover a check is fake, by which time you may have to repay the money. Keep the conversation and payment within the platform's protected system, and be suspicious of anyone who pushes you to move to a private chat.

7. Fake customer support and refund scams

After a purchase, someone contacts you claiming to be support, says a payment went wrong and asks you to install software, share a code or pay again to receive a refund. A version the FTC describes starts with a fake "subscription renewal" email or text. When you call to dispute the charge, the scammer asks for remote access, has you type bank details into a fake refund page, then claims they refunded too much and asks you to send the difference back by gift card, wire, bank transfer, cryptocurrency or payment app. Real companies do not need remote access to your device or your one-time codes.

8. Subscription traps

Some "free trial" offers hide recurring charges in small print. This is not always a scam in the criminal sense, but it can be misleading. The FBI warns about shoppers being signed up for a subscription or renewal that wasn't advertised as part of the original purchase. The FTC advises reading the terms of the advertised deal, including whether you must buy something you don't want to get the low price, and checking your statements afterward.

9. Pet, ticket and "hard-to-find item" scams

The FBI warns about pet sellers who can't show you the animal in person or on a video call, and who keep asking for extra money for fees that were never mentioned. After the money is sent, the pet never arrives. The same pattern shows up with sold-out event tickets and in-demand electronics: high demand, a seller you can't verify, and pressure to pay fast.

A Checklist to Use Before You Pay

Type the store's address yourself or use its official app instead of clicking a link in an ad, email or message.
Look up the seller. The FTC suggests searching the company or product name with the words "complaint" or "scam" and reading what others say.
Read several sources of reviews. Look across independent sites, retailer pages, app stores and social media rather than relying only on the seller's own page.
Check the total cost. Include shipping, handling, delivery, taxes and fees.
Read the shipping promise. An FTC rule requires sellers to ship items as promised in their ads. If no time is promised, the seller has to ship within 30 days after it gets your name, address and payment.
Read the return and refund policy. Who pays return shipping, how many days you have, whether there are restocking fees, and whether sale or clearance items follow different rules.
Find real contact details. Look for a physical address, phone number and a company email address that work.
Read the privacy policy. Websites and apps can collect what you buy, what you paid and where, and may sell that information to other companies such as data brokers. Choose a different site if you are not comfortable.
Pay with a credit card when possible. The FTC says this best protects you if there is a scam or problem. The table below explains why.
Do not rely on the padlock. The "s" in https means the connection is encrypted, but the FTC stresses it does not mean a site is legitimate, because scammers can encrypt their sites too.
Keep records. Save the company name and website, what you ordered, the date, the price, the return policy, the shipping promise, all communications and your statements.

How Your Payment Method Affects Your Protection

This is the part most shopping-scam guides skip. How you pay decides how much the law protects you if the seller is a fraud. The protections below come from FTC guidance on US federal law. Card networks, banks and apps may offer more than this, so always ask.

How you paid	Your protection (per FTC guidance)	What to do first
Credit card	Strongest. The Fair Credit Billing Act lets you dispute charges for items you never received or didn't accept as agreed, double charges and billing errors. Your liability for unauthorized charges is limited to $50.	Call the issuer at the number on your card, then send a written dispute that reaches it within 60 days of the first bill showing the charge.
Debit or ATM card	Depends on how fast you report unauthorized use: $0 if reported before any misuse, up to $50 if reported within 2 business days, up to $500 if reported within 60 days of your statement, and after that, all the money taken and possibly more.	Report to your bank or credit union immediately, by phone or in its app, then confirm in writing.
Zelle or other bank transfer	Money leaves your account quickly. The FTC's advice is to report it and ask for a reversal.	Report to your bank or credit union immediately and ask it to reverse the payment.
Payment app (Venmo, Cash App, PayPal)	Depends on the app's own rules.	Report to the app immediately and ask it to reverse the payment.
Wire transfer (Western Union, MoneyGram)	Hard to reverse. The FTC says a reversal is unlikely, but you should still ask.	Call the company: MoneyGram 1-800-666-3947, Western Union 1-800-325-6000. Say a scammer tricked you.
Gift card	The FTC says anyone who demands payment by gift card is always a scammer. Acting quickly gives the best chance.	Call the number on the back of the card, and tell the store where you bought it. Keep the card and receipt.
Cryptocurrency	The FTC says crypto payments don't have the same legal protections as credit and debit cards.	Contact the exchange or crypto ATM operator, report the transaction as fraud and ask for a reversal.
Cash sent by US mail	A package that hasn't been delivered may be intercepted, for a fee.	Call the US Postal Inspection Service at 1-877-876-2455 right away.

One important detail: the card liability limits are about charges you did not authorize. If you were tricked into making a payment yourself, it can be harder to get it back. The FTC still says it is always worth asking the company you used to send the money whether it can reverse it. You can read the full details in the FTC's guides to lost or stolen credit, ATM and debit cards and what to do if you were scammed.

How to Dispute a Credit Card Charge Step by Step

The Fair Credit Billing Act sets out the dispute process. According to the FTC's guide on using credit cards and disputing charges:

Call first, then write. Calling gets things moving, but the legal protection depends on a letter. Send it to the address for billing inquiries, not the payment address. Include your name, address, account number and a description of the problem.
Meet the 60-day deadline. The letter must reach the issuer within 60 days after the first bill with the error was sent to you. Certified mail with a return receipt gives you proof. Include copies, not originals, of receipts and screenshots.
Know the issuer's deadlines. It must acknowledge your complaint in writing within 30 days, unless the problem is already fixed, and resolve it within 90 days.
Know your rights during the dispute. You can withhold payment on the disputed amount and related charges while it is investigated, but you still pay the rest of the bill. The issuer may not report you as delinquent or close your account for using these rights.
Quality problems are different. If you received an item but it is defective, contact the seller first. The FTC explains that federal rules for these claims generally apply to purchases over $5 made in your home state or within 100 miles of your billing address, and that you must have tried to resolve it with the seller.

Protecting Your Accounts While You Shop

Use a unique password for every store. A single leaked store password should never open your email or bank. A password manager can generate and store these, and its autofill usually only fills a saved login on the matching site, which can help you notice a fake one.
Turn on two-factor authentication on shopping, payment and email accounts.
The FBI suggests using a credit card dedicated to online purchases, checking that card's statement regularly, and not saving payment information in online accounts. Some banks also offer virtual card numbers, so ask yours.
Avoid shopping on public Wi-Fi if you can, or use your cellular data. A VPN can add protection on untrusted networks, but it does not make a scam site safe.
Keep your security software, browser and phone updated, and block pop-ups, as the FBI recommends.

Red Flags in Messages and Pages

Learn more about phishing emails that copy store branding.

You are told to act within minutes or lose the deal.
The seller will not answer simple questions or uses copied, generic replies.
Payment must be sent by an unusual method, to a personal account, or to a name different from the seller's.
The site has spelling errors, missing policies or logos that look slightly off.
The "store" contacts you from a free email address.
An email or text about an order you did not place.
You are asked for a password, PIN or one-time code. Shops do not need those.

What to Do If You Have Been Scammed

Contact your card issuer, bank or payment company at once using the number on your card, statement or official app. Follow the steps for your payment method in the table above. Speed matters most with debit cards, transfers and gift cards.
Try the seller or platform. For a genuine problem with a real business, the FTC suggests trying to work it out directly first. If the store is fake, skip this and focus on your bank. Report the fake listing or ad to the platform that showed it.
Change passwords. If you entered a login on a suspicious site, change that password, and any account where you used the same one. Turn on two-factor authentication. If a store login was exposed in a breach, our data breach guide explains what to do next.
Watch your statements. Look for small test charges as well as large ones, and ask about replacing your card.
If you gave your Social Security number, the FTC says to go to IdentityTheft.gov to report it and get a recovery plan.
Scan your device if you downloaded a file or app or gave someone remote access. The FTC advises updating your security software, running a scan and deleting anything it flags.
Report it. Report to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to the FBI at IC3.gov. The FBI recommends reporting to IC3 as quickly as possible, and asking your bank to contact the bank that received the money.

Be careful of anyone who contacts you after a scam claiming to be from a government agency. The FTC says it will never threaten you, tell you to move your money to "protect it," or tell you to withdraw cash or buy gold.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a website with a padlock icon safe to shop on?

No. The padlock shows the connection is encrypted, not that the seller is honest. The FTC notes that scammers can encrypt their sites too.

Is it safer to shop online with a credit card or a debit card?

The FTC says a credit card best protects you. Federal law caps your liability for unauthorized credit card charges at $50 and gives you a dispute process for items never delivered. Debit card protection depends on how quickly you report a problem, and the money leaves your account right away.

How long does an online store have to ship my order?

Under an FTC rule, as long as it promised in its ad. If it made no promise, it must ship within 30 days after it gets your name, address and payment. If you paid by credit card and never got the item, you can dispute the charge.

How can I tell whether reviews are fake?

Look for patterns: many similar reviews posted in a short time, vague praise, or reviews that say nothing about the product. The FTC recommends checking several sources and looking at each reviewer's history.

Someone overpaid me for an item and wants the difference back. Is that a scam?

Almost certainly. Both the FTC and the FBI list overpayment as a classic scam. Don't accept a payment for more than the selling price, and don't send money back from a check that hasn't fully cleared.

What if I gave my card number to a fake site?

Call your bank, ask about blocking and replacing the card, and monitor your account. Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

Related Guides

Conclusion

Safe shopping comes down to a few habits: go to stores directly, research unfamiliar sellers, be wary of bargains and unusual payment methods, pay by credit card when you can, and keep records. If you do get caught, speed matters, so contact your bank or payment company first, use your dispute rights, secure your accounts and report the scam to the FTC and IC3. A minute of checking before you pay is a small price for avoiding a loss.

Search This Blog

Safe Sign In