Dec 31, 2025 | posted by Lily Chavez
A recent study by Pew Research Center reported that about a third of U.S. adults (36%) have experienced a shopping scam. It was either a counterfeit item, or the product never arrived, and they received no refund. Even more shocking is that a vast majority of U.S. adults (73%) have experienced some form of online scam or attack, such as credit card fraud, a hacked account, or an online shopping scam.
This is concerning and even more frightening because there has been a recent shift in scams from older adults to younger generations. Americans under 30 (42%) are more likely than those 65 and older (26%) to report being victims of an online shopping scam. Consumers under the age of 60 are significantly more likely to report losing money to online shopping scams than older adults, with many scams originating from social media posts.
All generations during this past holiday season have been heavily impacted, and this trend is expected to rise as younger generations join online. No matter what age, learning about scams is important for everyone.
Here are some tips on how to protect yourself from online scams:
- Be wary of “too good to be true” deals, especially for popular or in-demand products.
- Check URLs carefully for minor spelling errors or unusual domain names (for example, .com versus .net or other endings). Learn about typosquatting and how it tricks people into scams online.
- Shop on reputable websites or shop in person. Be cautious of links from social media ads or unsolicited emails or texts.
- Use a secure payment method like a credit card that has fraud prevention and avoid methods like wiring money or using cryptocurrency directly with an unknown seller.
As usual with DirectLink’s ProtectIQ, your internet has a 24/7 watchman. With multi-layered protection, even your most vulnerable devices like smart TVs, thermostats, and WiFi cameras are protected before issues happen.
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