We surveyed 1,088 U.S.-based adults to learn about Americans’ biggest fears surrounding online shopping scams (specifically, peer-to-peer transactions) and the steps they take to protect themselves and their information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Note: \u201cOnline marketplaces\u201d in this study refer to any platform where a peer-to-peer online transaction can occur. This includes peer-to-peer platforms like Craigslist and OfferUp, as well as social media platforms with peer-to-peer transactions like Facebook Marketplace, Instagram Shop, and TikTok Shop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Key Takeaways<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n- When shopping on online marketplaces, more than half (55%) said they feared receiving fake or incorrect products, despite only 15% experiencing this in the past year.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- 98% of respondents have at least one fear about shopping on online marketplaces.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- The top three anxiety-inducing online shopping scenarios were paying on sites that lacked secure encryption (22%), clicking on unsolicited offers via email or text (21%), and completing peer-to-peer transactions (17%).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Less than a third (29%) of Americans are comfortable spending more than $100 on an online marketplace without first researching the seller.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- More women than men take more safety precautions when shopping in online marketplaces.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Online Marketplace Fears Outweigh Actual Experiences<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nWe asked respondents about their fears and experiences when shopping online. Our survey revealed that 55% feared receiving fake or incorrect products, even though only 15% had experienced that in the past year. All other answer choices also saw a similar trend between fears and experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Additionally, 38% said they had not experienced any online marketplace issues on our list despite 98% having at least one fear of shopping on online marketplaces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Respondents most commonly experienced sellers misrepresenting the item\u2019s condition (21%), and this was the second most common fear regarding online shopping (51%).<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.spokeo.com\/compass\/image\/comparing-online-marketplace-fears-experiences.png?resize=1170%2C1779&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nWith the prevalence of Craigslist scams<\/a>, Instagram scams<\/a>, and seemingly every other scam in between, it\u2019s understandable to feel apprehensive when buying something from an online marketplace \u2014 regardless of your personal experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWomen Have More Online Marketplace Fears Than Men<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nWhen digging into differences between genders, we learned that a higher percentage of women have fears when shopping in online marketplaces than men.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When focusing only on fears, we found that men and women shared the same top three:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- Buyers receiving a fake\/incorrect product (51% of men vs. 58% of women)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Sellers misrepresenting the item\u2019s condition (47% of men vs. 55% of women)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Sellers disappearing after receiving payment (45% of men vs. 55% of women)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.spokeo.com\/compass\/image\/online-marketplace-fears-gender-breakdown.png?resize=1170%2C1778&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nBoth men and women were more afraid of product- and scam-related issues like these rather than issues related to fraud.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Focusing on product specifics in the short term is reasonable, but neglecting to protect your personal information can open the door to issues like synthetic identity theft<\/a> and other types of identity theft<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\nAmericans Stand Divided on the Most Anxiety-Inducing Transactions<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nWe also asked respondents about the shopping scenario that makes them the most anxious. Peer-to-peer transactions made the top three for all respondents (17%). However, there was no clear majority winner among the choices presented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.spokeo.com\/compass\/image\/shopping-transaction-anxiety-data-viz.png?resize=1170%2C1457&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nGiven the fears and cautiousness most had and the prevalence of online scams, it\u2019s natural to see that each scenario was a nerve-wracking option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Less Than a Third Would Take Their Chances With High-Priced Online Purchases<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nWe asked respondents how much they\u2019d be willing to spend on an online marketplace without looking up the seller\u2019s reputation, and only 29% said they would be willing to pay more than $100.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.spokeo.com\/compass\/image\/online-marketplace-riskiness-data-viz.png?resize=1170%2C1454&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nWith prices for everything continually rising<\/a>, losing only $50 in a fraudulent online transaction can be a big hit to a person\u2019s budget. Smaller losses also happen more frequently. The FTC<\/a> received the most fraud reports in Q4 2023 for losses ranging from $1\u2013$1,000.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhen comparing respondents who selected this answer, more women (61%) than men (39%) said they would only be comfortable spending less than $50, once again showing that women prefer to be safe than sorry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Women Are Taking More Safety Precautions Than Men<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nOur survey revealed that many respondents engage in several safety precautions. Below are the results for all respondents:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- Check buyer reviews: 47%<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Meet in public for the exchange: 40%<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Find seller\u2019s social media profiles for a matching name and photos: 38%<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Compare price to similar listings: 35%<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Look up email or username to confirm who they are: 31%<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Look up a phone number to confirm it\u2019s real: 29%<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Request more photos of the item from different angles: 27%<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Look up their address to confirm they live there: 28%<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Reverse image search to find other listings: 23%<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Confirm employment details via LinkedIn or similar source: 17%<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- None of the above: 7%<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
When taking a closer look at the data, we found that a higher percentage of women than men admitted to engaging in most safety precautions when shopping on online marketplaces \u2014 with a few exceptions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
More men said they would compare prices to similar listings (36% of men vs. 34% of women) and reverse image search product photos to find other listings (26% of men vs. 19% of women). Only 17% of men and 17% of women said they would confirm employment details via LinkedIn or a similar source.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
More popular safety precautions, like checking buyer reviews and meeting in public for the exchange, had a higher percentage of women than men choosing that answer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.spokeo.com\/compass\/image\/online-marketplace-safety-gender-all-data-viz-1-1.png?resize=1170%2C2358&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nMen and women\u2019s top safety precaution was checking buyer reviews (42% of men vs. 52% of women). Although past buyers\u2019 experiences can shed some light on a seller, looking up information about the seller can help clue you in on potential red flags.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For example, searching their name, email address, or username can help you find out what they\u2019ve been posting on other sites (and if they\u2019ve had complaints on other platforms).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Despite the difference between the percentage of women and men selecting safety precautions, the top safety precautions generally remained the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How to Avoid Online Shopping Scams<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nAlthough many of our respondents have been lucky enough not to fall victim to online shopping scams, many Americans weren\u2019t as lucky. There were more than 368,000 reports<\/a> of online shopping and negative reviews fraud last year, with 53% of reports including money loss.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhether you\u2019ve experienced scams yourself or want to avoid becoming a statistic, there are many steps you can take to get ahead of potential scams. This includes precautions that many of our survey respondents practice:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- Checking buyer reviews<\/strong> for signs of ongoing issues or warnings from past buyers.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Comparing the price in the listing<\/strong> to similar listings to check if you\u2019re getting overcharged.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Requesting more photos of the product <\/strong>to confirm they have the product and to check its condition.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Searching for the product photos in an image search<\/strong> to see if the lister potentially stole it from another listing.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Looking up information provided<\/strong> to confirm the seller\u2019s identity and to check if their information appears elsewhere for negative reasons. For example, you can look up their username to find reviews on other online marketplaces.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
People search engines are also a powerful tool to help you get proactive about potential online shopping scams. With Spokeo, you can confidentially find information about people, from their social media profiles to available phone numbers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Online Marketplace Fears Outweigh Actual Experiences<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nWe asked respondents about their fears and experiences when shopping online. Our survey revealed that 55% feared receiving fake or incorrect products, even though only 15% had experienced that in the past year. All other answer choices also saw a similar trend between fears and experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Additionally, 38% said they had not experienced any online marketplace issues on our list despite 98% having at least one fear of shopping on online marketplaces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Respondents most commonly experienced sellers misrepresenting the item\u2019s condition (21%), and this was the second most common fear regarding online shopping (51%).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nWith the prevalence of Craigslist scams<\/a>, Instagram scams<\/a>, and seemingly every other scam in between, it\u2019s understandable to feel apprehensive when buying something from an online marketplace \u2014 regardless of your personal experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWomen Have More Online Marketplace Fears Than Men<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nWhen digging into differences between genders, we learned that a higher percentage of women have fears when shopping in online marketplaces than men.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When focusing only on fears, we found that men and women shared the same top three:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- Buyers receiving a fake\/incorrect product (51% of men vs. 58% of women)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Sellers misrepresenting the item\u2019s condition (47% of men vs. 55% of women)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Sellers disappearing after receiving payment (45% of men vs. 55% of women)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nBoth men and women were more afraid of product- and scam-related issues like these rather than issues related to fraud.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Focusing on product specifics in the short term is reasonable, but neglecting to protect your personal information can open the door to issues like synthetic identity theft<\/a> and other types of identity theft<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\nAmericans Stand Divided on the Most Anxiety-Inducing Transactions<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nWe also asked respondents about the shopping scenario that makes them the most anxious. Peer-to-peer transactions made the top three for all respondents (17%). However, there was no clear majority winner among the choices presented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nGiven the fears and cautiousness most had and the prevalence of online scams, it\u2019s natural to see that each scenario was a nerve-wracking option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Less Than a Third Would Take Their Chances With High-Priced Online Purchases<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nWe asked respondents how much they\u2019d be willing to spend on an online marketplace without looking up the seller\u2019s reputation, and only 29% said they would be willing to pay more than $100.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nWith prices for everything continually rising<\/a>, losing only $50 in a fraudulent online transaction can be a big hit to a person\u2019s budget. Smaller losses also happen more frequently. The FTC<\/a> received the most fraud reports in Q4 2023 for losses ranging from $1\u2013$1,000.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhen comparing respondents who selected this answer, more women (61%) than men (39%) said they would only be comfortable spending less than $50, once again showing that women prefer to be safe than sorry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Women Are Taking More Safety Precautions Than Men<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nOur survey revealed that many respondents engage in several safety precautions. Below are the results for all respondents:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- Check buyer reviews: 47%<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Meet in public for the exchange: 40%<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Find seller\u2019s social media profiles for a matching name and photos: 38%<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Compare price to similar listings: 35%<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Look up email or username to confirm who they are: 31%<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Look up a phone number to confirm it\u2019s real: 29%<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Request more photos of the item from different angles: 27%<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Look up their address to confirm they live there: 28%<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Reverse image search to find other listings: 23%<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Confirm employment details via LinkedIn or similar source: 17%<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- None of the above: 7%<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
When taking a closer look at the data, we found that a higher percentage of women than men admitted to engaging in most safety precautions when shopping on online marketplaces \u2014 with a few exceptions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
More men said they would compare prices to similar listings (36% of men vs. 34% of women) and reverse image search product photos to find other listings (26% of men vs. 19% of women). Only 17% of men and 17% of women said they would confirm employment details via LinkedIn or a similar source.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
More popular safety precautions, like checking buyer reviews and meeting in public for the exchange, had a higher percentage of women than men choosing that answer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nMen and women\u2019s top safety precaution was checking buyer reviews (42% of men vs. 52% of women). Although past buyers\u2019 experiences can shed some light on a seller, looking up information about the seller can help clue you in on potential red flags.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For example, searching their name, email address, or username can help you find out what they\u2019ve been posting on other sites (and if they\u2019ve had complaints on other platforms).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Despite the difference between the percentage of women and men selecting safety precautions, the top safety precautions generally remained the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How to Avoid Online Shopping Scams<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nAlthough many of our respondents have been lucky enough not to fall victim to online shopping scams, many Americans weren\u2019t as lucky. There were more than 368,000 reports<\/a> of online shopping and negative reviews fraud last year, with 53% of reports including money loss.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhether you\u2019ve experienced scams yourself or want to avoid becoming a statistic, there are many steps you can take to get ahead of potential scams. This includes precautions that many of our survey respondents practice:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- Checking buyer reviews<\/strong> for signs of ongoing issues or warnings from past buyers.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Comparing the price in the listing<\/strong> to similar listings to check if you\u2019re getting overcharged.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Requesting more photos of the product <\/strong>to confirm they have the product and to check its condition.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Searching for the product photos in an image search<\/strong> to see if the lister potentially stole it from another listing.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Looking up information provided<\/strong> to confirm the seller\u2019s identity and to check if their information appears elsewhere for negative reasons. For example, you can look up their username to find reviews on other online marketplaces.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
People search engines are also a powerful tool to help you get proactive about potential online shopping scams. With Spokeo, you can confidentially find information about people, from their social media profiles to available phone numbers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nWith the prevalence of Craigslist scams<\/a>, Instagram scams<\/a>, and seemingly every other scam in between, it\u2019s understandable to feel apprehensive when buying something from an online marketplace \u2014 regardless of your personal experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When digging into differences between genders, we learned that a higher percentage of women have fears when shopping in online marketplaces than men.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When focusing only on fears, we found that men and women shared the same top three:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Both men and women were more afraid of product- and scam-related issues like these rather than issues related to fraud.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Focusing on product specifics in the short term is reasonable, but neglecting to protect your personal information can open the door to issues like synthetic identity theft<\/a> and other types of identity theft<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We also asked respondents about the shopping scenario that makes them the most anxious. Peer-to-peer transactions made the top three for all respondents (17%). However, there was no clear majority winner among the choices presented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Given the fears and cautiousness most had and the prevalence of online scams, it\u2019s natural to see that each scenario was a nerve-wracking option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We asked respondents how much they\u2019d be willing to spend on an online marketplace without looking up the seller\u2019s reputation, and only 29% said they would be willing to pay more than $100.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With prices for everything continually rising<\/a>, losing only $50 in a fraudulent online transaction can be a big hit to a person\u2019s budget. Smaller losses also happen more frequently. The FTC<\/a> received the most fraud reports in Q4 2023 for losses ranging from $1\u2013$1,000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When comparing respondents who selected this answer, more women (61%) than men (39%) said they would only be comfortable spending less than $50, once again showing that women prefer to be safe than sorry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Our survey revealed that many respondents engage in several safety precautions. Below are the results for all respondents:<\/p>\n\n\n\n When taking a closer look at the data, we found that a higher percentage of women than men admitted to engaging in most safety precautions when shopping on online marketplaces \u2014 with a few exceptions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n More men said they would compare prices to similar listings (36% of men vs. 34% of women) and reverse image search product photos to find other listings (26% of men vs. 19% of women). Only 17% of men and 17% of women said they would confirm employment details via LinkedIn or a similar source.<\/p>\n\n\n\n More popular safety precautions, like checking buyer reviews and meeting in public for the exchange, had a higher percentage of women than men choosing that answer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Men and women\u2019s top safety precaution was checking buyer reviews (42% of men vs. 52% of women). Although past buyers\u2019 experiences can shed some light on a seller, looking up information about the seller can help clue you in on potential red flags.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, searching their name, email address, or username can help you find out what they\u2019ve been posting on other sites (and if they\u2019ve had complaints on other platforms).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite the difference between the percentage of women and men selecting safety precautions, the top safety precautions generally remained the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Although many of our respondents have been lucky enough not to fall victim to online shopping scams, many Americans weren\u2019t as lucky. There were more than 368,000 reports<\/a> of online shopping and negative reviews fraud last year, with 53% of reports including money loss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Whether you\u2019ve experienced scams yourself or want to avoid becoming a statistic, there are many steps you can take to get ahead of potential scams. This includes precautions that many of our survey respondents practice:<\/p>\n\n\n\n People search engines are also a powerful tool to help you get proactive about potential online shopping scams. With Spokeo, you can confidentially find information about people, from their social media profiles to available phone numbers.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWomen Have More Online Marketplace Fears Than Men<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nAmericans Stand Divided on the Most Anxiety-Inducing Transactions<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nLess Than a Third Would Take Their Chances With High-Priced Online Purchases<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nWomen Are Taking More Safety Precautions Than Men<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nHow to Avoid Online Shopping Scams<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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