Online scams trick people into giving money or personal details through fake emails, texts, websites, and social media, common types being phishing, impersonation, fake shopping sites, and romance/job scams, often using urgency or too-good-to-be-true offers. Let the buyer beware…
Data privacy company Incogni has issued a report revealing a sharp surge in online shopping scams. This is based on an analysis of nearly five years of Better Business Bureau scam reports, Incogni’s researchers have uncovered clear seasonal patterns showing which online retail swindles are most often encountered by consumers, which product categories are most frequently targeted, and how much fraud activity escalates during the holidays compared to the rest of the year.
The findings offer timely, data-backed insights into the scams consumers are most likely to encounter right now.
Incogni researchers compiled their analysis by investigating scam reports between January 1, 2020 and September 30, 2025. Online shopping fraud volumes rose sharply during this period, with 2023 nearly doubling previous years and 2025 already averaging 2,550 reports per month. Since 2020, 121,000 reports have involved online retail cons.
The research group discovered that several complaints are elevated during the holiday season vs. the rest of the year, including:
● Fake tracking information: 16% increase
● Delayed shipping: 11% increase
● Non-delivery of products: 9% increase
● Unresponsive customer service: 5% increase
● Legitimate website impersonation: 4% increase
The report also breaks down scams by product category. Clothing and shoes, home and kitchen, and patio/lawn/garden were most likely to include fake tracking details. Health and household and beauty/personal care products were more likely to be linked with unauthorized or recurring charges. Finally, tools/home improvement and sports/outdoors scams frequently involved unusually low prices.
“It is discouraging but not surprising that scammers take advantage of the holiday shopping season to rip off unsuspecting buyers,” said Darius Belejevas, Head of Incogni explains to Digital Journal. “It seems like the Grinch has been replaced by callous sellers who build fraudulent websites, provide fake tracking numbers, and become unreachable after payment.”
Belejevas suggests heeding seller responsiveness, the credibility of tracking information, and brand impersonation signals when shopping online during the holidays. Outside of peak shopping periods, deeply discounted prices remain a more prominent scam indicator.
