Online shopping is a massive phenomenon. In the United States alone, 200 million Americans, or nearly two-thirds of the population, shopped in person or online during Cyber Week in 2023—the 5 days running from Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday.

This amounted to Americans spending a whopping $9.8 billion on Black Friday online sales, as well as a further $12.4 billion on Cyber Monday. 

According to marketing psychology speaker Johnson, Americans and online shopping are "enmeshed in a deep love affair." 

"There are many features that draw Americans in each year, especially on or around Black Friday. Online shopping appeals to many people deeply due to its convenience, offering the ability to browse and purchase products from the comfort of one's home or on the go, without the constraints of physical store hours," the host of the branding and human nature blogs explained to Bored Panda in an email.

"The act of browsing itself has become a pastime—a way to cope with stress, enjoy a nice pick me up, or to take a break from a monotonous day at work. And, of course, what begins as a simple, innocent browsing can lead to significant purchases,” he said.

Online shops often offer more variety and product availability than brick-and-mortar stores. So it's easier to find unique items online. On top of that, you've got the simple fact that online stores are accessible 24/7 and offer fast shipping. Oh, and there are the (often) convenient return policies to consider.

"Moreover, the availability of various digital payment methods and frequent special offers like those seen on Black Friday and Cyber Monday contribute to its popularity." It’s clear that there are plenty of reasons why online shopping is so appealing to so many people, not just in the US but all around the globe.

Marketing psychology speaker Johnson confirmed that scams are a big issue for e-commerce platforms and online shops alike. However, just because the problem is well-known doesn't mean that it's easy to tackle.

“The biggest and most difficult step that e-commerce platforms can take here is to have a better vetting process over their sellers. Put simply, there needs to be stricter verification processes for sellers and products, ensuring that only legitimate businesses and authentic items are allowed on platforms," the expert shared with Bored Panda.

"Enhanced transparency regarding product information, pricing, and seller details would help customers make informed decisions and identify potential scams more easily. This is difficult in practice, however, as this requires a lot of Quality Assurance oversight, which is difficult to effectively manage," he noted.

"E-commerce marketplaces are also incentivized to provide as many options as possible to their consumers, which often leads them to cut corners, or to look the other way when it comes to the quality and trustworthiness of these sellers."

Globally, e-commerce is a $6 trillion industry. Statista notes that how goods are bought and sold has significantly changed with the rise and spread of the internet. There are around 5 billion internet users on planet Earth, and this number is only going to grow. Naturally, online shopping will likely grow as well, as more people get access to the internet.

With the number of online shoppers only set to rise, this creates a lot of new opportunities for scammers, swindlers, and charlatans to trick them out of their hard-earned cash. The unfortunate reality is that far from everyone knows how to use the internet or shop online in a safe way.

Some folks simply haven’t had negative experiences with potential fraudsters yet. Others might be a bit naive. Still, others are feeling emotionally vulnerable, so they’re more easily manipulated. This is why getting educated about the types of scams that are out there and knowing how to stay calm under stress are so important.

However, this won’t make you invulnerable to getting scammed. No matter how up-to-date we all are, scammers will always come up with new ways to trick folks. The fight against scams is a never-ending one.

The fact of the matter is that every one of us can become the victim of a scam. No matter how intelligent, well-off, or experienced you might be, thinking that “it would never happen to me” is the wrong way to go about things. You need to stay vigilant when you can.

You need to consider that someone might try to take advantage of you with fancy promises. Especially if you’re going through a period of time when you’re vulnerable or feeling lost. This doesn’t mean mistrusting everyone you meet, but all of us could stand to be slightly more careful where money is involved. Especially if someone on the internet is promising to fulfill our deepest desires for very little payment.