Buying bargains online is not turning out to be a good deal for thousands of Texans

AUSTIN, Texas — Buying bargains online is not turning out to be a good deal for a growing number of Texans.

The Better Business Bureau reports that Texans lose over $22 million annually to scams. A new analysis by the Better Business Bureau (BBB) shows 2025 was a record-breaking year for fraud. Scammers are taking more money and changing how they target consumers.

“We saw a flood of scam reports come in,” said Jason Meza with the Better Business Bureau.

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Meza says the BBB’s latest fraud report shows that more than $3 million was lost in 2025 to online purchase scams. That is double the amount from the year before.

“What is making people so vulnerable when they’re shopping online?” asked CBS Austin Reporter Bettie Cross.

“We get enticed to click. Go into a dark area, a website that is compromised, and that is designed to capture information from us. We end up buying a counterfeit item, or we end up buying and never receiving the item,” said Meza.

The hunt for a bargain makes people susceptible to scam paywalls. It is the most recent type of fraud where shoppers pay twice or even three times for merchandise that is never delivered.

“It looks like the transaction did not go through, so you keep attempting to charge the card over and over, but in actuality, it has been charging,” said Meza.

Scammers are also putting fake products or deeply discounted items on social media. They take payment and send counterfeit goods or nothing. The BBB recommends making online purchases from major third-party retail platforms and marketplaces such as Amazon, Walmart, Target, and Etsy.

“A lot of these online platforms are getting better as opposed to just going and buying from a private seller who you’ve never met before and just trusting them to deliver the goods that you’re buying,” said Meza.

The BBB says the takeaway from this latest fraud report is that this year you will have a better chance than ever of being targeted while shopping online.