The Latest Holiday Scams
Scammers know that the holiday season can be busy with shopping for gifts online, booking holiday travel, looking for seasonal work, or trying to donate to charities — all activities they can use to actively target you with scams. By some estimates – Nearly 75% of Americans experienced at least one type of holiday scam last year.
The last thing you want to dampen your holiday cheer is to become the victim of a scam.
According to the FBI – Americans lost over $281 million to online shopping and non-delivery scams last year alone — with many of these taking place over the holiday season.
How To Avoid Online Holiday Scams
- Learn the signs of a fake or unsecured website.
- Research retailers before shopping.
- Be wary of unfamiliar emails and texts.
- Don’t share information with unfamiliar companies or websites.
- Secure your online accounts with strong passwords and 2FA.
- Watch out for scam phone calls.
- Monitor your online bank statements.
- Use credit cards for your online purchases.
- Only buy gift cards from trusted vendors.
- If a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is.
15 Latest Holiday Scams
Holiday scams can happen at any time — Here are 15 common scams to watch out for this holiday season:
1. Fake charities that steal your money
Scammers take advantage of your generosity during the holiday season and create fake charities, GoFundMe campaigns, and other charitable activities. These charity scams can be incredibly hard to spot — always check the URL and charity name before donating. Scammers often create “lookalike” charities that use variations of trusted names to fool you. You can check that a charity is legit by using the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance or Charity Navigator. For GoFundMe and similar campaigns, look into the organizer or group behind it before donating.
2. Gift card scams (including empty gift cards)
Scammers love gift cards because they’re easy to buy and almost impossible to trace or refund. Many holiday scams revolve around buying and selling fraudulent gift cards or tricking you into giving up the numbers on the backs of gift cards.
Warning signs of a holiday gift card scam:
- Never pay for goods, services, fees, fines, or taxes with gift cards. Scammers will impersonate your bank, government agencies, or other authoritative people and demand payment in gift cards.
- If you buy gift cards in a store, make sure that they haven’t been tampered with. Run your finger over the back to see if the sticker has been scratched off or replaced. Get a receipt so that you can verify the purchase if your card is lost or stolen.
- Only purchase gift cards from reputable retailers. If you’re buying online, check the store’s URL to see if it’s secure. Whenever possible, buy gift cards from the actual retailer or company.
3. Lookalike online stores offering big discounts
With more people than ever before shopping online since the start of the pandemic, it’s important to know how to shop online safely.
Warning signs of a fake online store:
- They advertise significant discounts (50% off or more) on all of their items. If an obscure online store offers the best available prices online, there’s a good chance it’s a scam.
- The site contains signs of a phishing scam, such as poor spelling and grammar, bad quality images, and fake-sounding reviews.
- It’s missing basic company information, such as an “About Us” page, contact information (like a phone number and address), or information about returns.
4. Phishing emails or texts from companies that you trust
Scammers use the busyness of the holiday season to send phishing emails posing as companies or agencies that you trust. For example, they may impersonate companies like Amazon or Apple to offer “giveaways” or claim to be from your bank and warning you that your account has been compromised.
Ignore emails and texts from people you don’t know, and never click on unfamiliar links. When in doubt, log in to your account or contact the company directly to see if the message is legitimate.
5. Fraudulent seasonal job offers
Job scams are a growing problem year-round. But during the holiday season, scammers prey on people looking to make extra cash by posting fake job listings offering good money for little work. Research the company before giving them your personal info. Check review sites like Glassdoor to see if anyone has left comments about the company.
It’s common for people to be waiting on packages during the holiday season. One recent scam involves fraudsters sending fake delivery notification text messages, in hopes that you’ll click on the link. These scam texts will take you to a fake website designed to either steal your personal information, ask for your credit card number, or fool you into sending the scammers money.
Track deliveries through the delivery company’s official website. Make sure to visit the site directly — do not use the link provided in a text message or email.
7. Grandparent scams (fraudsters posing as family members)
This especially insidious holiday scam mainly targets senior citizens. Scammers text or email posing as a grandchild in trouble, and ask for money — usually through wire transfers or gift cards. According to the FBI, elder fraud costs victims $3 billion in losses each year.
Idea: Create a secret family “passcode” to use on calls. This way, you have an easy way to ensure the person you’re speaking with is legitimate. For added peace of mind, consider a family identity theft protection plan with credit monitoring.
8. Social ads promoting fraudulent items
Holiday scammers create ads on social media sites like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok that link to fake stores or listings. Don’t assume a site or store is legitimate just because you saw it on social media. Instead, always look for warning signs indicating that you’ve been taken to a fake or malicious online store.
9. Popular holiday gifts at too-good-to-be-true prices
In the rush to get the season’s most sought-after gifts, many shoppers ignore the warning signs of a scam. Fraudsters often list items on platforms like Facebook Marketplace at a steep discount and then ask you to pay via payment apps such as Zelle or Cash App (that can’t be reversed). Do your due diligence before purchasing.
10. Holiday travel and online airfare scams
Many people look for cheap airline tickets over the holiday season, leading scammers to target travelers with schemes ranging from bogus flight-booking websites to fraudulent flight cancellation emails and sudden price increases.
The bottom line: Purchase airline tickets directly from the airline (or through reputable third-party sellers that offer customer service). If you receive any messages about your trip, contact the airline directly to make sure the message is legitimate.
Scammers use social media to list fake holiday giveaways or surveys that offer gifts and “free cash” in exchange for your personal information. Some fraudsters may even use bot accounts to “like” giveaways, which makes the scam look like the real deal. Don’t trust anyone who offers you free money or gifts — especially if you never entered the giveaway.
12. Scam online gift exchanges (i.e. Secret Santa scams)
Fraudsters use the traditional Secret Santa game to trick you into sending money and gifts to them. In these scams, you’re asked to provide your name and address, along with the contact information of a few friends. Then, you’re asked to send money or small gifts to a stranger on the list. In return, you’ll receive multiple gifts from other people who participate.
13. Hacking over public Wi-Fi
Resist the temptation to shop over Wi-Fi when you’re out during the holiday season, as public Wi-Fi is notoriously easy to hack. The same goes for other common places where you’ll find unsecured Wi-Fi networks, such as hotels and airports.
Warning signs of a dangerous Wi-Fi network:
- A Wi-Fi network doesn’t require a password to join. Scammers can easily break into unsecured Wi-Fi networks and steal your information.
- The network name is something vague (i.e. “Free-Wifi”), or is similar to a trusted network (i.e. “Strabucks free wi-fi”) but contains a slight misspelling that the scammers hope you won’t notice.
14. Stealing mail and packages
With packages, orders, and cards coming to your home throughout the holiday season, porch piracy is on the rise. Scammers look for cards containing cash and gift cards, as well as packages that they can steal and resell.
The bottom line: Secure your incoming mail.
15. Shoulder surfing and card skimming while shopping
Holiday scams don’t just happen online. Scammers take advantage of busy shopping days to steal your personal or financial information.
The bottom line: Be extra cautious when using your bank cards in public places. Physically shield your card and PIN when using them, and check all ATMs for indications that they may have been tampered with. When in doubt, choose to pay inside where it’s much harder for scammers to install skimming devices.