With the holiday season in full swing, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is urging the public to remain vigilant against an uptick in scams targeting holiday shoppers and charitable donors. Criminals are exploiting the busy shopping period, using increasingly sophisticated tactics to steal money and personal information.
“Criminals don’t take holidays off,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Tripp. “We’re seeing scammers employing aggressive and creative schemes to take advantage of the season’s generosity and high online shopping activity.”
The FBI has identified several prevalent scams this holiday season, including:
1. Online Shopping Scams
- Fraudulent websites or ads offering goods at unrealistic discounts.
- Items purchased through third-party marketplaces using stolen credit cards or accounts.
- Puppy scams involving fake advertisements for pets, with losses reported at $5.6 million so far this year.
2. Charity Scams
- Fake charities soliciting donations through phone calls, emails, crowdfunding platforms, and social media.
- Copycat organizations mimicking legitimate charities to steal funds.
3. Cryptocurrency Investment Scams
- Fraudsters posing as trusted individuals convincing victims to invest in fake cryptocurrency platforms. Losses are often substantial, with victims unable to retrieve their funds.
4. Gift Card Scams
- Scammers requesting gift card purchases for alleged emergencies, work-related functions, or as payment.
- Tampered cards with compromised security stickers or altered barcodes.
5. Social Media Scams
- Posts offering fake gift cards or event tickets designed to steal personal information.
- Fraudsters duplicating ticket barcodes for resale.
Tips to Protect Yourself
To avoid becoming a victim, the FBI advises the following precautions:
- Verify Websites and Offers: If a deal looks too good to be true, it probably is. Avoid clicking on suspicious links or ads.
- Secure Your Accounts: Use strong, unique passwords for banking, shopping, and rewards accounts.
- Inspect Gift Cards: Check for signs of tampering, such as misaligned packaging or scratched-off security codes.
- Donate Wisely: Verify charities through trusted sources and avoid those soliciting donations via gift cards or wire transfers.
- Be Skeptical of Requests: Government agencies or law enforcement will never demand payments via phone, email, or gift cards.
Report Fraud
If you believe you are a victim of a scam, the FBI urges you to:
- Immediately contact your bank or financial institution.
- Report the incident to law enforcement.
- File a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.IC3.gov.
Wait, the FBI? I thought they were part of the “Deep State” (whatever that is) and shouldn’t be trusted. I’m so confused.
You got the confused part right.
John S,
.
It seems that you answered your own question, you said in your own answer “I thought they were part of the “Deep State” (whatever that is) and shouldn’t be trusted. I’m so confused,” so don’t trust the FBI press release and go on with your life, there’s absolutely no need for you to further confuse your life.
.
Deep State – an individual, group, or network of nonelected government officials, and/or government employees, and sometimes private entities, such as the military industrial complex, operating extra-leagally and/or extra-constitutionally, to influence, enact, or thwart government actions, policy, and the agendas of elected and appointed government officials and leadership.
I don’t hate or mistrust the FBI, and I certainly don’t think they’re part of the “Deep State”, but the current nominee for the head of the FBI does.
Btw, I put Deep State in quotes because I don’t think such a thing actually exists, it’s complete nonsense based on conspiracy theories.
Do you believe the FBI is part of the Deep State per your definition?
OKAY and good information, But what are we doing to help minimize these scams and arrest people?
“File a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at http://www.IC3.gov.” Mmm … this dosn’t seem like a priority. We have many older people in this country who have worked hard their entire life to retire…and then someone scams them out of all their savings! We need to make this a priority!
Useful reminder “thanks” as for the FBI I am sure it is simply to ease their work as they can say “we tried” and not for your benefit. As with many I have lost faith in organizations like this and view what they say with skepticism. sad
The FBI what has the FBI have to do with warning people of local scams?
Works925,
.
Just because the person being scammed may be local, it doesn’t mean that the scammer is local, a significant chance exists that the scammer is across state lines or in a foreign country. Also, the manner in which an individual is scammed can be a violation of federal law, making it under FBI jurisdiction. Did you read the article?