Orlando, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) — The holiday season isn’t just about spreading cheer, scammers are spreading fear. The FTC reports consumers lost 12.5 billion dollars to fraud last year, with more than 2.6 million reports filed. The top ways scammers strike? Email, phone calls, and text messages. A new Pew Research study finds 73 percent of Americans have experienced some form of online scam.
This December people will be spreading holiday cheer and holiday scams!
“They are professional criminals, and they have a very good approach at playing on people’s emotions,” said Joel Garris President & CEO of Nelson Financial Planning.
One of the most common scams this season involves credit cards or gift cards: scammers con you into giving them card numbers or pins.
“Once you do that, that money is absolutely gone,” said Garris.
The FBI reports seniors lost almost five billion dollars to scams last year, including more than two and a half billion dollars from “emergency scams,” where fraudsters pose as relatives needing cash fast.
“I think it’s important on any phone to list out sort of a trusted contact list and encourage people to only answer calls from that trusted contact list,” explained Garris.
Also, this gift-buying season, the FTC warns shoppers to double-check websites before hitting “buy.” Scammers are creating fake stores using stolen logos and “limited-time deals.” You pay, but the gift never arrives.
“Especially with A.I. being able to generate these websites in such great detail that it’s hard to tell the real ones from the imposters,” explained Garris.
Thieves are also tampering with gift cards, scratching off protective codes so they can drain the balance as soon as you load money. Always purchase cards from a cashier and inspect them closely. Bottom line this holiday season, double-check before you click, swipe, or send.
The FBI says fake charities spike in December — calls or emails pressuring you to donate “right now.” Before you give, verify charities through trusted sites like charitynavigator.org or the BBB Wise Giving Alliance. Also be on the lookout for the “brushing scam” — unsolicited packages with QR codes that can lead to spoofed websites or malware. And remember scams aren’t just a senior problem. People under 40 lose money to fraud at almost twice the rate of older adults. Garris suggests testing your family with fake scam texts or emails to teach them how to spot the real ones.
Contributors to this news report include: Marcy Wilder, Producer; Bob Walko, Editor.
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Sources:
https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/images/csn-scammy-snapshot-2024.png
https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2025/07/31/online-scams-and-attacks-in-america-today/
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/seniors-lost-48-billion-scammers-2024-fbi/story?id=121059590
https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/federal.trade.commission/viz/AgeandFraud/Infographic
