Don’t let scammers ruin your holiday shopping: What to watch for this season
The holiday shopping season is a busy time for everyone—including fraudsters. With more transactions happening online, and many shoppers pressed for time, scammers have plenty of chances to exploit the rush. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently reported that Americans lost a record $12.5 billion to fraud in 2024, and online shopping scams are a major driver of those losses. Whether you’re buying gifts, hunting for deals, or just restocking household items, it’s worth taking a few minutes to learn about the latest tactics and how to avoid them.
What happened
According to the FTC’s 2024 fraud data, imposter scams, online shopping scams, and gift card fraud remain among the most-reported categories. Scammers are constantly refining their methods. This year, the agency has warned about fake websites that mimic well-known retailers, phishing texts that appear to come from shipping companies like UPS or FedEx, and social media ads that lead to counterfeit storefronts. Another growing tactic: scammers pose as customer service agents for a platform or bank, then request payment via gift cards or wire transfers. The FTC’s advice is updated each holiday season, but the core patterns stay the same—urgency, impersonation, and unusual payment demands.
Why it matters
For an everyday shopper, a single scam can mean losing not just money but also time and peace of mind. Gifts you ordered may never arrive, or you might receive a cheap knockoff instead of the real product in an ad. Worse, some scams trick you into handing over personal information, which can lead to identity theft. With record fraud losses, the stakes are higher than ever. The good news: most scams follow predictable patterns, so learning the red flags can help you avoid them.
What readers can do
Here are practical steps based on the FTC’s most recent consumer alerts.
Verify the seller before you buy. If you find a deal through social media, a search ad, or an unsolicited email, do a quick background check. Search the store name plus “complaint” or “scam.” Look for contact information, a physical address, and clear return policies. If the site looks generic or the URL is slightly misspelled (like “amaz0n-deals.com”), that’s a red flag.
Stick to safe payment methods. Use a credit card when possible. Credit cards offer better fraud protection than debit cards, and you can dispute a charge if something goes wrong. Never pay by wire transfer, gift card, or cryptocurrency to a stranger. The FTC says these methods are nearly impossible to reverse.
Watch for phishing texts and emails. Scammers send messages that look like order confirmations, shipping updates, or “your account is locked” alerts. Don’t click links in unexpected messages. Instead, go directly to the company’s official website or app to check your order status.
Beware of too-good-to-be-true deals. If a website is selling a popular item for 80% off while every other store lists it at full price, it’s almost certainly a scam. Even during holiday sales discounts are rarely that extreme from an unknown seller.
What to do if you’ve been scammed. Start by contacting your credit card company or bank to dispute the charge. Then report the scam to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Your report helps the agency track trends and warn others. If the scam involved identity theft, also visit IdentityTheft.gov for a recovery plan.
Sources
- Federal Trade Commission, “How to avoid an online shopping scam this holiday season,” November 2025.
- FTC, “New FTC Data Show a Big Jump in Reported Losses to Fraud to $12.5 Billion in 2024,” March 2025.
- FTC, “Top scams of 2024,” March 2025.
- FTC, “Don’t let scammers get in the way of your holiday shopping,” November 2024.
The most important thing is to slow down. Scammers rely on urgency. A few minutes of checking can save you far more than the cost of a gift.