FBI Warns of Rising Holiday Scams, Urges Families to Talk Fraud Prevention (Chicago, IL) – As the holiday shopping and giving season ramps up, the FBI is launching a nationwide initiative to raise awareness about scams that routinely target consumers during the end of the year, urging families to talk openly about fraud and take steps to protect themselves.
FBI officials say scammers often exploit the increased online shopping, charitable giving and emotional stress associated with the holidays. By encouraging conversations among family members—particularly with older relatives—the bureau hopes to reduce the number of people who fall victim to financial fraud.
“Far too often, the FBI speaks with people who feel silenced, isolated, and helpless after falling victim to these incredibly common and dangerous scams,” said Douglas S. DePodesta, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Chicago field office. “We’re seeking to raise awareness to help ensure that others don’t fall victim to these practices.”
DePodesta urged consumers to slow down before making purchases or donations online and to carefully assess whether websites, emails or solicitations are legitimate. He also encouraged people to discuss scam risks with loved ones as a way to protect family finances.
The scope of the problem is significant. In 2024 alone, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) received more than 535,000 complaints nationwide, reporting losses totaling $13.7 billion—an average of about $25,700 per victim. From 2020 through 2024, reported losses climbed to $50.5 billion.
Illinois ranked sixth nationally in the number of fraud complaints submitted to IC3, with nearly $500 million in reported financial losses. According to the FBI, people over age 60 accounted for the highest number of complaints and the greatest financial losses.
To help prevent fraud, the FBI is advising the public to avoid sharing sensitive personal or financial information with individuals they have met only online or over the phone. Officials also recommend shopping with established retailers and donating only to charities that are well known and trusted.
Consumers are encouraged to watch for copycat businesses or charities that use names or website addresses closely resembling legitimate organizations. The FBI advises manually typing web addresses instead of clicking links in emails or text messages and using credit cards for purchases whenever possible. Requests for payment through cash, gift cards, wire transfers or virtual currency are strong indicators of a scam, officials said.
Additional tips include avoiding responding to unsolicited emails, robocalls or text messages requesting personal information, regularly monitoring bank and credit card statements, and using strong, unique passwords for each online account.
The FBI urges victims to report all fraud—regardless of the amount lost—at ic3.gov, noting that even small losses can help investigators identify larger patterns of criminal activity. Older victims who need help filing a report can also contact the U.S. Department of Justice’s Elder Justice Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11.
More information about holiday scam prevention is available at fbi.gov/holidayscams, with year-round fraud prevention resources at fbi.gov/takeabeat.
FBI Warns of Rising Holiday Scams, Urges Families to Talk Fraud Prevention
