Dec 18, 2023 5 min read

Few things are more frustrating than a package that never gets delivered, but during the holiday season, ordering a gift for a loved one that never arrives isn’t just disappointing: it’s often a scam.

On Friday, the Federal Bureau of Investigation released a statement reminding shoppers of common holiday scams to be on the lookout for as Christmas Day nears.

The two most common scams are non-delivery, where the good or service purchased online never arrives, and non-payment scams. A non-payment scam does make its way to one’s doorstep, but the seller never receives his or her payment for that good or service. Those two scams accounted for more than $280 million in losses in 2022, according to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.

According to the center, last year, more than 365 people living in Western Pennsylvania lost about $945,900 through non-delivery and non-payment crimes. The amount of money lost through these scams increased this year; through the end of October, more than 290 people lost $1,685,876.

Along with non-delivery and non-payment scams, the FBI encourages people to keep an eye out for online shopping, social media, charity and other scams.

While it comes to online shopping, if it’s too good to be true, err on the side of caution. Online shopping scams include deeply discounted brand-name merchandise and websites selling great products at great prices – but the products for sale turn out to be quite different from those advertised.

Always verify an online retailer’s contact information, including address, email and phone number, to confirm it’s legit before making a purchase.

Social media algorithms tailor ads to you – and if you’ve scrolled in the past couple weeks, your eyes may have lit up at some of the neat items for sale through Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. Sometimes, the vouchers and gift cards or holiday promos and contests are a scam to steal personal or financial information.

Before purchasing a product through social media, confirm the company’s legitimacy by searching them online. If a friend shares a link to a product, ask that friend whether he or she really sent the link before clicking through or sharing your information, including financial information, on the site.

Be wary, too, of mobile apps, particularly games offered for free, which are designed to steal personal information. Before downloading an app on which to pass the time between holiday events, check online for third-party reviews of the developer, app or game.

As the year comes to a sparkly, festive close, scammers aim to take advantage of feelings of goodwill through charity scams: charity fraud increases during the holiday season, the FBI reported, when people make tax deductible, end-of-year gifts to good causes.

Research all charities and causes, including those that cold call, send unsolicited emails, or advertise on social media or sites like GoFundMe, before donating. To avoid donating money to scammers instead of those in need, always make contributions directly to the organization instead of through a third party, and pay via credit card or check.

Note that organizations whose names sound similar to reputable charities and those that use “.com” instead of “.org” may be a scam.

Also a potential scam: work from home opportunities. Before applying to or accepting a remote position, do some digging to verify the company exists and the position is truly available. Never submit personal information via a form sent in an email.

During the holidays, many people receive emails, texts, or social media messages from friends, acquaintances or authority figures asking the individual to purchase gift cards for personal or business reasons. Get in touch with the person requesting gift cards using a different form of contact to check whether or not they’re really in need of gift cards.

And always be wary of a purchase or service that requires a gift card payment.

No matter how you shop during the holidays, the FBI recommends taking extra precaution this time of year. Vet online retailers by searching them on the Better Business Bureau website at www.bbb.org and check other web sites for reviews of that company.

If a company uses a free email service instead of a company email address, that’s a red flag. Never click links sent in an unsolicited email, and don’t provide credit card or other information through unsolicited emails.

If a company requests personal information, contact the organization through the main contact information on the official website (preferably after vetting that site).

When in doubt, think it out. A legitimate transaction will not feel rushed. The best way to avoid being scammed this Christmas is to take all the time you need to research and confirm your holiday purchases before making them.

If you believe you have been scammed, contact your bank immediately, report the scam and request the transaction be stopped. You may also report activity to the Internet Crime Complaint Center at IC3.gov.

For more information on scams, or to report scams to the FBI, go to https://www.ic3.gov/.