Your Guide to Avoiding Holiday Scams This Season

The holidays are filled with travel, gift-giving, and time with loved ones. Unfortunately, they’re also a prime opportunity for scammers to take advantage of heightened spending and urgency.

With so many people balancing shopping lists, community events, travel, and year-end responsibilities, it becomes much easier to overlook fraud attempts. Scammers rely on this increased distraction and use urgency, emotional pressure, and sophisticated tactics to catch people off guard. As a community-driven financial partner, Forward Bank is dedicated to helping you navigate this season safely.

Why Do Scams Increase During the Holidays?

Scams occur throughout the year, but several conditions make the holiday months a prime season for fraud. People are often rushed and overwhelmed, which lowers their ability to slow down and evaluate unexpected messages or offers. According to Rochley Gross, Fraud Analyst at Forward Bank, the holiday rush creates the perfect environment for scammers because individuals are trying to accomplish too many tasks at once. He explains that between shopping, holiday events, work deadlines, and family commitments, people are more likely to react quickly without verifying whether a message or request is real. That brief lapse in attention is exactly what scammers hope to exploit. 

Rochley Gross, Fraud Analyst

Real holiday discounts also make it more challenging to identify suspicious deals. With so many legitimate promotions available, scammers can easily disguise fraudulent offers that seem reasonable during the festive season. All of these elements contribute to a noticeable increase in phishing emails, counterfeit websites, identity theft, data breaches, travel scams, and other forms of seasonal scams.

What Are Common Holiday Scams You Should Watch Out For?

While scams can take many forms, several types consistently rise during November and December. Being familiar with how they work can help you avoid becoming a victim.

1. Impersonation Scams

Impersonation scams are the most common form of holiday fraud because scammers rely on urgency and familiarity. They pose as banks, law enforcement, delivery carriers, government agencies, or even family members asking for help. These scams typically arrive through scam phone calls, phishing emails, or text messages designed to make you react quickly.

Rochley explains that urgency is the biggest red flag. Scammers claim there is a problem with your account, a missed delivery, or a legal issue that needs immediate attention. They often insist you stay on the line or avoid verifying the information. Rochley’s recommendation is: “The biggest thing is… just hang up. Hang up and call a known number.”

What to look out for:

• Urgent requests for personal information
• Caller IDs that look official but seem off
• Instructions not to hang up
• Messages claiming legal trouble or account issues
• Requests for secrecy
• Pressure to act immediately

2. Gift Card Scams

Gift card scams increase sharply during the holiday season because buying gift cards is so common. Scammers tell victims to purchase gift cards to resolve account problems, pay fees, or help a loved one in an emergency. Once they have the numbers from the back of the card, the money is nearly impossible to recover.

Rochley  stresses that no legitimate organization accepts gift cards as payment: “Gift cards are great to give as gifts. They are not to make a payment on anything.” If someone asks for gift cards to settle a problem, it is always a scam.

What to look out for:

• Requests to buy gift cards for payment
• Instructions to read gift card numbers over the phone
• Claims of urgent emergencies needing gift cards
• Requests from unknown callers or messages
• Pressure to buy multiple cards at high amounts

3. Package Delivery Scams

During the holidays, scammers send fake delivery updates that claim a package is delayed, requires additional fees, or needs updated information. These messages often contain links that lead to counterfeit websites or malware that steals personal data.

Rochley recommends checking the sender’s email address and avoiding links in unexpected texts or emails. Legitimate carriers will not use personal email accounts, nor will they ask for surprise payments to release a package.

What to look out for:

• Shipping notices from personal or unfamiliar email accounts
• Unexpected requests for delivery fees
• Links directing you to unknown websites
• Suspicious tracking numbers
• Messages demanding immediate action

4. Online Shopping Scams and Counterfeit Websites

Fake online stores appear more often during the holidays, offering deals that seem too good to be true. These sites may have convincing designs but exist solely to steal payment information. Scammers often steal product images or create fake reviews to build trust.

To stay safe, Rochley suggests looking for a return policy, a verifiable physical address, and checking product photos with a reverse image search to confirm credibility: “A reverse image search will show you where the product photos really came from.” Many scam websites reuse stolen images across multiple pages.

What to look out for:

• Extremely low prices or unrealistic discounts
• No return policy or unclear wording
• No physical business address
• Poor grammar or mismatched branding
• Requests for unusual payment methods
• Product photos found on multiple websites

5. Social Media Marketplace Scams

Scammers often create fake listings on platforms like Facebook Marketplace or hack existing accounts to appear credible. These scams focus on high-value or trending items and rely on buyers wanting to act quickly before the item sells.

Rochley recommends verifying the seller’s identity by contacting them through a different communication method and avoiding peer-to-peer payments unless you know them personally.

What to look out for:

• Sellers unwilling to meet in person
• Payment requested before seeing the item
• Recently created or inactive profiles
• Prices far below market value
• Pressure to act quickly
• Requests for payment through apps for strangers

6. Brushing Scams

Brushing scams occur when you receive a package you did not order. The items are usually inexpensive, but the goal is to trick recipients into scanning QR codes or calling phone numbers included in the package. These follow-up interactions often lead to requests for payment.

Rochley reminds customers that unsolicited packages are legally considered gifts: “If you get a gift you weren’t expecting and it has a QR code or a number to call, do not click it and do not call. You have no obligation to pay for unsolicited packages.”

What to look out for:

• Packages you did not order
• Enclosed QR codes or phone numbers
• Messages asking you to verify or pay for the item
• Pressure to provide personal information
• No clear sender or return information

7. AI-Driven Scams

Artificial intelligence has made scams more convincing. AI can generate realistic emails, create polished text messages, and even clone the voices of loved ones. These tools allow scammers to fabricate emergencies or impersonate organizations with alarming accuracy.

Rochley warns that AI-generated messages often sound smooth and professional, making them harder to spot. He recommends that families create a code word to verify identity during unexpected or urgent calls.

What to look out for:

• Unexpected calls that sound like a family member
• New phone numbers claiming emergencies
• Emails that seem professional but request unusual information
• Requests for secrecy or fast action
• Messages that sound emotional or urgent
• A strange tone, even if the voice seems familiar

How to Avoid Holiday Scams

Awareness is important, but practical habits provide the strongest protection against holiday fraud. The following tips will help you stay grounded, confident, and safe throughout the holiday season, no matter how busy things get.

• Slow Down and Think Before Responding: Scammers rely on urgency because quick decisions reduce your ability to notice red flags. Taking a moment to pause and evaluate the situation can prevent long-term financial damage.
• Avoid Clicking Links in Unsolicited Messages: Phishing emails, malware links, and text message scams often look legitimate at first. Instead of clicking links, open your browser and type in the company’s URL directly. This simple habit can help you avoid counterfeit websites and identity theft.
• Choose Safe Payment Methods: Credit cards offer stronger consumer protections than debit cards and are generally safer for online shopping. Peer-to-peer payment apps such as Venmo and Zelle are also secure, but only when you are certain of the recipient’s identity. Scammers often impersonate sellers and request payment through these apps.
• Use Tap to Pay for In-Store Purchases: Skimming devices still appear on ATMs and point-of-sale terminals. Tap to Pay technology prevents your card information from being skimmed, which makes it one of the safest options for in-person transactions.
• Turn On Security Tools: Forward Bank provides several key security features, including Credit Journey Alerts and Instant Card Locking. These tools help protect your accounts by monitoring changes to your credit and allowing you to control your debit card through the Forward Bank app. Many customers choose to lock their card until they are ready to complete a purchase.
• Use a Separate Email Address for Online Shopping: A dedicated shopping email address limits exposure of your personal information and reduces the impact of future data breaches. It also keeps promotional emails from overwhelming your primary inbox.
• Enable Two-Factor Authentication: Two-factor authentication is one of the most effective ways to protect your online accounts. Rochley Gross recommends enabling it on any platform that contains personal or financial information, including email, banking apps, social media, and shopping accounts. Many data breaches involve passwords, and 2FA adds a critical additional layer of security.
• Let Unknown Calls Go to Voicemail: There is no obligation to answer calls from unfamiliar numbers. If a call is important, the caller will leave a message. For any call claiming to be from a financial institution, hang up and contact the organization using a verified number.
• Report Suspicious Messages Immediately: If you receive a suspicious text, forward it to 7726. Cell carriers use these reports to block scam numbers and prevent them from contacting more people.

Enjoy a Safe and Confident Holiday Season

Holiday scams will continue to evolve, but with the right knowledge and habits, you can stay one step ahead. By slowing down, verifying information, and using secure financial tools, you can enjoy the season with peace of mind. If you ever receive a message, phone call, or email that feels suspicious, contact your local Forward Bank team. We are here to help you verify information and protect your accounts so you can focus on celebrating with the people who matter most.