FBI Baltimore Warns of Holiday Scams

The FBI Baltimore Field Office is encouraging shoppers to be vigilant for scams that are designed to steal their money and personal information this holiday season. Those looking for a last-minute deal should be aware criminals are using increasingly aggressive and creative online scams.

“Criminals would love to use the holiday rush to trick you into falling for a scam. Don’t let them steal the joy from your celebration,” said William J. DelBagno, FBI Baltimore Special Agent in Charge. “Unfortunately, we see many victims who thought they were shopping through a reputable and valid online vendor only to discover they’ve either provided their financial or credit card information to a nefarious third party or, after waiting weeks for a purchase to arrive, realize they’ve been scammed.”

Two prevalent holiday scams are non-delivery and non-payment crimes. In Maryland, non-payment or non-delivery totaled almost $3.5 million and credit card/check fraud totaled almost $2.5 million last year.

The FBI’s definition for non-payment/non-delivery is when goods or services are shipped and payment is never rendered (nonpayment), or payment is sent, and goods or services are never received or are of lesser quality (non-delivery).

Some of the common holiday scams the FBI warns of are:

• Online shopping scams: Scammers offer deals through phishing e-mails or advertisements.
• Social media scams: Scammers use social media sites that appear to offer vouchers or gift cards. These scams often lead consumers to complete online surveys designed to steal personal information.
• Smartphone app scams: Scammers design mobile apps disguised as free games that steal personal information.
• Work-from-home scams: Scammers use websites and social media posts that offer working from home. Convenience is the attention grabber, but there may be fraudulent intentions.
• Gift card scams: Victims receive a spoofed email, call, or text asking them to purchase multiple gift cards for personal or business reasons.
• Charity scams: Criminals set up false charities and profit from individuals who believe they are donating to legitimate organizations.

Scams take many forms, but if a deal looks too good to be true, it probably is. Some precautions include:

• Do not open any unsolicited e-mails or click on any links if they do open the email.
• Remember to secure banking and credit accounts with strong and different passwords and secure all other accounts that contain anything of value, such as rewards accounts, online accounts that save payment information, and accounts containing private and personal information. The use of two-factor authentication (2FA) is highly encouraged to further safeguard these accounts.
• Steer clear of untrustworthy sites or ads offering items at unrealistic discounts or with special coupons.
• Use caution and take a pause to verify when downloading mobile applications.
• Consumers should be vigilant when receiving items purchased from online auctions and third-party marketplaces.

If you believe you are a victim of a scam, contact your financial institution immediately. You should also contact your local law enforcement agency and file a complaint with the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) by visiting www.IC3.gov.

For more information on holiday scams, visit www.fbi.gov/holidayscams.