7 Tips To Avoid Scams During The Holiday Shopping Season

According to McAfee’s 2025 holiday report, 1 of 3 Americans have fallen victim to an online scam during the holiday season – and of the 58% of those who’ve lost money to such scams, nearly 1 in 10 lost over $1,000.

64% of Americans receive most of their scam messages via email, 20% encounter them primarily via text, and 16% find them on social media. Prominent scams include phishing and smishing attacks, with scammers posing as legitimate organizations to steal sensitive information, leading to potential identity theft.

Fake e-commerce sites lured consumers with unbelievable discounts via social media ads, resulting in lost funds and exposed personal data. Additionally, charity scams have grown more targeted, often involving cloned websites of reputable organizations.

Gift card scams are another major concern, where fraudsters impersonate officials to demand payments via gift cards, which are nearly impossible to trace…