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From gift giving to ordering food for holiday feasts, the convenience of shopping online can be a lifesaver during the holidays. However, online scams are always present even if you’re savvy at spotting scam attempts.
We’ll look at some key holiday scam statistics to see how thieves target their victims during the holidays and to help you and your loved ones stay safe while shopping online.
In a 2024 analysis of e-commerce transactions, TransUnion found that the most popular day for attempted online fraud was Thanksgiving Day, November 28. Thanksgiving was the top day for fraud attempts in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Though the latter two countries don’t celebrate Thanksgiving at the same time as the U.S., they do participate in Black Friday deals around that time.
Nearly two-thirds of consumers in the United States (64%) say they’re afraid of being victimized by online fraud this holiday season. More than half of people in Canada (59%) and the United Kingdom (56%) are afraid of becoming victims this year.
According to 2024 findings by Norton, 20% of people say they have been targeted by a scam while shopping online. More than half of those who were targeted (53%) report that they actually fell victim to the scam.
Norton also found that around a quarter of people (24%) said they’re not sure of the best ways to shop online safely. Despite that, 98% of Americans say they plan to shop online for gifts this holiday season, including 60% that say they’ll be doing more than half of their total shopping digitally.
According to a 2024 study by AARP, 82% of U.S. adults over 18 have experienced some form of fraud. Of the respondents, 56% received a fake notification relating to a package or shipment issue, up from 29% in 2022. Additionally, 35% received a request from a charity that felt fake or fraudulent and the same percentage experienced fraud while buying a product through an online ad.
At least a quarter of respondents said they had either given or received a gift card with a zero balance on it (29%) or had a package stolen (25%). Finally, 12% of people reported that they have been the victim of a fraudulent travel booking.
One area where most consumers are wary when shopping online is social media. Less than half of people (47%) said they believe that ads for merchandise and products on social media platforms are trustworthy.
Nearly three in five (57%) adults aged 18 to 34 who responded to AARP’s survey reported that they had purchased something through an online ad in the last 12 months, the highest rate of any age group. Of that group, more than a third (36%) said that they’ve experienced fraud when buying something from an online ad at least once in their life.
Comparatively, just 39% of people aged 45 to 64 bought something through a digital ad last year, but a higher percentage of that cohort (37%) have fallen victim to fraud while doing so.
AARP’s 2024 study found that a majority (56%) of the U.S. adults surveyed knew that using a credit card rather than a debit card was a safer option when making online purchases, though that number is down from 64% in 2022. 64% of respondents said they planned to use a credit card to make purchases, the same rate as 2023. 75% said they planned to use cash (up from 73% in 2023), while 70% planned to use a debit card (the same as 2023).
Finally, 31% of people plan to use peer-to-peer payment apps or electronic wallets while shopping this holiday season, a slight increase from 30% in 2023.
According to the FBI, credit card fraud accounted for $174 million in losses in 2023, and non-payment and non-delivery scams cost an additional $310 million that year.
According to the data gathered by Norton in 2024, 73% of shoppers are worried about having personal data such as their physical address, credit card data, or email compromised, the top digital concern this year.
67% of people said they’re worried about being the victim of a cybercrime, the second-largest worry this year.
Tied for third place is being scammed by a third-party website and having a family member fall victim to a scam text or email, both of which 66% of people say they’re worried about.
Despite the fact that the security of personal data is the top overall concern, the same Norton survey found that most consumers are willing to risk compromising their personal information if it means they can save money. 59% of people indicated that they’ve given away some of their personal information in order to receive a discount while shopping.
The National Retail Federation says that 53% of holiday shoppers would like to receive a gift card in 2024, and AARP reports that 69% of Americans plan to buy gift cards this holiday season. This year, 45% of respondents said they planned to buy the same number of gift cards as last year, 11% intended to buy more, and 11% said they would buy fewer.
Interestingly, 15% of respondents said they had received a gift card with no funds, down slightly from 16% in 2023. 8% of people in 2024 said they had given a card that turned out to have nothing on it, and 7% said they had both given and received a gift card with no funds.
Using Federal Trade Commission data, the National Conference of State Legislatures reported that card-draining and other forms of gift card fraud accounted for more than $217 million in losses for consumers in 2023.
According to SEON Fraud Prevention, over 8.92 million transactions were flagged and blocked in the final three months of 2023. More than half of those transactions came from two sectors, as 3.89 million fraudulent transactions came from the iGaming sector while 1.75 million were generated via Buy Now Pay Later companies.
SEON reports that last year, the day with the highest overall level of fraud activity was Christmas Day (December 25), while the day where the highest percentage of transactions that were fraudulent occurred a week earlier on December 18. Finally, the report notes that the entire week of December 18-24 marked the sharpest overall rise in fraud activity across all sectors that they monitor.
AARP’s 2024 data shows that more than half of people, 55%, donated money to charity in the last year. Additionally, more than one-third of respondents (35%) say they received a donation request in the last 12 months that seemed likely to be fraudulent or a scam.
However, 60% of respondents say they don’t “always” research an organization or cause before donating. Older respondents are more likely to be targeted by donation scammers, with 39% of people over 45 saying they were targeted, compared to 31% of those between 18 and 44.
Porch piracy, or stealing packages after delivery, is more likely to happen in urban areas but can happen anywhere. 41% of people in urban areas report having packages stolen, while 25% in dense suburban areas and 30% in suburban areas have experienced the same. 21% of package thefts occurred in small towns, while only 17% were in rural areas.
According to Security.org, 4% of Americans have had a package stolen in the last three months, and 25% have had a package taken at some point. The average stolen package is worth about $200. When it comes to the holiday season specifically, 90% of people said they are worried about having holiday packages stolen, including a quarter that are “very” or “extremely” concerned about that possibility.
According to data from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), $1.4 billion was reported lost to scammers in 2023 through social media scams. Investment fraud had the highest reported losses, climbing to $4.6 billion in 2023, an increase of $800 million from the year prior. Business imposter crimes also soared to $752 million in 2022, compared to $666 million in 2022. Overall, $10 billion was lost to scammers in 2023 compared to $8.8 billion in 2022.
According to the FBI, in 2023, the amount of money lost to investment scams was higher than any other category. The amount of money lost to investment scams rose by 38% compared to 2022, going from $3.31 billion in losses in 2022 to $4.57 billion in 2023.
According to a 2024 AARP survey, most consumers in the United States failed a 10-question safe shopping quiz, which is a sign that they may be vulnerable to online fraud and scams. 7 out of 10 respondents failed the quiz, showing that the majority of shoppers aren’t as well-versed in staying safe while shopping online as they think.
Additionally, nearly two-thirds of respondents (64%) incorrectly think that online stores and retailers will request their login data before providing customer support.
The Better Business Bureau (BBB) reports that the majority of scam reports they received in 2023 were for online scams, as more than 68% of all reports were related to scams perpetrated on the internet. The BBB also reports that online scams come with a higher likelihood of monetary loss than scams that are undertaken over the phone or in person.
One specific area of the internet where scammers and fraudsters are thriving is social media. According to BBB data, the percentage of people who engaged with a scammer via social media rose by an alarming 64% from 2022 to 2023.
Avoiding scams during holiday shopping can be tricky, especially if you’re in a rush. To help you stay safe online while you hunt for the perfect holiday gifts, consider the following cybersecurity tips.
Phishing attacks can occur via email, social media, or websites, and they can be hard to spot if you don’t look carefully. Be sure to stop and think before you click on any links and be cautious about clicking ads you see on social media. Instead of clicking, try googling the product in a new window to see if it's legitimate.
Many phishing attempts will ask you to update your password or billing information, even if you haven’t placed a recent order with a specific company. If you didn’t request a password reset link, delete the email immediately without clicking any links. If you recently placed an online order but think something looks suspicious, find the company’s phone number online and call them directly to verify.
If you’re purchasing from a company for the first time, be sure to do your research and read reviews. If you’re using an online marketplace, check the buyer or seller's feedback rating and avoid doing business with people with low ratings. Don’t send anyone money or products without verifying their credentials.
Using a credit card online is an excellent way to help protect yourself from fraud. Most credit card companies offer a level of fraud protection and generally won't hold you liable for unauthorized charges as long as it’s reported promptly. If you see odd charges on your account, freeze the card as soon as possible and contact the card issuer to report the fraud and get the charges reversed.
Always check the tracking provided and follow the delivery process. To prevent porch piracy, consider holding your holiday packages at the post office or a UPS or FedEx retail location for safe pickup. Otherwise, try to be home to receive deliveries and create a secure spot on your porch for package drop off, preferably out of sight of the street and potential thieves.
If you discover fraudulent activity on your credit card or believe your identity was stolen, consider using a service to help monitor your information. Research the best identity theft protection services to help you make sure your information is safe while you shop online.
Thinking about scams and identity theft might steal some holiday cheer, but being smart now can help you avoid becoming a victim. Remember to use good security hygiene, don’t click on suspicious links, and use a credit card to help limit financial damage if thieves access your information.
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