There always seems to be a never-ending list of tasks during the holiday season, from booking

flights to purchasing gifts for loved ones. As you prepare for the holidays, it’s also critical to keep

an eye out for online scams that aim to steal your money and your joy. 

Nationally, nearly 1 in 3 consumers reported falling victim to an online scam during the 2024

holiday season, and Nebraskans have lost more than $42.5 million to fraud and scams just last year. Scams are becoming increasingly more sophisticated, making them more convincing and harder to detect. 

“The holidays are scammers’ busy season. From fake travel websites and false package

delivery messages to phony charity donations, scammers take advantage of people’s spirit of

generosity and bustling holiday schedule,” said Diedra Porché, National Head of Community

and Business Development at JPMorganChase. “Your best defense to protect yourself and

loved ones is to stay educated on common and emerging scam tactics.”

Don’t let the threat of scams dampen your celebrations. Consider the following tips to help you

celebrate safely:

Beware of unrealistic deals 

When you have so many gifts to buy, you’ll want to look for bargains. However, make sure that

the discounts you’re offered are legitimate. Scammers often lure buyers with massive discounts,

especially on popular and sold-out items, often using fake websites or social media ads. If you

think, “this deal is too good to be true,” listen to your gut. It’s likely a scam.

Shop with trusted retailers 

When shopping online or on social media, make sure to only buy from trusted websites and

vendors. Review the website’s URL and ensure that it starts with “https://” (the “s” stands for

secure) as scammers can create fake websites to look like legitimate retailers. If you’re

unfamiliar with a store, search for the name with terms like “scam,” “complaints” or “reviews” to

uncover any red flags.

Be especially cautious when making purchases from social media marketplaces. Always verify

the product exists before purchasing and use payments with purchase protections, like a credit

card, to pay.

Gift card scams typically begin with outreach from a scammer, often pretending to be someone

else, who urgently pressures victims into buying specific gift cards and sharing the card

numbers and PINs. Scammers use various stories, such as pretending to be government

officials, tech support, friends or family in emergencies, prize promoters, utility companies or

online romantic interests. Remember: Legitimate organizations will never demand payment by

gift card, and requests for gift card payments are a sign of a scam.

How you pay matters

Not all payment methods offer purchase protection. When buying gifts for the holiday season,

consider using your debit and credit cards, as they may provide protections that allow you to

dispute a charge if you don’t receive what you paid for or it’s not as you expected. If you

purchase something using payment methods like Zelle®, wire transfers, gift cards or cash and

it turns out to be a scam, it’s unlikely you’ll get your money back. Only use Zelle® to pay others

you know and trust.

Seek out free resources 

Give yourself peace of mind while shopping by using digital tools to monitor your personal

information. For example, Chase Credit Journey® offers free credit and identity monitoring. This

includes alerts to let you know if your data is exposed in a data breach or on the dark web. You don’t have to be a Chase customer use it.  

To learn more about how to help protect yourself from scams this holiday season, visit

Chase.com/Security. 

For informational/educational purposes only: Views and strategies described in this article or

provided via links may not be appropriate for everyone and are not intended as specific

advice/recommendation for any business. Information has been obtained from sources believed

to be reliable, but JPMorgan Chase & Co. or its affiliates and/or subsidiaries do not warrant its

completeness or accuracy.

The material is not intended to provide legal, tax, or financial advice or to indicate the availability or suitability of any JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. product or service.

You should carefully consider your needs and objectives before making any decisions and

consult the appropriate professional(s). Outlooks and past performance are not guarantees of

future results. JPMorgan Chase & Co. and its affiliates are not responsible for, and do not

provide or endorse, third-party products, services or other content.

Deposit and credit card products provided by JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. Member FDIC.  

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