The biggest red flags of a holiday shopping scam are a price that is too low, a seller you cannot verify, pressure to act fast, and a request to pay in a way that cannot be undone. A holiday shopping scam is any fake offer, fake store, or fake message that uses gift season to take your money or your private details. These scams run from early November through the end of December. Stop and check before you pay if you see two or more of the 12 signs listed below.
This guide explains each sign in plain words, shows what to do about it, and covers the first steps to take if you already paid.
Why scams grow when gift season starts
Holiday scams grow because shoppers are busy, emotional, and spending more than usual. Gift lists are long, time is short, and many people click fast to finish the job. Scammers know this and plan their fake offers around it.
Three things make the season risky:
- Urgency. Shipping deadlines make a rushed click feel sensible.
- Big spending. More money moving online means more reward for criminals.
- Wish lists. Hot toys and gadgets are hard to find, so a cheap listing feels like luck.
The numbers back this up:
- Online purchase scams were 28.4% of all reports made to BBB Scam Tracker in 2025, which made them the third riskiest scam type, according to the BBB.
- The Consumer Federation of America counted $20.877 billion lost to online scams and crimes in 2025, a rise of 25.8% from 2024, as reported by Mass.gov.
- One security expert quoted in a holiday alert said phishing attempts can jump by as much as 400% between October and the start of the holiday season.
In short, the risk does not start on one big sale day. It builds across the whole season.
The 12 red flags of holiday shopping scams
Each flag below shows what it looks like and what to do next. One flag is a reason to slow down. Two or more is a reason to leave.
Red flag 1: A price that beats the whole market
What it looks like: A hot gift sells for a fraction of what every other shop charges. What to do: Check the website URL on fake or real website checker tool and Compare the price in two or three well-known stores. If only one seller is that cheap, assume the offer is bait.
Red flag 2: A deal from a shop you have never heard of
What it looks like: An ad in your feed links to a store with no history, no press, and no talk online. What to do: Search the shop’s name with the word “reviews”. No trace outside its own pages means no trust.
Red flag 3: An order message for something you never bought
What it looks like: A text or email thanks you for an order, with a number to call or a link to “cancel”. What to do: Do not call or click. Open your real shopping account and see if the order exists.
Red flag 4: A delivery fee request
What it looks like: A message says your parcel is stuck and asks for a small payment or new address details. What to do: Track the parcel inside the store’s own app or website. Real couriers do not ask for card data through a random link.
Red flag 5: A request to pay outside the normal checkout
What it looks like: The seller says, “Send the money to my account and I will ship today.” What to do: Say no. Pay only through the site’s regular checkout, where the payment is protected.
Red flag 6: A demand for gift cards
What it looks like: You are told to buy gift cards and share the codes to “confirm” an order or fix a problem. What to do: Stop at once. No honest shop asks for payment this way, and the money is very hard to recover.
Red flag 7: A web address that copies a real brand
What it looks like: The address has an extra word, a dash, a swapped letter, or a strange ending. What to do: Type the brand’s address yourself or use its official app. Never trust a link from an ad or a message.
Red flag 8: Missing seller details
What it looks like: There is no street address, no phone number, and the return rules are short or copied from somewhere else. What to do: Look for a real address and a clear refund policy. If you cannot find them in a minute, shop somewhere else.
Red flag 9: Reviews that feel too perfect
What it looks like: Dozens of five-star reviews with the same style, posted close together, and none of them mention a problem. What to do: Read reviews on an outside site. Look for honest, mixed feedback with real details about delivery and returns.
Red flag 10: Pressure words and fake timers
What it looks like: “Only 3 left,” “Offer ends in 4 minutes,” and a timer that starts over when you refresh the page. What to do: Pause for ten minutes. A real deal will still be there, and a fake one loses its power when you wait.
Red flag 11: A login link to “claim your reward”
What it looks like: A message says you won a prize or a coupon, but you must sign in first. What to do: Never sign in through a message link. Open the official site or app on your own and check your account there.
Red flag 12: A celebrity or AI-made endorsement
What it looks like: A video or post shows a famous face praising a flash sale. McAfee’s 2024 holiday study found that one in three Americans said they had been targeted by AI-powered scams, including deepfakes and fake celebrity endorsements, as noted by the University of Virginia security team. What to do: Check the star’s official pages. If they say nothing about the offer, treat the video as fake.
Real offer vs fake offer: a quick comparison
Use this table as a fast gut check when a holiday deal pops up on your screen.
What you check | A real offer usually | A fake offer often |
|---|---|---|
Price | Is lower, but close to other stores | Is far lower than everyone else |
Web address | Matches the brand you know | Has extra words, dashes, or odd endings |
Payment | Uses normal checkout with a card or trusted wallet | Asks for transfer, gift cards, or crypto |
Contact details | Shows a real address, phone, or support page | Shows only a form, or nothing |
Return policy | Is clear and easy to find | Is missing, vague, or copied |
Reviews | Are mixed, detailed, and found on outside sites | Are all perfect and found only on the shop’s page |
Messages | Arrive after you made a purchase | Arrive out of the blue with a link |
Tone | Is calm and clear | Is rushed, with timers and threats |
A simple routine for safe holiday shopping
Good habits beat good luck. Build this routine once and use it all season.
- Make a gift list with a budget. A plan lowers the urge to grab a random “mega deal”.
- Shop at stores you already know. For a new store, check it first, as the FTC advises: look up the company or product online before you order.
- Use one safe card for online orders. A credit card lets you dispute a charge, and a single card is easier to watch.
- Turn on alerts. Let your bank app tell you about every payment, so odd charges stand out.
- Use strong, different passwords. Add two-step login on email and shopping accounts, so a stolen password alone is not enough.
- Track parcels in the store’s own app. Ignore delivery texts with links, even if they look official.
- Keep your software updated. Updates close holes that scammers use.
- Wait ten minutes on big buys. A short pause beats a long regret.
The BBB also notes that the risk rises for in-demand products, especially when they are offered on social media, so be extra careful with those.
If you already paid: what to do in the first day
Call your bank first, then protect your accounts and report the scam. Speed gives you the best chance to limit the damage.
- Contact your bank or card issuer. Ask them to stop the card and to start a dispute if you paid for something that never came.
- Gather proof. Keep screenshots of the ad, the shop, the order page, and any chat. Write down the web address.
- Secure your accounts. Change passwords on email, banking, and any account that shared the same password.
- Report to the platform. Flag the seller, ad, or page where you found it.
- Report officially. In the US, file at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, and add a report at IC3.gov if money was lost. Elsewhere, contact your local consumer or cybercrime authority. Keep your report number.
- Watch for follow-up traps. Scammers sometimes call again pretending to help you recover money. Do not pay anyone who offers this.
Holiday shopping scams: frequently asked questions
What is a holiday shopping scam?
A holiday shopping scam is a fake sale, store, ad, or message that uses gift season to steal money or personal data. Common forms include fake stores, fake delivery texts, and fake prize offers.
When do holiday shopping scams peak?
They build from early November and stay high through December. Many scam campaigns start before the big sale days, so stay alert all season, not just on one date.
How do I know if an online store is safe?
Check the web address, search for outside reviews, find real contact details and a clear return policy, and compare the price with other shops. Pay with a card that allows disputes.
Are text messages about my package safe?
Treat them with care. If a text has a link and asks for money or login details, do not use it. Check the parcel in the store’s official app or site instead.
What is the safest payment method for gifts?
A credit card or a trusted wallet with buyer protection is usually the safest. Avoid gift cards, crypto, and bank transfers when shopping with sellers you do not know.
Can I be scammed on a big, well-known marketplace?
Yes. Fake sellers can appear on popular platforms, and some sellers try to move you to another app to pay. Stay inside the platform’s own checkout.
What should I do if I clicked a bad link?
Change your passwords, turn on two-step login, check your bank accounts, and tell your bank if you entered card details. Then report the message to the platform it came from.
Where do I report a holiday shopping scam?
In the US, report to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to the FBI at IC3.gov if you lost money. You can also report to the BBB. In other countries, contact your national consumer or cybercrime agency.
Final thoughts: a calm shopper is a safe shopper
Holiday shopping scams rely on speed and stress. When you slow down, they lose their edge. Remember the core rule: a price that is too good, a seller you cannot verify, and a payment you cannot reverse are a bad mix. Spot two of those three, and you should walk away.
Pass this guide to family members who shop online, especially those who buy gifts through social media ads.