FBI Salt Lake City Shares Tips to Avoid Holiday Scams
FBI Salt Lake City Supervisory Special Agent Casey Harrington gives tips to avoid holiday shopping scams this season, and asks consumers to remain vigilant against potential scammers.
Video Transcript
Supervisory Special Agent Casey Harrington: It’s obviously a big time of year for retailers, for consumers, but also a big time of year for the criminals.
Every year, thousands of people become victims of holiday scams.
Special Agent Harrington: Regardless of whether it is an email, a text message, or a website, they’re going to use every possible way to try to get your information and get you to click on something you necessarily wouldn’t want to.
According to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center's 2020 report, non-payment or non-delivery scams cost people more than $265 million. Credit card fraud accounted for $129 million in losses.
Special Agent Harrington: There’s a lot of criminals out there. It’s a very lucrative business.
This holiday season, don't be a victim.
Special Agent Harrington: We want to make sure when you’re purchasing an item online it’s somewhere that’s reputable and that you’re familiar with. Look for reviews, look for feedback from other people. Just because the ad’s on a legitimate platform or website, don’t believe that it’s not fraudulent. In the URL, usually you want to see it start with HTTPS – the “S” is the key for “secure.” We definitely encourage individuals to check credit card statements. They’re very sophisticated, they get better every year, and so we have to get better and the consumer has to get better at identifying the scam.
Report Internet crimes to IC3.gov.
Video Download
Video Source
Recent Video
- 03.08.2023 — FBI Jacksonville Diversity Agent Recruitment Event Trailer: Special Agent Alex Silverstein
- 03.08.2023 — FBI Jacksonville Diversity Agent Recruitment Event Trailer: Special Agent Justin Brannon
- 03.08.2023 — FBI Jacksonville Diversity Agent Recruitment Event Trailer: Special Agent Lauren Regucci
- 03.08.2023 — FBI Jacksonville Diversity Agent Recruitment Event Trailer: Special Agent in Charge Sherri Onks
- 03.03.2023 — FBI Pittsburgh Joint Operation
- 02.09.2023 — Chinese High-Altitude Balloon Recovery
- 02.06.2023 — Inside The FBI Podcast: For The Love Of Money
- 02.01.2023 — Inside the FBI Podcast: Romance Scams (2021 Rerelease)
- 02.01.2023 — Inside the FBI Podcast: Submitting Tips to the Bureau
- 01.31.2023 — FBI Seattle Discusses Myths of Human Trafficking
- 01.16.2023 — FBI Announces $10,000 Reward for Information Leading to Arrest in Unsolved Murders
- 01.13.2023 — Section Chief Jose Perez on Violent Crime Operations
- 01.12.2023 — Sextortion PSA – Salt Lake City
- 01.10.2023 — Madalina Cojocari Missing Person's Vodcast
- 12.29.2022 — FBI Atlanta: Surveillance in Ebenezer Baptist Church Vandalism Investigation
- 11.22.2022 — FBI Charlotte: Surveillance Video in Crisis Pregnancy Center Arson Investigation (2 of 2)
- 11.21.2022 — B-Roll JCODE Takedown Los Angeles 110122
- 11.18.2022 — FBI Philadelphia: Surveillance Video in Serial Armed Robberies Investigation (September 12, 2022 Robbery)
- 11.18.2022 — FBI Philadelphia: Surveillance Video in Serial Armed Robberies Investigation (October 8, 2022 Robbery)
- 11.15.2022 — FBI Charlotte: Surveillance Video in Crisis Pregnancy Center Arson Investigation (1 of 2)
FBI Weekly Newsletter
Subscribe to our email newsletter for news on the FBI, sent out every week.