Video Transcript

'Tis the season for holiday scams.

My name is Mike Butsch, and I am the Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Field Office of the FBI. As you check things off your holiday list, don't let the Grinch steal your holiday joy.

Be on the lookout for holiday scams. These may come in many forms, including fake charities asking for donations, shopping deals from unknown vendors that are too good to be true, and malicious links in text messages and emails pretending to be shipping notifications.

Combat these attempts to steal your money or your identity by remaining vigilant, being suspicious of unknown contact, asking yourself if a deal is too good to be true, and not clicking on links sent via email, text, or social media. Remember: Anyone can be a target, so stay vigilant and report suspicious activity and suspected scams to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov. To learn about common seasonal fraud schemes and how to protect yourself and your loved ones, visit www.fbi.gov/holidayscams.