The holiday season brings joy and celebration, but it also creates prime opportunities for scammers targeting busy shoppers and generous gift-givers.
- Online scams surge during holiday shopping season, with local computer shop seeing half dozen victims daily
- Fake package delivery texts are a common scam, targeting busy shoppers waiting for deliveries
- Experts advise hanging up and calling direct and known numbers to verify information
WATCH: Scams surge during holiday shopping season, local experts warn
New Look Computer and Data in St. Johns sees a dramatic increase in scam victims during the holidays, with owner Jason Denovich reporting about an 85% uptick in customers who have fallen prey to fraudulent schemes.
"We average a half a dozen customers a day who have fallen victim to a text scam, an email scam or a bad shopping scam," Denovich said.
He says the most common holiday scam exploits a universal experience during the shopping season.
"Everybody in America pretty much has one thing in common, and that one thing in common is we are all waiting for a package. So I would say the number one scam we see everyday in here is text messages and emails of fake things saying your package is delayed or it's not gonna be delivered. People freak out, they click the message and they get scammed," Denovich said.
Scammers capitalize on the holiday rush when people are distracted and stressed, according to Denovich. St. Johns Police Chief David Kirk confirms law enforcement sees the same seasonal pattern.
"Verification is the easiest way to protect yourself. Watch out for things that aren't expected. If you're not anticipating anything with your credit card or with a bank calling you, that's also a good indicator as well," Kirk said.
The season of giving also creates opportunities for fraud. Kirk recently learned of scam calls where criminals impersonated his own police department to solicit donations from neighbors.
Online shopping deals require extra scrutiny during the holidays, Denovich warns.
"During this time of year, the biggest thing to watch out for are fake websites and fake online scams for really good deals. And the best way to verify that is to check reviews," Denovich said.
If a holiday shopping deal seems too good to be true, it probably is, he added.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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