FBI, CISA Warn of AI-Powered Holiday Scams

FBI and CISA warn that AI-powered scams are surging ahead of the 2025 Halloween and holiday shopping season as scammers increasingly exploit the rush and rising online purchases (55% of shoppers plan to buy digitally). Last year Americans lost more than $12.5 billion to fraud, and an AARP survey found about 80% of consumers were targeted or victimized. Common schemes include fake costume retailers and pop-up shops, bogus event tickets, phishing texts and emails posing as delivery companies or banks, fraudulent charity appeals, and social‑media “too good to be true” deals. Digital threats such as malicious QR codes, hidden card skimmers that enable “ghost tapping,” Evil Twin Wi‑Fi hotspots, and increasingly realistic AI-generated fake websites are on the rise. Experts advise practical protections: prefer credit over debit, enable mobile banking alerts and card controls, use mobile wallets or tap‑to‑pay, double‑check links (or go directly to official sites), run antivirus and site‑safety checks, monitor accounts frequently, and report suspicious charges promptly. Small businesses can still use low‑cost Halloween marketing, but hosts and shoppers should verify vendors and sales channels and heed BBB cautions about last‑minute pop‑ups.