Federal cybersecurity office releases tips for consumers on avoiding holiday scams

The Office of Cybersecurity and Critical Infrastructure Protection has released a consumer advisory on avoiding cyber and online scams during the holiday season, including a warning about suspicious texts or emails claiming to come from financial institutions.

OCCIP noted that cybercrime contributed to more than $12.5 billion in losses in 2023, marking a 22% increase from 2022. “With the holiday season here, cybercriminals are using multiple platforms to conduct fraudulent activities, targeting consumers during holiday shopping events,” the office said.

The advisory warns consumers to beware urgent notifications about account problems or compromise, and to take steps to secure their devices and accounts. It also urges “extreme caution and do not respond” to unsolicited requests, phone calls and emails claiming to be from financial institutions requesting personal or financial information. “Even if the message seems official, verify the source and confirm the legitimacy of requests by directly contacting the requesting entity through official channels,” the advisory states.

The document encourages consumers to verify websites and emails, avoid clicking links or responding to unsolicited requests, not to trust caller ID and to never share sensitive information. It also provides tips for consumers targeted by scams about who they should contact to protect their credit and report incidents.