WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Cybersecurity and Critical Infrastructure Protection (OCCIP) released its annual holiday advisory to help consumers protect themselves from the surge in cyber-enabled scams and online fraud. As digital transactions and online shopping continue to grow, so do the risks. Fraud losses have reached unprecedented levels, costing consumers and financial institutions tens of billions of dollars each year. Increasingly, scammers are also leveraging advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence, to impersonate trusted individuals or businesses, automate outreach, and make fraudulent schemes more convincing and harder to detect.
This holiday season, Treasury urges consumers to stay vigilant, be proactive, and respond quickly if they believe they are being targeted.
“As cyber-enabled fraud reaches unprecedented levels, the U.S. Department of the Treasury is urging consumers to be on high alert this holiday season,” said Cory Wilson, Deputy Assistant Secretary for OCCIP. “Scammers are exploiting digital platforms and emerging technology in increasingly sophisticated ways. Financial losses from fraud and scams are in the billions and underscore just how serious this threat has become. Treasury is committed to combating fraud, and consumers play a critical role as well. We encourage consumers to stay aware, question unexpected messages or offers, and take the simple protective steps outlined in this advisory. A few moments spent verifying information or consulting a trusted friend or family member can prevent significant harm and help all of us fight back against fraud.”
Access OCCIP’s Cyber-Safe Holidays: Recognizing and Avoiding Seasonal Scams Report fraud to the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).
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