The FBI issued a nationwide reminder about heightened holiday scam risks, highlighting pressure tactics, phishing/smishing, and the increasing use of AI tools like voice cloning and deepfakes in fraud. The bureau urged people to 'take a beat,' report incidents to the IC3, and preserve transaction and communication records to aid investigations.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation issued a public advisory ahead of the holiday season spotlighting an uptick in scams that leverage social pressure, urgency, and advanced technologies. Investigators warned that criminals are increasingly using AI tools—voice cloning, synthetic audio, and deepfake video—to impersonate loved ones, company representatives, and public officials in order to extract payments or sensitive information. Traditional vectors such as phishing emails, smishing texts, and fraudulent payment requests remain prolific, and the FBI cited IC3 data documenting substantial annual losses tied to these schemes. The bureau recommended proactive steps: pause before responding to unsolicited payment or account requests, independently verify contacts through trusted channels, report incidents to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), and preserve communications, transaction logs, and account details to assist forensic and law enforcement reviews. The advisory emphasized coordination with local law enforcement and financial institutions to halt transfers and pursue recovery where feasible.