Story perspectives

Holiday Phishing Soars 2,000%, $785M Lost to Scams

12/3/2025

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Summary

Story summary

A Senate Joint Economic Committee report finds a 2,000% rise in phishing emails during last year's holiday season.
The Internet Crime Complaint Center reports $785 million in losses from non-payment and non-delivery scams last year, plus $199 million from credit card fraud.
The FBI's Assistant Special Agent James Crowley emphasized vigilance and advised avoiding wiring money, verifying prepaid gift card balances, and using the Better Business Bureau to check sellers.

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Story summary

A Senate Joint Economic Committee report finds a 2,000% rise in phishing emails during last year's holiday season.
The Internet Crime Complaint Center reports $785 million in losses from non-payment and non-delivery scams last year, plus $199 million from credit card fraud.
The FBI's Assistant Special Agent James Crowley emphasized vigilance and advised avoiding wiring money, verifying prepaid gift card balances, and using the Better Business Bureau to check sellers.