Between the shopping trips, flash sales, and donation requests, the holidays are often prime time for scammers. Inboxes can be filled with “urgent” updates and texts about surprise account issues, making it harder to determine what’s real and what’s a trap. The truth? Scammers know that this time of year comes with — distractions, increased generosity, and likely rushing to get things done — the perfect recipe for a slip-up. “The holidays are a busy time for scammers,” says Diedra Porché, Head of Community and Business Development at Chase. “They know people are buying more, booking trips, and making donations, so they often use fake websites, delivery scams, and even phony charities to dupe consumers out of their money.”