Q: What new scams should I be watching for this holiday shopping season?

A: Scammers never take holidays — in fact, they treat the shopping season like their Super Bowl. While fake shipping notices and phony giveaways aren’t new, the way scams are being delivered has evolved in ways that are catching even careful consumers off guard. Here are some of the latest tricks gaining traction and how to protect yourself.

Fake stores built with artificial intelligence

Criminals are using AI to create “perfect” knockoff shopping websites. They steal product photos, generate realistic reviews and even copy customer-support pages from real retailers. The sites may look flawless, but the URL gives it away — an extra dash, an added word or an unusual domain, such as “.shop” instead of “.com” is often the only clue.

Influencer scam videos

Fake deals are being pushed through short videos on social media using stolen or manipulated clips of real celebrities and influencers. The posts promise an “exclusive code” or a limited-time deal, then they funnel you to a fake store built to steal your card number.

If a special code is provided, don’t click on any links — go to the store’s website yourself and type in the code to validate the offer yourself.

QR code traps

QR scams are no longer just in emails. Stickers are now being placed over legitimate QR codes at parking meters, store windows, and even restaurants. Scanning the code sends you to a fake payment page or login screen.

Any QR code that triggers a payment, login or personal info request should be treated as suspicious.

Hyper-real delivery messages

Fake shipping notices have improved dramatically. Today’s scam texts display perfect branding, working tracking pages and realistic order numbers. Some even pull your name or location from data breaches to make the message feel personalized.

Legitimate delivery services won’t ask for credit card numbers, passwords or “verification payments” by text or an unsolicited email.

AI voice impersonation

One of the most alarming trends is voice cloning. Scammers can now replicate the voice of a family member after harvesting short clips from social media.

Panic calls claiming an emergency or a failed gift purchase are designed to short-circuit rational thinking. If the call demands urgency or secrecy, hang up and independently verify the situation through other communication channels.

Gift card manipulation

Holiday gift cards remain a prime target. Some sites pose as balance-check tools and steal card numbers. Others offer “bonus card deals” designed to lure you into giving up the gift card ID information.

No legitimate company will ever ask you for the full gift card number plus the scratch-off PIN on the back.

Malicious ‘shopping tools’

Fake browser extensions promise coupon magic or AI shopping assistants. What they really deliver is data theft. Only install add-ons from official app stores or trusted financial resources.

Return and refund scams

Scammers now exploit the chaos of returns with fake “refund failed” or “verify payment method” emails. If you didn’t request a return, treat any refund notice as fraudulent and log into your account directly — don’t click links.

A few seconds of caution can save you from weeks of regret.

Ken Colburn is founder and CEO of Data Doctors Computer Services. Ask any tech question on Facebook or X.