The Holidays are Coming...and so are the Holiday Scammers!

U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, AARP Idaho, Along with Tribal and Local Law Enforcement Officials, Announce Second “Don’t Click December” Consumer Protection Campaign

During the holiday season, online criminals increasingly target Idahoans through online scams and fraud schemes. Today, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit, along with the FBI, the Fort Hall Police Department, the Bannock County Prosecuting Attorney’s and Sheriff’s Offices, the Bonneville County Prosecuting Attorney’s and Sheriff’s Offices, the Idaho Falls Police Department, and the Pocatello Police Department, announced their joint “Don’t Click December” Consumer Protection Campaign. AARP Idaho is also participating in the announcement and the awareness campaign.

The campaign advises members of the public to exercise skepticism and caution when receiving unsolicited online, email, pop-up, or text communications from unknown or unverified sources. If there is any doubt about a link, message, or attachment, law enforcement cautions: “Don’t Click It.”

As part of the campaign, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, and their partners will release a public service announcement each week in December leading up to Christmas. In the first PSA, available here, FBI Special Agent in Charge Shohini Sinha, Fort Hall Police Chief Pat Teton, and U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit introduce “Don’t Click December” and explain some of the ways in which individuals can be targeted.

Three additional PSAs will alert the public to common online fraud schemes that Idaho law enforcement has seen affect Idahoans. These schemes are:

• “QR” scam: This scam targets individuals through corrupt or fictitious QR codes. Often the scammer will email or text a scam QR code in an attempt to trick you. They may even cover up legitimate QR code with their own corrupted code with the goal getting you to visit a bogus website that can steal your information if you log in. Always verify with the restaurant or business if you suspect a QR code is suspicious.

• “Pig Butchering” scam: In this cryptocurrency investment fraud scam, known as “pig butchering,” victims usually receive communications asking them to deposit money into financial investments using cryptocurrency. After an initial investment, victims receive further communications with a fake account report showing financial gains in order to get them to invest more, but the investments are fake, and all the money is under the control of criminals who ultimately steal the victims’ investments. If you are contacted about an investment opportunity by someone you don’t know through social media, text, or dating sites, Don’t Click It! If the message appears to be from an investment company you actually invest with, check the email address to verify it is from the company you’ve invested with.

• “Tech support” scam: In this scam, criminals impersonate technology, banking, or government officials to convince victims to share personal information. You could get a popup on your computer indicating your accounts have been hacked and to call a number. But that number goes to the scammer who tries to manipulate you to gain access to your computer or accounts and takes your money to fix a non-existent problem. If you get such a request, Don’t Click It. Government entities and legitimate businesses will never call you or send unsolicited pop-up messages to ask for access to your computer.

Unfortunately, these are not the only schemes affecting the public, and new schemes arise all the time. Law enforcement hopes that the “Don’t Click December” Consumer Protection Campaign will raise public awareness and encourage individuals to talk to their friends and relatives about not clicking suspicious links, texts, messages, pop-ups, or attachments.

“We have witnessed many Idahoans lose their hard-earned money or their entire retirement savings to online scams. And, sadly, this type of crime tends to spike during the holiday season,” said U.S. Attorney Hurwit. “But, together, we can reduce the risks by talking with each other about how to avoid such scams, and I’m grateful to our law enforcement partners and the AARP for joining us in the Don’t Click December campaign. We also encourage Idahoans to report any scams as soon as possible so that law enforcement can investigate and we can bring these vicious online criminals to justice.”

“According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, Idahoans lost more than $33 million to various scams last year,” said Special Agent in Charge Shohini Sinha of the Salt Lake City FBI. “As we shop, bank, and stay connected online, it’s important to be alert and aware of internet-enabled crime. The FBI is proud to partner with our law enforcement partners to share these important safety messages to keep you and your money safe, especially during the busy holiday season.”

“We are pleased to join with our partners to raise awareness about online fraud targeting our citizens. If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. If you’re not familiar with it, don’t click on it,” said Pocatello Police Chief Roger Schei.

“Increases in technology, especially the use of AI, and the complexity of criminal organizations is making it more challenging for Idahoans to avoid the criminals who want to defraud them,” said AARP Idaho State Director Lupe Wissel. “This initiative is a great way for Idahoans to share information with their friends, family and neighbors to help keep everyone safe from scammers.”

The U.S. Attorney’s Office and its law enforcement partners recognize that we all must work to eliminate the stigma individuals may experience if they are victimized. There is no shame to falling victim to an online scheme, which are often designed by professional criminals, sophisticated, and tested repeatedly across the country.

For this reason, the “Don’t Click December” Consumer Protection Campaign also publicizes ways to report scams and incidents of fraud to the FBI and local law enforcement.