RALEIGH, N.C. — This is one of the busiest times of the year due to increased traveling and spending, and that means thieves are looking for easy ways to scam you out of hundreds, or even thousands of dollars.

The FBI says Americans have lost more than $170 million to credit card fraud. 

What You Need To Know

  • The BBB warns the public to know how to report scams during the holidays 
  • Online shopping is one of the most common scams during the holiday season
  • The FBI says Americans have lost more than $170 million to credit card fraud

Alyssa Parker with the Better Business Bureau of Eastern North Carolina wants the public to know how to report these scams and stop them.

"One of the first things you can do is go to BBB.org/scamtracker or FTC.gov and file a fraud report or let us know what happened. You can share the information regarding what company you gave money to or how much you gave money to," Parker explained.

Parker says the second step is to think about how you paid the person.

"Was it credit card, was it wire transfer, was it even a cash payment app? There's different ways that you can try to get your money back, some are better than others, but the first thing is really think about the way that you paid and follow up with that company," Parker said.

Parker says the best way to avoid becoming a victim of holiday scams is to educate yourself.

"Look up the company ahead of time. Just know of people's interaction with this company before you give them money. Spending five minutes trying to look up the company can save you a lot of money in the long run," Parker said.

Online shopping is one of the most common scams during the holidays.

"There's nearly 1 billion packages that go out, so a lot of people are buying online and unfortunately getting scammed online by what they think are companies and are not, so make sure you do your research," Parker added.

Parker says if you purchase anything, do it with a form or payment that has protection, like credit cards.

"Debit cards have come a long way, but a credit card is typically your best form of protection," Parker explained.

It's unlikely, however, that the criminals will face legal action.

"If they are domestic, there's a chance, but it's not the highest. A lot of scammers are unfortunately overseas, so typically they can get away with it. So, that's why we really urge consumers to really do your research ahead of time," Parker said.