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How Much Do You Know About Holiday-Related Scams in 2026?

More consumers need to be aware of the seasonal surge in charity, delivery, shopping and other schemes, an AARP survey finds

4-minute read

Christina Ianzito,

AARP

Published November 11, 2026

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Key takeaways

A recent AARP survey found that 84 percent of consumers experienced or were targeted by at least one type of fraud commonly reported during the holidays.
Fraudulent delivery notices, empty gift cards, package theft and suspicious donation requests were widely reported.
The results of the survey’s accompanying quiz suggest that many consumers aren’t aware of important ways they can protect themselves from fraud.

Scams have become a part of our everyday lives, unfortunately. It can be exhausting fending off the many phishing emails and texts from people pretending to be government officials or road toll collectors, fake party invitations with malicious links and robocalls warning of money owed. And although criminals ramp up their fraud efforts during the holiday season, many consumers are not aware of — or take no precautions against — the elevated risk, according to a new AARP Fraud Watch Network report.

The AARP survey of 1,801 U.S. consumers age 18 and older, detailed in the report “Unwrapping the Truth,” found that in the past year, 84 percent of U.S. consumers have experienced or been targeted by at least one form of fraud rampant during the holidays, including requests from (often fake) charities, online shopping scams, phony travel offers and fraudulent texts about delivery problems.

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The survey included a fraud knowledge quiz (see questions and answers below). Only 25 percent of respondents answered seven or more of the 10 true-or-false questions correctly.

Highlights from AARP’s survey

Forty-seven percent of respondents reported having received a notification from someone claiming to be from the U.S. Postal Service, FedEx or UPS about a shipment issue that turned out to be fraudulent.
Thirty-five percent have given and/or received a gift card with no funds on it.
Thirty percent have had a package stolen from outside their door.
Thirty-one percent received a donation request in the past year that seemed fraudulent.
Forty-four percent received a scam text about an unpaid toll in the past 12 months. Nine percent clicked the link and paid the toll.
Sixteen percent have experienced fraud when attempting to buy a product through an online ad (a big drop from last year, when 39 percent of respondents said they’d done so).
Sixteen percent of travelers experienced fraud when booking a trip. (That included paying for a car rental, plane ticket or place to stay only to find out the offer was fraudulent.)
Most (89 percent) agree that lawmakers need to do more to protect consumers from fraud and scams.

Gift cards are a favorite holiday item to give or receive, but they are also a favorite among criminals. And shopping scams are increasingly common. Criminals place professional-looking ads on social media that lead to sites that appear legitimate. A shopper may place an order only to receive an inferior product or nothing at all.

Test your knowledge of holiday fraud

Survey participants were asked the following questions. See how you do.

True or false?

Online retailers like Amazon and eBay will request your login information to provide customer support.
Ordering a free trial offer from an online retailer (with a small shipping charge) is a good way of trying out a product before you buy it.
Peer-to-peer payment apps like Cash App, Zelle and Venmo have the same consumer protections as your credit card.
When searching online for customer support, the first customer service phone number that appears in your search results will connect you with a legitimate person from that company.
Peer-to-peer (P2P) payment apps like Cash App, Zelle and Venmo are generally only intended to be used to transfer money to people you personally know, like family, friends, the babysitter or your lawn service.
It’s safe to pay for a vacation rental found on apps like Airbnb and VRBO outside of the app — for example, by sending money with a P2P app instead.
Ads for merchandise that you see on social media, such as Facebook or Instagram, or other places online are trustworthy.
The safest way to make purchases online is with a credit card.
Regularly updating software on your devices protects against fraud.
If you are directed to send someone money by converting cash to cryptocurrency at a convenience store kiosk, it is a scam.

Answers, with the percentage of respondents who answered correctly: 1. False (31); 2. False (30); 3. False (31); 4. False (77); 5. True (62); 6. False (46); 7. False (46); 8. True (59); 9. True (65); 10. True (63). The report offers explanations for these answers.

The key takeaways were created with the assistance of generative AI. An AARP editor reviewed and refined the content for accuracy and clarity.

Christina Ianzito covers scams and fraud, and is the books editor for aarp.org and AARP The Magazine.

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