JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Santa isn’t the only one watching this holiday season — scammers have a new tool, and it’s making their schemes harder to spot. The FBI is warning that artificial intelligence is now fueling a surge in holiday fraud, making scam messages sound more convincing and more dangerous.
The FBI’s Jacksonville office says AI is helping thieves rewrite classic scams with polished language and more sophisticated scams, a shift that makes fraud more believable than ever.
“A lot of people are reluctant to come forward because of the embarrassment,” said Jason Carley, special agent in charge of FBI Jacksonville.
According to the FBI’s most recent data, victims in North Florida cities, including Jacksonville, lost more than $1.6 million in just three months — from November 2024 through January 2025.
Carley said fraudsters often don’t even know who they’re calling. “They may identify themselves, but they don’t even know who they’re calling. They’re asking for your information up front,” he said.
Agents say AI is also powering an increase in non-delivery scams and gift card fraud, where fake links and imitation websites lure shoppers into handing over money or personal information.
“If you get off-ramped into a third-party website… before you make your purchase, make sure you check that the URL is from the company you want it to be from,” Carley said.
The FBI urges anyone targeted by an online scam to report it — even if they’re embarrassed or only lost a small amount.
“You may have just had a $1,000 loss,” Carley said, “but that may build into a much bigger scheme, and we can be able to target them and take down those organizations that are victimizing the people of this country.”
You can find the link to report scams to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center here: http://ic3.gov/
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