FBI Special Agent Rebecca Keithley is warning Americans to watch for fear-based manipulation as scam attempts surge ahead of the holiday season.
Keithley, who works with the bureau on fraud prevention, laid out the biggest red flags that signal a scam in a recent video advisory. Her guidance comes as millions of Americans prepare for Labor Day weekend, with Halloween and Christmas shopping periods approaching — peak times when fraudsters intensify their efforts.
The financial damage is staggering. According to the Consumer Federation of America, Americans lost an estimated $148.2 billion to online scams and crimes in 2025, a jump of 25.8% from 2024.
Fear tops Keithley’s list as the most critical warning sign.
“It can look like fear of missing out in an incredible investment opportunity, fear of missing out on romance, or even fear that you’re going to be arrested,” she explained in the FBI video.
Scammers deliberately prey on these heightened emotional states to drive panic. Keithley noted that this pressure pushes victims into autopilot mode, causing them to react without thinking and making them far more likely to fall for fraud.
The urgency tactic is central to many schemes. A number of scams tell people that they “must act now” before missing out on an opportunity or even being arrested. Keithley explained that scammers are “trying to prevent their targeted victim from thinking” by manufacturing artificial time pressure.
Secrecy surrounding payments represents another major red flag. Keithley urged people to examine whether they’re being told to keep payments hidden, including instructions to claim the money is for something else entirely. She said scammers use this tactic to evade bank oversight and scrutiny.
Gift cards have become an increasingly popular tool for fraudsters, the Special Agent warned.
“Once you have handed that code over to the scammer, the money’s gone, and so law enforcement and the financial institutions can’t track it,” Keithley said. This untraceability is precisely what makes gift cards so attractive to criminals.
Keithley also advised people to stop and evaluate whether the justification for any requested payment actually makes sense. If the explanation doesn’t hold up, that’s another red flag. She said scammers intend to “confuse” victims, pushing them to act without critical thinking.
To illustrate how these tactics combine in practice, Keithley shared a first-hand account of an imposter scam. A victim was contacted by someone claiming to represent a third-party retailer who said their credit card had been declined. The caller then threatened that the victim would be arrested by the IRS unless they made payment through gift cards — layering fear, urgency, and untraceable payment into a single scheme.
Despite the sophistication of modern scams, Keithley emphasized that people should not live in fear but rather focus on recognizing warning signs. She advised anyone who notices these red flags to “take a breathe” rather than acting immediately out of panic.
The rise in digital financial tools has created new vulnerabilities. With online banking and tap-to-pay credit card technology now ubiquitous, transactions take seconds — and so can catastrophic mistakes if consumers don’t pause to assess situations.
The FBI’s warning arrives as technology continues to outpace many consumers’ security awareness. Keithley’s breakdown of manipulation tactics offers a framework for identifying fraud before money changes hands.