New Report Names States Most Vulnerable to Holiday Scams

SEATTLE, Dec. 19, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- As holiday shopping, travel, and charitable giving surge, so do scam attempts. A new study from PasswordManager.com, a dedicated resource for password security and internet safety, reveals which U.S. states, including D.C., face the highest and lowest risk of falling victim to holiday-season fraud in 2025.

Top 5 States for Holiday Scam Risk

1. District of Columbia: Highest combined levels of online-shopping, travel, business-imposter, and donation-scam activity.
2. Nevada: Heavy tourism and hospitality demand lead to elevated travel and business-imposter scams.
3. Delaware: High online retail use and dense corporate activity make it a target for both shopping and impersonation scams.
4. New Hampshire: Winter travel and year-end online engagement contribute to increased scam activity.
5. Colorado: Robust winter tourism and strong e-commerce presence drive high scam risk.

States With Lowest Holiday Scam Risk
At the other end of the spectrum: Puerto Rico, North Dakota, Mississippi, Iowa, and Louisiana report the lowest levels of holiday-related fraud across all major scam categories.

"When people are shopping, travelling or donating at year-end, scammers smell opportunity," warns PasswordManager.com cybersecurity analyst Gunnar Kallstrom. "Anything that pressures you to act fast, a flash deal, last-minute rental, or donation request, is a red flag."

Full report is available here: https://www.passwordmanager.com/states-with-the-highest-and-lowest-holiday-scam-risk-in-2025/

Methodology

Using 2025 year-to-date reports from the Federal Trade Commission's Consumer Sentinel Network, the researchers evaluated four core categories: charitable donation scams, travel scams, online shopping scams, and business imposter scams. Each state (and D.C., Puerto Rico) was scored per-capita, with weights assigned to each category (business imposter 40%, online shopping 30%, donation scams 20%, travel 10%). States were then ranked 1 (highest risk) to 52 (lowest risk).

PasswordManager.com encourages holiday shoppers, travelers, and donors to stay vigilant and proactive this season.

ABOUT PASSWORDMANAGER.COM

PasswordManager.com is a leading authority in password security and internet safety. Consumers can access free informational resources to help protect their online accounts and personal information. The company is led by a team of experts, researchers, and analysts who are committed to ensuring internet safety of all consumers. To learn more, visit https://www.passwordmanager.com/.

SOURCE Password Manager