CHICAGO (WLS) — The holiday season presents a prime opportunity for scammers, with thousands of individuals falling victim every second.

ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

Each year, the ABC7 I-Team uncovers the most prevalent holiday scams, shining a light on these deceptive practices.

This year’s festivities bring a fresh wave of scams, increasingly sophisticated due to advancements in artificial intelligence. AI technologies are making it more challenging than ever to discern genuine offers from counterfeit ones.

As the holiday cheer envelops Chicago, scammers are leveraging the season’s joy to execute their deceptive schemes.

Amy Bunn, a McAfee online safety specialist, noted, “The height of the holiday season is also the height of scam season.”

Bunn said one in five Americans have fallen for a scam during the holidays, losing an average of $900

Experts say the number one threat this year is AI.

“Scammers and cybercriminals are using AI to very convincingly create fake retailer websites and often it is one letter a little bit off,” Bunn said.

So, how do you avoid getting scammed?

Verify the source. Type the full website address on your own, into the browser.

AI is also being used to create fake video ads on social media or bogus celebrity endorsements.

AARP is warning shoppers, too.

“The scams that involve ads on social media are a pretty big deal,” AARP Senior Director of fraud prevention programs Kathy Stokes said. “About a third of us have experienced purchasing something on one of these ads and we don’t get anything at all or get something inferior.”

Also, remember: if its too good to be true, it likely is.

“The biggest things people need to look out for is those deep, discounted prices,” Head of Financial Crimes Unit Larry Zelvin at BMO Financial Group said. “One of the other things you need to watch out for is sense of urgency ‘buy now, or you will lose this price’.”

Zelvin said another red flag is the merchant taking payment only through money apps.

Also, watch out for holiday phishing emails and texts that might be flooding your phones.

“Fake delivery emails and text messages go through the roof,” Bunn warned.” “When you are entering those credit card details you are actually giving those to scammers.”

Those bogus links might also install malware on your device.

Finally, beware of charity scams, preying on your desire to give back.

“Organizations that are legitimate are trying to close the year out strong and criminals kind of mix in with that and make you believe you are supporting the thing you care about,” Stokes said.

You can research charities by going to websites like give.org or charitynavigator.org.

You also want to watch out for gift card scams; make sure the cards you buy in stores are not already scratched off.

Criminals steal codes for the back of cards and use them before they’re sold.