With charitable giving and online shopping surging, the FBI’s Philadelphia office is reminding residents to stay alert for schemes designed to steal their money and personal information.

“The holiday season is a time to bring people together, but scammers are working to separate you from your money and personal information,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, special agent in charge of FBI Philadelphia. “Whether you are shopping, connecting with loved ones, or looking to give back, there are small, but important steps everyone can take to better protect themselves online: If you didn’t call them, don’t tell them -- never share personal or banking information on an unsolicited call. If the link is a mystery, the risk isn’t — don’t click unrequested links. Use secure payment methods and verify charitable organizations before donating. If you have any doubt, call the FBI at 1800-CALL-FBI or report it at IC3.gov.”

In a news release, the FBI said that some of the most common holiday shopping scams include non-delivery scams, where buyers pay for goods or services they find online, but they never receive the items; non-payment scams, where sellers ship purchased goods or services, but never receive payment; and gift card fraud, where a seller asks for payment with a pre-paid card.

The FBI also warned of charity fraud scams, which seek donations for organizations that do little or no work. Scammers can contact people through e-mails, text messages, cold calls and social media. The agency recommends giving only to established charities or to those whose charitable work you know and trust. Be aware as well of organizations with copycat names or names similar to reputable organizations, and wary of new organizations that claim to aid victims of recent high-profile disasters. The FBI recommends using a check or credit card; if an organization asks you to donate through cash, gift card, virtual currency, or wire transfer, it’s probably a scam. Also check the website’s address — most legitimate charity organization websites use .org, not .com.

Finally, the FBI recommended that customers use a credit card when shopping online and regularly monitor bank statements to confirm all purchases are your own. And always get tracking numbers for items you have purchased online.

If you believe you are a victim of a holiday shopping scam or a related fraud, you can report it to your financial institution and to the FBI by filing a complaint to the IC3 at ic3.gov.