ATLANTA — As holiday shopping and charitable giving ramps up, Georgia officials are urging residents to stay alert for an increase in fraud and scam activity.

New data from the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office shows financial scams remain widespread and are becoming more creative this time of year. Gift card fraud continues to be one of the most common tactics. In one recent case, a Georgia charity’s email system was compromised and a scammer posed as the organization’s executive director.

Officials are also warning about “relative in distress” scams, where criminals impersonate a family member through text or social media and urgently ask for money. Online shoppers are being targeted, too, through non-delivery scams involving items that never arrive.

A newer trend involves card-decline scams, where victims receive a message saying their card was declined even though the charge was actually processed. When they try a second card, they end up being charged twice.

State officials say Georgians should take extra precautions while shopping and donating during the holiday season to protect their finances and personal information.

WSB Radio’s Bill Caiaccio contributed to this story.