I've spent years protecting dental offices from hackers, and I always see more phishing attempts around the holidays. After watching people get tricked by fake store emails and shipping alerts, I've learned two things work best: check every link before clicking and turn on two-factor authentication for shopping. If you do get caught, call your bank right away and change your passwords fast - that usually limits the problems.
Running ShipTheDeal taught me something: fake deal sites explode during the holidays. I've tried all sorts of tricks to weed out bad sellers, but nothing works better than checking for secure payment and reading real reviews. Honestly, if a deal seems suspicious, just wait. It's smarter to buy from a big marketplace you trust than to rush into some crazy limited-time offer.
AI has given scammers superpowers this holiday season. You used to just have to watch out for fake-sounding domain names and links you didn't request. Now, you have to literally question if the call you received is actually from your Grandma. Scammers are using AI to mimic relatives' voices and asking for money, or they're offering to send bad checks that you end up cashing, and the bank doesn't discover the fraud until it's too late and you're already on the hook. They target the most vulnerable of us too, kids and the elderly. These scams are everywhere, not just coming in on the phone, but they're out there in video games, on social media. You see online stores that look legitimate with paid ads, reviews, and product photos, but then it turns out that they're all being pulled from some Amazon listing out there. People think they're getting a great deal, then suddenly they're seeing fraudulent charges on their credit card. If you fall for a scam, first thing I tell people is it happens to more people than they'd care to admit. Don't be embarrassed. Report what happened to your bank immediately, then contact the retailer if possible, and finally the FTC. Acting fast can help minimize the damage they do, what we're starting to call "Digital Damages." And when in doubt, ask to call someone back. Whether you got a message via email or text, it's almost like two-factor authentication is needed in the real world now
Holiday Scams: Fraudsters will offer consumers a false loyalty program in exchange for purchasing an item, requiring them to provide their personal data to join, with no intention of fulfilling their obligations. Bidding auction scams that advertise items as something they are not, like representing an item as a specific product when it is actually something completely different or does not exist at all. This type of scam targets individuals searching for bargains online. Holiday home scams where fraudsters post false ads for what appears to be a cheap holiday rental or vacation home. Fraudsters take consumers' deposits for property that does not exist or for property that has been rented by someone else. Creating fake public Wi-Fi networks that appear legitimate to capture a user's personal data when a user connects to them to make online purchases. Ways to avoid: Use a secure network. Be aware of familiarities when accessing websites. Always check the URL's legitimacy and check for inconsistencies. Check out other products sold at similar or lower prices and see if they are overpriced, have low-quality images, or have grammar or spelling errors. Be sure to verify contact information. Most legitimate websites will have contact information available, such as a physical address, a phone number, and an e-mail address. Do not give away your personal information unless you feel comfortable providing what is required to complete a transaction. If a website asks for information that would compromise your identity, do not fill in the information. What to Do If You Fall for a Scam Document everything, including communication with the person committing fraud and any receipts from the transaction, as well as screenshots taken during the time of the transaction. Contact your bank or credit card company to file a complaint regarding the fraud committed against you and to dispute any charges made in relation to the scam. If you have identified a fake app, contact the app store and remove it from your device immediately. Change all account credentials (passwords) to any accounts that were connected to the scam, especially those where you provided sensitive information. File a complaint with consumer protection agencies and local law enforcement so that others can be warned and the investigation into this scam. Most importantly, closely monitor your bank statements and credit reports to identify any suspicious activity that may indicate additional scams are underway.
An odd scam uses social psychology instead of tech. People get invited to "holiday gift circles" where each participant sends a small gift to someone and supposedly receives dozens back. It feels innocent, friendly, and nostalgic. The structure is a pyramid, and the operators vanish once enough "participants" send gifts or gift cards. Avoid it by trusting math more than holiday cheer. If the promise of return sounds like a magic multiplication trick, it's probably feeding someone else's mailbox. Make sure everything is documented if you've already mailed something. Names, messages, payment receipts, shipping slips. Report it to your postal inspector or equivalent agency. These schemes are often tracked under mail fraud investigations, and additional reports help investigators map patterns.
With a decade of experience in fintech and product development, I'm shocked to see how fast scammers are evolving with new and unique ways to loot consumers. Holiday shopping scams are on the rise, targeting older citizens, teens, and people who aren't digitally fluent. Social media channels are used for impersonating brands, celebrities, and phishing consumers on their behalf. You might receive a message on Instagram, Facebook from a well-known brand, where they select you as their 'brand ambassador.' They promise free products for promotion, but require you to pay a small 'shipping fee' for claiming those goods. When you enter the card details, even for making $2 shipping fee payment, your credentials are exposed, and further transactions are made unauthorized. Here's a simple rule to catch and be safe from such scams: Brands are highly unresponsive on social media, and a brand never proactively DMs its followers. A proven channel to verify these offers is by contacting their support email address, where customer service officials will bust these claims within minutes.
Some scammers now create fake videos and photos of public figures endorsing holiday deals.These deepfakes appear to be high-quality and are convincing enough to cause consumers to believe the deal is legitimate. In many cases, the scammer will use a sense of urgency , saying "for a limited time", to encourage the consumer to make a quick purchase before reviewing the details of the transaction. Their objective is to get the consumer to click on the fake checkout page as quickly as possible so that the consumer won't take the opportunity to review the details of the transaction. In order to avoid being scammed, review the original source. Check if the video/photo appears on the public figure's verified social media page. If it does not appear there, that is a huge red flag. Many times, authentic endorsement posts are posted to the official account first. Review the comments on the post as well. A post that is a scam usually has a strange/low number of comments and/or interactions. Posts that receive real engagement from users will have a normal pattern of comments/reactions etc. If the interactions seem unusual/unnatural, do not trust it.