Top 8 Christmas Scams: Tips on How to Stay Safe This Holiday Season

The holiday season is officially here. It’s a time of giving, celebration, and, unfortunately, scams. Yep, you heard us --- scams.

In the weeks before Christmas, scammers take advantage of increased shopping and your charitable spirit. Whether it’s fake ads on social media pushing bogus advent calendars, fake delivery messages or giveaways, the variety and creative side of Christmas scams can really put a dent into your celebration.

To keep you and your loved ones safe, we’re counting down the top 8 holiday scams you need to be aware of during this festive season.

1.      Fake shipping notifications

Scammers are highly active during the holidays, exploiting the surge in shipping notifications to target unsuspecting users with phishing emails and texts mimicking legitimate retailers and delivery services. These fraudulent messages may claim there are issues with your package, such as unpaid shipping fees or incorrect delivery details, and include malicious links that can steal your personal information or install malware.

How to stay safe:

• Never click on links in unsolicited texts or emails.
• Always use the tracking link from your original order confirmation.

Be extra cautious around Free Shipping Day (Dec. 14); double-check offers with the retailer’s official site.

2.      Advent calendar scams

Who doesn’t enjoy advent calendars to count down the days to Christmas? They make great gifts and cater to any budget, whether it’s chocolates, high-end beauty products or even jewelry.

Unfortunately, some social media ads for these calendars lead to scams, with the product never arriving or turning out to be low quality.

As an example, we’ve recently noticed scam ads on social media offering high-end advent calendars, like the Swarovski Annual Edition Advent Calendar typically priced at $1,200, for as little as $39.99. These steep discounts are a classic scam tactic designed to lure shoppers to scam websites that mimic legitimate businesses.

How to stay safe:

• Research the company thoroughly. Look up the seller’s reviews and ratings. A lack of feedback or numerous negative reviews is a clear warning sign.
• Use a secure payment method and avoid deals that seem too good to be true.
• Be skeptical of unsolicited offers: If an ad offering an unbelievable deal unexpectedly appears on your social media feed, proceed with caution.

3.      Puppy scams

Puppies, kittens, and other small furry friends make heartwarming gifts, and scammers are very aware of this. This is why we advise you to be extra cautious of fake pet advertisements.

How to stay safe:

• Always see the pet in person before making a payment.
• Be cautious of sellers who insist on online payments or seem unwilling to meet.

You can read more about online pet scams in our dedicated article.

4.      Temporary holiday job scams

Many legitimate companies are looking to hire part-time employees for the holidays. Scammers take advantage of this, posing as recruiters or employers to steal personal information and money from unsuspecting job seekers.

How to stay safe:

• Research the employer carefully before applying for any job
• Avoid job offers that require you to pay any upfront fees
• Use legitimate platforms when looking up part-time jobs for the holidays

Read more about job scams: The Wolf in Recruiter's Clothing: Identifying Fake Jobs on Indeed

5.       Gift card scams

Scammers use fake gift card offers to steal personal and financial information from users. They may send phishing emails, pop-up ads, or text messages claiming you’ve won a prize.

How to stay safe:

• Delete unsolicited gift card emails and mark them as spam.
• Never click on links promising free gift cards.
• Rely on Bitdefender Antivirus Plus to shield you from malicious links and phishing attempts.

Read more about gift card scams here.

6.      Gift exchanges on social media

What seems like a fun holiday tradition—gift exchanges like "Secret Sister" or "Secret Sister”—are actually illegal pyramid schemes. These exchanges often collect personal information and money under the guise of spreading holiday cheer.

How to stay safe:

• Avoid joining social media gift exchanges.
• Stick to gifting your loved ones directly through trusted retailers.

7.      Shopping scams and fake giveaway ads

The holiday season brings increased shopping and scams, with cybercriminals using everything from fake websites, ads, and giveaways to target millions of people on social media. So, if you’re scrolling through your social media feed, stay cautious. We’ve recently seen an increase in fraudulent social ads promoting huge discounts on gifts such as advent calendars and luxury items.

When it comes to holiday giveaways on social media, we’ve noticed fraudsters impersonating well-known retailers and businesses to steal personal info and money from unsuspecting netizens. The ads say that users can participate in a giveaway to win a car or cash prizes by leaving a comment with their birth month.

How to stay safe:

• Research the seller and closely inspect the URL address before buying
• Use secure payment methods and avoid paying directly through bank transfers
• Don’t participate in giveaways on social media platforms that claim you can win cash prizes if you provide personal info or need to pay processing or shipping fees.

Related: Scam Alert: Fake Jewelry Store Ads Exploit Heart-Felt Stories to Steal Your Money

8.      Charity scams

The holiday season can bring out the best in people who want to help those in need or support a local charity. Scammers exploit this goodwill with fake charity campaigns that mimic legitimate charities or use emotional appeals to collect money.

How to stay safe:

• Verify the charity’s legitimacy on platforms like BBB.org or Charity Navigator.
• Avoid donating through unsolicited links or emails

Read more about charity scams: Charity Scams: How to Spot and Avoid Fake Charities

How Bitdefender Can Secure Your Holiday Cheer

The holiday season should be about joy and family, not worries. Whether you're shopping, donating, or looking for holiday deals, Bitdefender is here to ensure the digital wellbeing of you and your loved ones.

Bitdefender’s security solutions can block malicious and fraudulent websites before they harm you and ruin your holiday.

For added peace of mind, try Bitdefender Scamio, our FREE on-demand scam detector you can use to check for any scammy links, ads or proposals you see online. Scamio can analyze any texts, messages, links, QR codes, or images and give you a verdict on whether they are part of a scam.

You can also help others stay safe by sharing Scamio with them in France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Romania, Australia, and the UK

Share the Gift of Awareness

Scams can ruin the holidays for anyone. Share this article with your family and friends to help them avoid becoming victims. If you suspect a scam, report it to local authorities or consumer protection agencies.